The Basilica of the National Vow ( es, Basílica del Voto Nacional) is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

located in the historic center of Quito, Ecuador. It is the largest neo-Gothic basilica in the Americas.

History

The basilica arose from the idea, proposed by Father Julio Matovelle in 1883, of building a monument as a perpetual reminder of the consecration of Ecuador to the Sacred Heart. President

Luis Cordero Luis Benjamín Cordero y Crespo (6 April 1833 – 30 January 1912) was List of heads of state of Ecuador, President of Ecuador 1 July 1892 to 16 April 1895. Cordero was born 6 April 1833 in the Cañar province of Ecuador to parents Gregorio Cor ...

issued the decree on July 23, 1883, and it was carried out by president

José María Plácido Caamaño José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...

on March 5, 1884. The congress, in accordance with the year's budget, designated 12,000 pesos for the construction - 1,000 pesos per month, beginning in 1884. By the decree of July 3, 1885, the fourth Quitense Provincial Council turned the construction of the basilica into a religious commitment in the name of the country. In 1887, the Issodum Fathers began construction for five years, with the approval of Pope

Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-ol ...

. The Oblato fathers donated the land for the basilica. To continue construction, donations were accepted from believers, who provided stones in exchange for engraving their names on them. In 1895, the state established a tax on salt to continue the building. In 1901, Father Matovelle and his Community of Missionary Monks, took charge of the construction at the request of Archbishop Pedro Rafael González Calisto. The building was designed by architect Emilio Tarlier at the cost of 40,000

French francs The franc (, ; currency sign, sign: F or Fr), also commonly distinguished as the (FF), was a currency of France. Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount ...

. Tarlier was inspired by the Bourges Cathedral. On July 10, 1892, the first stone was placed. Between 1892 and 1909, the Heart of Mary Cathedral was constructed. The basilica was blessed by Pope

John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

on January 30, 1985, and it was consecrated and inaugurated on July 12, 1988. The basilica remains technically "unfinished." Local legend says that when the Basílica is completed, the end of the world will come.

Gallery

Basílica del Voto Nacional, Quito - 4.jpg, The Basílica looking east Basílica del Voto Nacional - Michael Shade.jpg, South façade in November 2016 Basílica del Voto Nacional - stained glass window - Michael Shade.jpg, Rose window in the west transept Basílica del Voto Nacional - catwalk.jpeg, Catwalk leading to the roof Basílica del Voto Nacional - Clock towers.jpeg, North face of the clock towers, viewed from the roof Basílica del Voto Nacional from El Panecillo.jpeg, South façade from El Panecillo

References

External links

Basílica del Voto Nacional at the Archdiocese of Quito
{{DEFAULTSORT:Basilica del Voto Nacional Basilica churches in Ecuador Roman Catholic churches completed in 1924 Roman Catholic churches in Quito Roman Catholic shrines in Ecuador Skyscrapers in Ecuador 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Ecuador