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All Dominican Republic Santo Domingo Cathedral of St. Mary of the Incarnation

Cathedral of St. Mary of the Incarnation

Built in 1512, the oldest cathedral in the Americas.

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

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Cathedral of St. Mary of the Incarnation. (Creative Commons)   http://www.flickr.com
Cathedral of St. Mary of the Incarnation. (Creative Commons)   http://www.flickr.com
Interior. (Wikimedia Commons)   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catedral_de_S...
Column. (Wikimedia Commons)   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catedral_de_S...
Vaulted ceiling. (Wikimedia Commons)   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catedral_de_S...
Catedral de Santa María la Menor. (Wikimedia Commons)   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catedral_de_S...
Side entrance from the Columbus Park. (Wikimedia Commons)   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catedral_de_S...
  Ursula / Atlas Obscura User
side from the plaza   dalebest1 / Atlas Obscura User
  Ursula / Atlas Obscura User
Bell Tower   johncterryc / Atlas Obscura User
  Ursula / Atlas Obscura User
Alter   johncterryc / Atlas Obscura User
Cathedral entrance   Global Sightseer / Atlas Obscura User
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About

The oldest cathedral in the Americas, the construction of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Incarnation began in 1512 and wasn't completed until 1541, 29 years later. On February 12, 1546, Pope Paul III granted the status of Metropolitan Cathedral and Primate of the Indies on the site. It has since been the only Archdiocese to have held this title.

The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Incarnation in Santo Domingo, dedicated to St. Mary of the Incarnation, contains a vast treasury of art constituted in paintings (including a panel of the Virgin of Altagracia dating back to 1523), old woodwork, furniture, monuments, and tombstones, among other things. The treasures that stand out the most are the mausoleums of the archbishops of the colonial period. For a time, this cathedral housed the remains of Christopher Columbus.

Located between Calle Arzobispo Merino and Isabel la Católica, next to Columbus Park in the city of Santo Domingo de Guzman, the cathedral is fronted by a golden-tinted coral limestone facade. The church combines elements of both Gothic and Baroque with some lavish styles as exemplified by the high altar chiseled out of silver.

The first noticeable feature of the structure are the solid limestone walls and three doors, two of which are Gothic and the third main door which is plateresque. There are twelve side chapels, three aisles, and a nave within. The roof of the nave is pitched, while the aisles have cross vaulted ceilings. The length of the basilica is 177 feet, the width of each of the three aisles is 75 feet, the height to the vaulted ceilings is 52 feet, and the total area is 32,000 square feet.

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Added By

bebeto

Edited By

nbj914, dalebest1, Ursula, johncterryc...

  • nbj914
  • dalebest1
  • Ursula
  • johncterryc
  • Global Sightseer

Published

May 8, 2011

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  • Imagestate: Long View of Cathedral of St. Mary of the Incarnation, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: http://www.imagestate.com/Preview/PreviewPage.aspx?id=103043&pricing=true&licenseType=RM
  • Wikipedia: Catedral de Santa María la Menor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catedral_de_Santa_Mar%C3%ADa_la_Menor
Cathedral of St. Mary of the Incarnation
Isabel La Catolica
Santo Domingo, 10210
Dominican Republic
18.472654, -69.883615
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