La Catedral San Carlos De Borromeo (Cathedral of St. Charles Borromeo) is a Catholic church in Matanzas, Cuba. It is the seat of Manuel Hilario de Céspedes y García Menocal, the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Matanzas.
On October 12, 1693, the first stone of this church was laid and Mass was held in the place. This mass was celebrated by the Bishop Diego Evelino Hurtado de Compostela. The original church was made of the leaves of the royal palm and was destroyed by a storm. Shortly afterwards construction was begun, finishing the work in 1735 with all its facilities in use by 1750. It used to be a beautiful and elegant church with frescoes on the walls, ceilings and in the big dome, but after years of neglect due to poor funding, the decay today seems irreparable.
The cathedral is in the neighborhood of Matanzas; the section of the city between the two rivers, the Yumuri and San Juan. A half block from the Parque de la Libertad (Freedom Park) and the Palacio Provincial (Provincial Palace). It is located on calle Jovellanos (Jovellanos Street), between Milanes and Independence streets.
Cathedral of San Carlos De Borromeo of Matanzas in 1906
South tower with bell, 2006
Coordinates: 23°03′N 81°35′W / 23.050°N 81.583°W