The ''Catedral de Santa Clara de Asís'' (''Cathedral of

Saint Clare of Assisi Clare of Assisi (born Chiara Offreduccio and sometimes spelled Clara, Clair, Claire, Sinclair; 16 July 1194 – 11 August 1253) was an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Francis of Assisi. She founded the Order of Poor Ladies, ...

'') 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 ...

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

located in the city of Santa Clara,

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. It lies on ''Calle Marta Abreu'', one of the city's main arteries, only two blocks from

Parque Vidal Parque Vidal (also known by its previous names of Plaza Central and Plaza Mayor) is a park located in the center of Santa Clara, Cuba, covering an entire square block of the city. Due to its surrounding architecture, combining eclectic neo-classi ...

and next to the cultural centre " El Mejunje".

Overview

The cathedral is the most important religious building in the city. The much argued-about church was built in 1940 after its colonial predecessor in Parque Vidal was demolished in 1923. Neo-Gothic in style, the new cathedral includes a wonderful collection of leaded stained glass windows, the marble "pilón" or holy water basin used for baptisms for most of the city's history (those thereby baptized are called "pilongos"), and the statue of Jesus in the upper front holding a gold monstrance. But the most impressive piece of art is the larger-than-life statue of the Virgin Mary inside the structure, locally known as "la Virgen del camino" (Travelers' Virgin). Until the

Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution ( es, Revolución Cubana) was carried out after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état which placed Fulgencio Batista as head of state and the failed mass strike in opposition that followed. After failing to contest Batista in co ...

, this statue was located on the road to

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

as a way to bless travelers. It was pulled down soon after and it disappeared for more than three decades. It was finally re-discovered around 1995 in a ditch, covered by soil and undergrowth. Already forgotten by the citizens of Santa Clara, a political battle ensued to decide whether to give it to a museum or the church. It was finally granted to the religious authorities. The construction of the cathedral went through several public controversies. It was a heated electoral issue for ruling mayors in colonial times. Most of them and a number of citizens back in the 1920s were torn between the possibility of keeping the colonial "Iglesia Mayor" (Grand Church, 1738) located in

, or tearing it down in order to make space for a re-designed and bigger plaza and re-locating the cathedral in a nearby location. Some people insisted on keeping the historic building, since it was one of the oldest in the growing city, realizing its importance as heritage. Eventually it was destroyed and two decades later the new one was constructed. Not happy with this action, Church authorities raised a formal complaint versus the city and won, although the church has never received the compensation that was awarded.

Gallery

Image:Catedral SC.jpg, Santa Clara de Asís Cathedral in 1997. Image:Dibujo de la Catedral de Santa Clara de Asis, Cuba.jpg, Drawing of Santa Clara de Asís front, published in 1933. Image:La Catedral de Santa Clara de Asis c.1950s.jpg, Historic photo of Santa Clara Cathedral in the 1950s. Image:Frente de la Catedral de Santa Clara de Asis.jpg, Front detail of Santa Clara de Asís Cathedral. Image:La Catedral de Santa Clara de Asis -interior.jpg, Interior of Santa Clara de Asís Cathedral. Image:Panorama vertical hacia el interior y frente de la Catedral Santa Clara de Asis, en Cuba. 2013.jpg, Vertical panorama of Santa Clara de Asís Cathedral. Image:Vitral sagrado corazon de Jesús, 1950.jpg, One of the stained glass windows inside Santa Clara de Asís Cathedral. The Sacred Heart of Jesus, built in 1950.

Bibliography

"Catedral"
(official website). Diócesis de Santa Clara, 2013. * Cristobal Garcia, Angel - ''El teatro La Caridad''. Colección Escambray, PUBLICIGRAF, 1993. * Cristobal Garcia, Angel - ''El parque Vidal''. Colección Escambray, PUBLICIGRAF, 1993.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Catedral de Santa Clara de Asis Buildings and structures in Santa Clara, Cuba Roman Catholic cathedrals in Cuba Roman Catholic churches completed in 1923 Tourist attractions in Santa Clara, Cuba 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Cuba