The Cathedral of Santa María la Menor in the Colonial City of

Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...

is dedicated to St. Mary of the Incarnation. It is the oldest existing cathedral in the

Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...

, begun in 1504 and was completed in 1550, and the second constructed, after the

Garðar Cathedral Ruins Garðar Cathedral (), known formally as the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, was a Roman Catholic cathedral church located in Garðar, situated in Igaliku, Greenland. It was the first cathedral erected in the Americas, and is among the oldest surviv ...

in Greenland. It is the cathedral of the

Archbishop of Santo Domingo The Archdiocese of Santo Domingo (; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic. The see was erected 8 August 1511 as the Diocese of Santo Domingo and elevated to archdiocese on 1 ...

who has the honorary title of ''

Primate Primates is an order (biology), order of mammals, which is further divided into the Strepsirrhini, strepsirrhines, which include lemurs, galagos, and Lorisidae, lorisids; and the Haplorhini, haplorhines, which include Tarsiiformes, tarsiers a ...

of the Indies'' because this cathedral was the first diocese and the oldest

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

established in the

New World The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...

in the post-Columbus era. The cathedral is fronted with a golden-tinted coral limestone façade. The building is Gothic, a notable example of real Gothic architecture outside Europe. There is also a treasury which has an excellent art collection of ancient woodcarvings, furnishings, funerary monuments, silver, and jewelry. It is located between Calle Arzobispo Merino and Isabel la Católica, next to Columbus Park in the city of Santo Domingo de Guzmán.

History

Altar Catedral Primada CCSD 11 2017 7109

The Cathedral of Santo Domingo is the oldest existing in the Americas, built by order of

Pope Julius II Pope Julius II (; ; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death, in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope, the Battle Pope or the Fearsome ...

in 1504. Headquarters of the

Archdiocese of Santo Domingo The Archdiocese of Santo Domingo (; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic. The see was erected 8 August 1511 as the Diocese of Santo Domingo and elevated to archdiocese on 1 ...

, its construction began in 1512, under the pastoral government of the first

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

of Santo Domingo, Friar García Padilla, who never came to the island; based on plans by the architect Alonso de Rodríguez. With the work stopped, they continued with a new design by Luis de Moya and Rodrigo de Liendo in 1522 with the intervention of Bishop

Alessandro Geraldini Alessandro Geraldini (''also Gerardini or Gueraldini''; 1455 – March 8, 1524) was a Renaissance humanist scholar at the Spanish court of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. He is known for his support of Christopher Columbus. He served as tu ...

. Successively Alonso de Fuenmayor, promoted the work and on August 31, 1541, it was consecrated. In 1546

Pope Paul III Pope Paul III (; ; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era follo ...

elevated it to the rank of Metropolitan Cathedral and Primate of America at the request of King

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) ...

. In 1547, the work on the

bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...

was interrupted, because its height, surpassing the

Homage tower Homage (Old English) or Hommage (French) may refer to: History *Homage (feudal), the medieval oath of allegiance *Commendation ceremony, medieval homage ceremony Arts *Homage (arts), an allusion or imitation by one artist to another *Homage Comic ...

, had caused disturbances to the sentinels. The architect Alonso González, inspired by the

Seville Cathedral The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See (), better known as Seville Cathedral (), is a Catholic cathedral and former mosque in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. It was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along with the adjoining Alc� ...

, partially completed the church in 1550. In the second half of the 16th century, the

Cloister A cloister (from Latin , "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open Arcade (architecture), arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle (architecture), quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cat ...

sector was built on the south side, with the cells of the canons; another example is found in the

Cathedral of Salamanca The Catedral de la Asunción de la Virgen (Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary), popularly known as New Cathedral () is, together with the Old Cathedral, Salamanca, Old Cathedral, one of the two cathedrals of Salamanca, Castile and Le ...

in Spain. It was the headquarters of the troops of Sir

Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( 1540 – 28 January 1596) was an English Exploration, explorer and privateer best known for making the Francis Drake's circumnavigation, second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition between 1577 and 1580 (bein ...

, who sacked it during his 1586 invasion. Apparently in 1665 there was a second consecration. Initially without

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

s, by 1740 it had 9 and currently has 14. The Chapels of Alonso de Suazo, Rodrígo, Bastídas, Geraldini and Diego Caballero deserve special mention, as well as the crypt of the Archbishops and the lateral Baptismal chapel. Among the works, the painting of Our Lady of la Antigua was donated by the Admiral. The organ was brought to

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...

in 1860. Another promotion came in 1920 when

Pope Benedict XV Pope Benedict XV (; ; born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, ; 21 November 1854 – 22 January 1922) was head of the Catholic Church from 1914 until his death in January 1922. His pontificate was largely overshadowed by World War I a ...

elevated it to "Minor Basilica of the Virgin of the Annunciation".

Description

The architecture of the building of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo is characterized by a Gothic style with

ribbed vault A rib vault or ribbed vault is an architectural feature for covering a wide space, such as a nave, church nave, composed of a framework of crossed or diagonal arched ribs. Variations were used in Roman architecture, Byzantine architecture, Isla ...

s, solid walls and three doors, two of them Gothic in contrast to the third and main of Gothic-

Plateresque Plateresque, meaning "in the manner of a silversmith" (''plata'' being silver in Spanish language, Spanish), was an artistic movement, especially Architecture, architectural, developed in Spanish Empire, Spain and its territories, which appeared ...

style. The cathedral contains a vast artistic treasure made up of

altarpiece An altarpiece is a painting or sculpture, including relief, of religious subject matter made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting or sculpture, ...

s, paintings (including a panel of the Virgin of la Altagracia dated 1523), old cabinetry, furniture, monuments and tombstones, among other objects. The mausoleums of the archbishops of the colonial period stand out, it is also worth mentioning the tombstone of

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...

, one of the predecessors of the Liberator. The remains of

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...

were housed in the cathedral for a time, which were transferred in 1795 to the

Cathedral of Havana Havana Cathedral (''Catedral de la Purísima Concepción de María'') is one of eleven Catholic cathedrals on the island. It is located in the Plaza de la Catedral on Calle Empedrado, between San Ignacio y Mercaderes, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba. Th ...

and finally, between 1898 and 1899, to the

Cathedral of Seville The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See (), better known as Seville Cathedral (), is a Catholic cathedral and former mosque in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. It was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along with the adjoining Alc� ...

. The valuable archiepiscopal throne, in the

style, dates from 1540. It was part of the lower choir, dismantled at the end of the last century to place the marble monument in which the remains of Christopher Columbus were kept. The cathedral is built with calcareous stone, although some walls are made of masonry and bricks, and it has twelve side chapels, three free naves and a main nave. The roof of the central

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

is pitched. Those of the side naves are made up of

s that face the outside, as if they were hemispherical domes. The greatest length of the basilica is 54 m from the central nave to the bottom of the presbytery. The width of the three naves is 23 m. The highest height from floor to vault reaches 16 meters, and the built area exceeds 3,000 square meters. Fourteen side chapels were built throughout the cathedral's history. Nave Sur Bovedas Nervadas Catedral CCSD 10 2018 4229

Nave Sur Bovedas Nervadas Catedral CCSD 10 2018 4229

The surroundings of the cathedral are formulated in three independent spaces, to the north the Plaza de Armas, the battlemented atrium is like an antechamber that marks the main entrance to the religious complex. To the south, the cloister called Plazoleta de los Curas. The annexes around the courtyard allow a passage called Callejón de Curas.

Notable people buried

Buenaventura Báez Ramón Buenaventura Báez Méndez (July 14, 1812March 14, 1884), was a Dominican conservative politician and military figure. He was president of the Dominican Republic for five nonconsecutive terms. His rule was characterized by corruption and ...

– was the president of the Dominican Republic for five nonconsecutive terms. *

Ramón Báez Ramón Báez Machado (December 24, 1858 – March 4, 1929) was a physician and politician from the Dominican Republic. He served as provisional president of the Dominican Republic from 28 August until 5 December 1914. He served as the List of ...

– was a physician and president of the Dominican Republic. *

Fernando Arturo de Meriño ''Father'' Fernando Arturo de Meriño y Ramírez (January 9, 1833 – August 20, 1906) was a Dominican priest and politician. He served as President of the Dominican Republic from September 1, 1880, until September 1, 1882. He served as the Pr ...

– was a Dominican archbishop and served as the president of the Dominican Republic. *

Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra (November 15, 1846 – May 9, 1919) was a Dominican Republic political figure. He served as the president of the Dominican Republic between 15 November 1899 and 2 May 1902, and again between 5 December 1914 and 7 May ...

– He served as the president of the Dominican Republic.

Gallery

Exterior

File:Cathedral of Santo Domingo late 19th century.jpg, Cathedral of Santo Domingo at the late 19th century. File:Escudo Catedral Primada de América.svg, Coat of arms of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo File:North facade Catedral Primada CCSD 06 2018 098.jpg, North facade File:Santo Domingo - Catedral Santa Maria La Menor 01.JPG, File:North gate Catedral Primada CCSD 07 2017 4638.jpg, File:Basílica Menor de Santa María SD RD 02 2017 1941.jpg, File:Basílica Menor de Santa María RD 11 2017 6586.jpg, File:East facade Catedral Primada CCSD 07 2017 4636.jpg, File:Catedral Primada noche CCSD 03 2019 4861.jpg, File:Details main facade Catedral Primada SD 07 2017 4681.jpg File:Panorama fachada norte Catedral Primada noche CCSD 03 2019 4845.jpg File:Fachada Este Catedral Primada CCSD 09 2018 1279.jpg File:Catedral Primada SD 07 2017 4634.jpg File:Aerial view Catedral Primada CCSD 09 2019 0074.jpg,

Interior

File:Nave Norte Catedral Primada CCSD 05 2019 5530.jpg, North nave of Santa María la Menor Cathedral. File:Interior Catedral Primada CCSD 01 2018 6840.jpg, File:Interior Catedral Primada SD 12 2017 6453.jpg File:Altar Catedral Primada CCSD 11 2017 7109.jpg, File:Catedral Primada de America.jpg, File:Interior Catedral Primada CCSD 01 2018 6837.jpg, File:Altar Catedral Primada CCSD 11 2017 7087.jpg,

References

External links

* Flores Sasso, Virginia de los Ángeles (2012)
Doctoral Thesis about the construction of Santo Domingo's Cathedral
{{DEFAULTSORT:Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor Roman Catholic churches in Santo Domingo 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings Roman Catholic cathedrals in the Dominican Republic History of the Colony of Santo Domingo Spanish Colonial architecture in the Dominican Republic Roman Catholic churches completed in 1540 1540 in New Spain Basilica churches in the Dominican Republic Tourist attractions in Santo Domingo Gothic architecture in the Dominican Republic Ciudad Colonial (Santo Domingo)