Caracas Cathedral
| Caracas Cathedral | |
|---|---|
| Catedral Metropolitana de Santa Ana | |
Caracas Cathedral
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| 10°30′22″N 66°54′50″W / 10.5062°N 66.9140°WCoordinates: 10°30′22″N 66°54′50″W / 10.5062°N 66.9140°W | |
| Location | Caracas |
| Country | Venezuela |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Founded | 1666 |
| Dedication | Saint Anne |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Cathedral |
| Functional status | Active |
| Style | Romanesque |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino |
The Caracas Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Metropolitan archdiocese of Caracas, located on the Plaza Bolívar in Caracas, Venezuela. Its chapel of the Holy Trinity is the burial site of the parents and wife of Simón Bolívar. The Nuestra Senora de Venezuela y Santa Ana is a square (cuadra) situated between the cathedral and the central plaza, which is walled on three sides, but open to the east where it faces the cathedral.
The church originally built at this location in the mid-16th century was a mud-walled chapel and dedicated to St. James (Santiago). It was destroyed during the earthquake of 1641. The building has undergone rebuilding, restoration, or expansion on numerous occasions since. The first construction of the cathedral replacing the small church commenced in 1666 under Juan de Medina, and a bell tower was added. Construction was completed in 1674. The façade, dating from 1771, is the work of Francisco Andrés de Meneses. The building was again damaged in the earthquakes of 1766 and 1812. At 4 pm on Holy Thursday, 26 March 1812, an earthquake measuring 7.7 magnitude on the Richter scale struck Caracas. Worshippers had assembled in large numbers at the church when the earthquake struck. The cathedral crumbled, killing a few people and injuring many. The priests explained it as divine retribution for Francisco de Miranda's rebellion and the devout parishioners agreed with them even though Simón Bolívar told the people not to panic as it was merely an earthquake.
After the earthquake, one of its towers was damaged and later reduced in size. A frontispiece was constructed in the facade in 1866. The cathedral houses crypt chambers, the most notable of which is the Bolívars', as his parents and young bride are entombed here. Simón Bolívar's remains were also entombed here from 1842 until 1876 when they were solemnly transferred to the Panteón Nacional, five blocks to the north. In 1932 and during the 1960s, restoration and modifications were made throughout the building. Juan Bautista Plaza served as the chapel master and organist until 1948. In 1974, the cathedral parish's marriage registry for the period 1615–1831 was published by the Instituto Venezolano de Genealogia.
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Wikipedia