The Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

: ''Catedral de San Carlos Borromeo'') is a Catholic

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 * Chris ...

Matanzas Matanzas (Cuban ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Matanzas (Spanish ''Bahia de Matanzas''), east ...

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 is the seat of

Manuel Hilario de Céspedes y García Menocal Manuel Hilario de Céspedes y García Menocal (born 11 March 1944) was the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Matanzas from 2005 to 2022. He studied for the priesthood in Venezuela and filled pastoral assignments there for twelve years before ...

, the

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Matanzas The Diocese of Matanzas is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Cuba. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of San Cristobal de la Habana. The diocese was e ...

History

The foundation stone of the church was laid on 12 October, 1693, and the first Mass was celebrated by the Bishop of Santiago,

Diego Evelino Hurtado de Compostela Bishop Diego Evelino Hurtado Vélez (1638 in Santiago de Compostela, Spain - August 29, 1704 in Havana, Cuba) was the Bishop of Diocese of Santiago de Cuba (now the Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba). He was known as Bishop Diego Evelino Hurtado de Co ...

. The original church was a simple structure constructed of fronds of the

royal palm ''Roystonea regia'', commonly known as the Cuban royal palm or Florida royal palm, is a species of palm that is native to Mexico, parts of Central America and the Caribbean, and southern Florida. A large and attractive palm, it has been planted ...

. It was soon destroyed in a storm and construction commenced on the present church. The building was finished in 1735 with all its facilities were in use by 1750. It is a beautiful and elegant church with frescoes on the walls, ceilings and in the big dome. After years of neglect due to poor funding, the cathedral was carefully restored in 2017.San Carlos Borromeo Cathedral aspires to National Restoration Prize, Radio 26-CU website, 2017
(retrieved 27 January 2022)

Location

The cathedral is in the neighborhood of

; 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.

Notes

Gallery

Matanzas - Catedral.jpg, Image from circa 1890 Image:Cathedral of Matanzas 1906a.jpg, Cathedral of San Carlos De Borromeo of Matanzas in 1906 Image:A Bell and the South Tower of the Matanzas Cathedral.jpg, South tower with bell, 2006 File:Matanzas - Cathedral.jpg, Matanzas Cathedral circa 1908 (postcard)

History

Location

Notes

Gallery

See also