The Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral (Spanish: Catedral Metropolitana de Buenos Aires) is the main Catholic church in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Buenos Aires is the Capital and largest city of Argentina. It is geographically located on the southern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. It is located in the city centre, overlooking Plaza de Mayo, on the corner of San Martín and Rivadavia streets, in the San Nicolás neighbourhood. Plaza_de_la_Victoriapng|thumb|225px|1867 view of the Plaza de la Victoria San Nicolás is one of the neighbourhoods of the Buenos Aires city in Argentina, in which most of the main banks and government institutions are located It is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Buenos Aires ( Archidioecesis Bonaerensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church based
The Cathedral of Buenos Aires was rebuilt several times since its humble origins in the 16th century. The present building is a mix of architectural styles, with a 18th century nave and dome and a severe, 19th century Neoclassical façade without towers. In Romanesque and Gothic Christian Abbey, Cathedral Basilica and church Architecture, the nave is the A dome is a common structural element of Architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a Sphere. A facade or façade (fəˈsɑːd is generally one side of the exterior of a Building, especially the front but also sometimes the sides and rear The interior keeps precious 18th century statues and altarpieces, as well as abundant Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque decoration. An altarpiece is a picture or Relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the Altar of a church "Neo-Renaissance" is an all encompassing style designation that covers many aspects of those 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Neo-Baroque is a term used to describe artistic creations which display important aspects of Baroque style but are not from the Baroque period proper around the 17th-18th
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History and architecture
Origins
During the definitive foundation of Buenos Aires by Juan de Garay in 1580, part of a block facing the main square was reserved for the major church of the town. Juan de Garay (1528 &ndash 1583 was a Spanish Basque Conquistador. This is still the location of the current Cathedral, which is the last building in a series of previous churches that occupied the site.
At the time of its foundation, the town depended on the diocese of Asunción (in today Paraguay). In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglican churches, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a Bishop. Asunción (full name Nuestra Señora Santa María de la Asunción) population 1212112 (2002 is the Capital and largest city of Paraguay. Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only The first main church of Buenos Aires was a modest building made of wood and adobe, and was replaced by a new one in 1605 by Governor Hernandarias. Adobe bricks are a Natural building material made from Sand, Clay, water and some kind of fibrous or Organic material ( Sticks, Hernando Arias de Saavedra ( September 10, 1561 – 1634 commonly known as Hernandarias, was a soldier and politician of criollo ancestry This second building was also in danger of collapse by 1616 and had to be rebuilt again, something which was done around 1618. In 1620, Buenos Aires was made seat of a bishopric by Pope Paul V. For Napoleon's brother-in-law see Camillo Filippo Ludovico Borghese. Its main church now had the status of a cathedral. This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral
After 1662, the cathedral was again rebuilt under bishop Cristóbal de la Mancha y Velazco and governor José Martínez de Salazar, being reinaugurated in 1671. The cathedral now had three naves covered by a wooden roof and a tower. In Romanesque and Gothic Christian Abbey, Cathedral Basilica and church Architecture, the nave is the Due to the bad quality of its building materials, the tower and the roof of this church fell down in the early 1680s. The whole church was again rebuilt, starting in 1684, under bishop Azcona Imberto. In 1695 the building was almost finished, with the flanking towers of the façade and the sacristy still to be completed. A sacristy is a room for keeping Vestments (such as the Cassock and Chasuble) and other church furnishings sacred vessels and parish records
In the early 1700s the works were slow, and the first tower was finished only around 1721. The second tower was begun in 1722 and finished around 1725. The main façade was redesigned between 1725 and 1727 by the Italian Jesuit Giovanni Bianchi (also spelled Blanqui). A facade or façade (fəˈsɑːd is generally one side of the exterior of a Building, especially the front but also sometimes the sides and rear Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order The design of the new façade was directly inspired by Italian Mannerist architecture. Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe in which there was a
Definitive building
On the night of May 23 1752, the nave of the cathedral collapsed. The only portions still standing were the façade and towers, but the rest of the building needed to be completely rebuilt once again. Italian architect Antonio Masella was put in charge of the project, and the works began already in 1753. Masella designed a majestic church, much larger than the previous structure, with a three-aisled nave covered with barrel vaulting and lateral chapels. An aisle is in general a space for walking with rows of seats on either side or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other A Vault (French voute Italian volta German Gewölbe Polish sklepienie, Spanish A dome was to sit over the crossing. A dome is a common structural element of Architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a Sphere. A crossing, in ecclesiastical architecture, is the junction of the four arms of a Cruciform (cross-shaped church Upon completion of the dome, however, fissures in the structure were detected and it had to be rebuilt. Masella was removed from the project and prosecuted by the authorities, although later acquitted.
The dome was rebuilt by architect Manuel Álvarez de Rocha after 1770. The façade by Blanqui and the towers were finally demolished in 1778, since they were too small in comparison to the scale of the new cathedral. An elegant project for a new façade with two flanking towers, combining Rococo and Neoclassical elements, was presented by the Portuguese military engineer José Custódio de Sá e Faria, but financial constraints prevented the realisation of the project. Rococo is a style of 18th century French art and Interior design. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The cathedral was consecrated in 1791 without façade.
Construction of a façade began in the early 1800s directed by Spanish architect Tomás Toribio, but the project did not advance much. It was only in 1821, under Governor Martín Rodríguez and his Minister Bernardino Rivadavia, that plans to complete the cathedral were taken seriously. Martín Rodríguez ( Buenos Aires; 1771 &ndash Montevideo; 1845 was an Argentine politician and soldier Bernardino de la Trinidad Gónzalez Rivadavia y Rivadavia ( May 20, 1780 &ndash September 2, 1845) was the first President of Starting in 1826, French architects Prosper Catelin and Pierre Benoit built a new Neoclassical façade for the cathedral inspired by the Palais Bourbon in Paris. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Palais Bourbon, a Palace located on the left bank of the Seine, across from the Place de la Concorde, Paris (which is on the right bank is Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Construction was temporarily halted in 1827, and when it resumed, progress was slow until its final completion. The façade of the building consists of a tall portico, inspired by Classical architecture, with twelve columns and a triangular pediment on top. A portico is a Porch that is leading to the entrance of a building or extended as a Colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway supported by Columns The term Classical architecture has a specific Archaeological meaning relating to the architecture of Classical Greece A column in Structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure ( Entablature) typically supported by The portico lends the building the appearance of an ancient temple rather than a Catholic church. The original project did not call for towers to be built and, even though there were later plans to build two towers, they were never materialised.
The decoration of the facade was only finished between 1860 and 1863, when French sculptor Joseph Dubourdieu created the reliefs of the pediment. The scene represents the reunion of Joseph with his brothers and father Jacob in Egypt, and was intended as an allegory of the unity of the Argentine nation after several fraticide wars. Joseph or Yosef (יוֹסֵ Standard Yosef Tiberian Yôsēp̄, يوسف Yusuf; "He Jacob ( Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב, Standard Yaʿaqov Tiberian Yaʿăqōḇ; This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. An allegory (from αλλος allos "other" and el αγορευειν agoreuein "to speak in public" is a figurative mode of representation Dubourdieu also completed the Corinthian capitals of the columns of the portico. The Corinthian order is one of the Classical orders of Greek and Roman Architecture, characterized
Interior
The Cathedral of Buenos Aires is a Latin cross building with transept and three-aisles with side chapels connected by corridors. The Christian cross is the best-known Religious symbol of Christianity. Full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are found at the entry Cathedral diagram. Originally the interior was only decorated with altarpieces, but at the end of the 19th century the walls and ceilings of the church were decorated with frescoes depicting biblical scenes painted the Italian Francesco Paolo Parisi. Fresco (plural either frescos or frescoes) is any of several related Painting types done on Plaster on walls or In 1907, the floor of the catedral was covered with Venetian-style mosaics designed by the Italian Carlo Morra. Art History Mosaics of the 4th century BC are found in the Macedonian palace-city of Aegae, and they enriched the floors of Hellenistic
The cathedral still has some elements dating from colonial times. The most important is the main gilt wood altarpiece in Rococo style, dating from 1785 and executed by Spanish sculptor Isidro Lorea. Rococo is a style of 18th century French art and Interior design. The altarpiece occupies the main chapel and has a statue of the Virgin Mary and a representation of the Holy Trinity in its canopy. SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных A baldachin, or baldaquin (Italian baldacchino or baldachino) is a canopy of state over an Altar or
Another notable colonial sculpture is the Christ of Buenos Aires, a large image of the crucified Christ located in the altarpiece of the lateral arm of the transept. The statue was carved by Portuguese sculptor Manuel do Coyto in 1671 and is the oldest in the cathedral. According to the faithful, it has miraculously saved the city from a flood in the 18th century.
The two pulpits of the catedral, in transitional Rococo-Neoclassical style, were created in 1789-1790 by the Spanish sculptor Juan Antonio Gaspar Hernández, who would later (1799) direct the first art school of Buenos Aires. A pulpit (from Latin pulpitum "scaffold" "platform" "stage" is a small elevated platform where a member of the clergy stands
Mausoleum of General San Martín
In 1880, the remains of General José de San Martín were brought from France and placed in a mausoleum, reachable from the right aisle of the church. José Francisco de San Martín Matorras, also known as José de San Martín ( 25 February 1778 – 17 August 1850) was an Argentine A mausoleum ( plural: mausolea is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons The mausoleum was specially designed by French sculptor Albert Carrier-Belleuse, with marble of various colours. The black sarcophagh is guarded by three life-size female figures that represent Argentina, Chile and Peru, three of the regions freed by the General. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. The mausoleum also has the remains of Generals Juan Gregorio de las Heras and Tomás Guido, as well as those of the Unknown Soldier of the Independence. Grand Marshal Juan Gregorio de las Heras ( July 11, 1780 – February 15, 1866) was an Argentine soldier who took part in the Tomás Guido. (b Buenos Aires, November 1 1788 &ndash d September 14 de 1866 was a General in the Argentine War of Independence Throughout history many Soldiers have died in wars without their remains being identified
See also
External links
Plaza_de_la_Victoriapng|thumb|225px|1867 view of the Plaza de la Victoria The Roman Catholic Church in Argentina is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and the Curia The Architecture of Argentina can be said to start at the beginning of the Spanish colonisation, though it was in the 18th century that the cities of the country The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Buenos Aires ( Archidioecesis Bonaerensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church basedDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic