The Lima Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the Main Plaza of downtown Lima, Peru. It started its construction in 1535. It has been transformed many times, but it still conserves its colonial composition and facade.
The Cathedral today
The Cathedral has 3 salons plus 2 aditional where are located the lateral chapels. From outside, we can see 3 doors at the front facade, like any other cathedral. The main facade (the middle one) is called Portada del Perdon. There, at the top, is inscripted the peruvian seal, instead of Lima's coat-of-arms and the phrase "Plus Ultra".
Thera are also 2 lateral doors; one of them is in front of Calle de Judios (Jewish street) and the second one next to Patio de los Naranjos (Orange tree yard, connected with the Cathedral). Back of the temple, there are 2 more doors: Santa Apolonia and San Cristobal. At the front facade are sculptures of the Apostols and in the middle, the Sacred heart of Jesus. Next to the Cathedral are the Parroquia del Sagrario (one of the oldest one in Lima) and the Archbishop Palace.
Inside, along the lateral salons you can see big pictures of the Via Crucis. Recently were put over the pillars twelve pictures that contains the twelve apostols. Joannes Paulus II visited this church twice (1985 and 1988). These events are conmemorated with signs at the entrance.
At the left salon we can see, in the first chapel, the ancient baptistery, with its bautismal pile. There you can visit a beautiful image of Nuestra Senora de la Esperanza, who presides the events during Cuaresm and Holy Week. In the last remodalation, ancient pictures where found in this chapel and now are ready to visit.
The next chapel is Capilla de la Sagrada Familia (chapel of the Holy Family), where are preserved old figures of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Timeline
The following chronologic data is based on works of the priest Antonio San Cristobal.
January 18, 1535:
The conqueror Francisco Pizarro placed the first stone and carried over his shoulders the first log used in the construction of the Cathedral. The chosen location is between the Main Plaza and the "Street of the Jews" ("Calle de Judios", in Spanish).
1538: The construction of the first church is completed. It is primitive, small and rustic.
March 11, 1540: The church is officially inaugurated by Francisco Pizarro.
May 14, 1541: A papal bull of Pope Paul III, Illius Fulciti Praesidio, designates the church as a Cathedral, by creating the diocese of the City of the Kings. The Cathedral now becomes part of the assigned region of Saint John Evangelist ("San Juan Evangelista" in Spanish) and stops depending on Cusco to become under the command of Sevilla.
1542: The temple undergoes some improvements, building additional structures over the terrain donated by Garcia de Salcedo.
September 17, 1543: The Bishop Jeronimo de Loayza signs the "Lima Cathedral Construction Act" and elects its council.
February 12, 1546: The church is upgraded to Metropolitan Church, and by that "The Kings" becomes an Archdiocese. This is done by the papal bull Super Universa Orbis of Pope Paul III.
1551: Inauguration of the second Cathedral, by the Archibishop Jeronimo de Loayza.
1564: The Archbishop Jeronimo de Loayza assigns the task of reforming the Cathedral to make it like the Cathedral of Seville in Spain, to the "alarife" Alonso Beltran.
1572: Work on the third Cathedral started by demolising the walls of "adobe", but the project was shortly abandoned because of the high costs.
1598: The Renaissance architect Francisco Becerra reduced the plans to only 3 salons, plus 2 chapels. Works on the third Cathedral are reinitiated.
February 2, 1604: The Archbishop Toribio Alfonso de Mogrovejo inaugurates the first part of the third Cathedral.
1609: Earthquake destroys the vaults of the recently built structure.
1614-1615: The old Renaissance vaults are rebuilt at a lower height with a Gothic style.
August 15, 1622: First Mass in the finished third Cathedral.
October 19, 1625: The Archibishop Gonzalo de Ocampo consecrated the third Lima Cathedral.
1626: Juan Martinez de Arona and Pedro de Noguera designed the main portal as it is today.
1687: Another earthquake destroys the vaults of the Cathedral.
December 7, 1697: Reconstruction of the Cathedral finishes and it is officially inaugurated.
1732: Two additional portals are built.
1746: Earthquake destroys vaults and pillars.
May 29, 1755: The first part of the rebuilt Cathedral is inaugurated.
December 8, 1758: The second part of the rebuilt Cathedral is inaugurated.
December 8, 1778: The Archibishop Diego Antonio de Parada inaugurates the renovated interior of the Cathedral.
1794-1797: Construction of the current towers of the Cathedral, designed by the architect Ignacio Martorell.
January 17, 1893: The Cathedral is closed because it is in very bad shape.
January 7, 1896: Internal renovation works are begun.
January 6, 1898: Inauguration of renovated Cathedral.
1940: Earthquake. Restoration by Emilio Harth-Terre.
2005: New lights.
See also
Other pages about Cathedrals in Peru
-Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa -Cathedral of Lima -Huamanga Cathedral
Other pages about Colonial Peru
-Alonzo de Alvarado -Ana Francisca de Borja y Doria -Ana de Castro -Andres Hurtado de Mendoza -Antonio de Mendoza -Antonio de Morga -Balconies of Lima -Baltasar de la Cueva Enriquez -Battle of Sangarara -Bernardo de Iturriaza -Blasco Nunez Vela -Cabildo (council) -Carmine Nicolao Caracciolo -Cathedral of Lima -Comentarios Reales de los Incas -Convento de San Francisco -Cristobal Ramirez de Cartagena -Cristobal Vaca de Castro -Diego Ladron de Guevara -Diego Lopez de Zuniga y Velasco -Diego Morcillo Rubio de Aunon -Diego Nunez de Avendano -Diego Quispe Tito -Diego de Almagro -Diego de Benavides y de la Cueva -Fernando Torres de Portugal y Mesia -Francisco Ruiz Lozano -Francisco de Borja y Aragon -Francisco de Toledo, Count of Oropesa -Garcia Hurtado de Mendoza, Marquis of Canete -Government Palace (Peru) -Hans Heinrich Bruning Brookstedt -Hernando de Luque -Historic Centre of Lima -Jose Antonio de Areche -Jose Antonio de Mendoza -Jose de Armendariz -Juan Jimenez de Montalvo -Juan Pizarro II -Lima City Walls -Luis Jeronimo Fernandez de Cabrera -Manuel de Oms y de Santa Pau -Mateo de la Mata Ponce de Leon -Melchor Bravo de Saravia -Melchor Linan y Cisneros -Melchor de Navarra y Rocafull -Miguel Nunez de Sanabria -Osambela House -Pedro Alvarez de Toledo y Leiva -Pedro Antonio Fernandez de Castro -Pedro Bohorquez -Pedro de la Gasca -San Telmo (ship) -Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire -Torre Tagle Palace -Tupac Amaru II -Turibius of Mongrovejo -Viceroyalty of Peru
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