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The Metropolitan and Primate Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and Saint Peter of Bogotá or better known as the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Bogotá and Primate of Colombia, officially ''Sacred Holy Temple Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica and Primate of the Immaculate Conception of Mary and Saint Peter'', is a
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 ...
church of
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
worship consecrated to the
Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Mariology, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Debated by medieval theologians, it was not def ...
and under the patronage of
Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...
; it is a Neoclassical style building located in the Plaza de Bolívar in
Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...
, the country's capital. The cathedral is the seat of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Bogotá and Primate of Colombia, recognized with the honorary title of ''Primate of
Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
'' by
Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...
, through the Decree of the Consistorial Congregation of November 7, 1902. It is also the seat of the Cabildo metropolitano and of the "Parish of the Cathedral Basilica Metropolitana de Bogotá Saint Peter". The cathedral was designed by Domingo de Petrés and was built between 1807 and 1823 in the same place where three other churches were previously erected, which successively served as cathedrals for the city. Due to its historical significance, architectural and cultural value, it was declared a Monumento Nacional by decree 1,584 of August 11, 1975.


History

The Spanish
conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...
s to the
Bogotá savanna The Bogotá savanna is a savanna#Savanna ecoregions, montane savanna, located in the southwestern part of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the center of Colombia. The Bogotá savanna has an extent of and an average altitude of . The savanna is si ...
, the missionary Friar
Domingo de las Casas Domingo may refer to: People *Domingo (name), a Spanish name and list of people with that name *Domingo (producer) (born 1970), American hip-hop producer *Saint Dominic (1170–1221), Castilian Catholic priest, founder of the Friars popularly cal ...
celebrated the first
Holy Mass The Mass is the central liturgical service of the Eucharist in the Catholic Church, in which bread and wine are consecrated and become the body and blood of Christ. As defined by the Church at the Council of Trent, in the Mass "the same Christ ...
on August 6, 1538, in a modest chapel of mud and straw roofs, and before a banner that rests on the cathedral, in the place where the first stones were laid for the construction of a church. The place was named by the Spanish as Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza. In 1553, at the initiative of Friar
Juan de los Barrios Friar Juan de los Barrios y Toledo, OFM (1496 – February 12, 1569) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as the first Archbishop of Santafé de Bogotá of the New Kingdom of Granada, (1564–1569), ''(in Latin)'' Bishop of Santa Marta (1 ...
, the decision was made to build a cathedral with mud and brick walls in the same place as the current cathedral, according to the provisions of the Cabildo, for which a public tender was called that assigned the works to Baltasar Díaz and Pedro Vásquez, associated with the bricklayer Juan Rey, with a budget of 1,000
peso The peso is the monetary unit of several Hispanophone, Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, as well as the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries of the Americas, the symbol com ...
s. In 1560, after spending more than 6,000 pesos and on the eve of its inauguration collapsed the roof of the construction. Despite this, on September 11, 1562,
Pope Pius IV Pope Pius IV (; 31 March 1499 – 9 December 1565), born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 December 1559 to his death, in December 1565. Born in Milan, his family considered itself a b ...
granted it the title of Cathedral. Twelve years later, Friar
Juan de los Barrios Friar Juan de los Barrios y Toledo, OFM (1496 – February 12, 1569) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as the first Archbishop of Santafé de Bogotá of the New Kingdom of Granada, (1564–1569), ''(in Latin)'' Bishop of Santa Marta (1 ...
, the first
archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
of the city, brought on his shoulders the first stone for a new cathedral, thus setting an example to all his companions and faithful, who, following him, managed to store a considerable quantity of stones for its construction. The work began on March 12, 1572, in the same place, with the same conditions as the previous one, that is, with three naves, but with an additional detail in which four
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 were added forming a cross. The work culminated in 1590, with the main chapel covered as well as the
arch An arch is a curved vertical structure spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th millennium BC, but stru ...
es, but the four side chapels and the three naves were pending in its construction. By 1678 the tower was completed. This new church, the third construction of the cathedral, was notable for the richness of its worship and for its musical chapel. On July 12, 1785, a strong earthquake occurred in the city that seriously affected the construction, for which the decision was made to partially demolish it in 1805. Some years after the expulsion of the
Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
from Colombia, it was decided to put the Church of San Ignacio into service as a vice-cathedral, which was called "Vice-cathedral of San Carlos" (in honor of King
Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...
) and is located just half a block away from the plaza. At the beginning of the 19th century by appointment made by Canon Fernando Caycedo y Flórez, Metropolitan Archbishop of Bogotá, the Capuchin friar Friar Domingo de Petrés was appointed as architect for the reconstruction of the cathedral, who was widely influenced by the Neoclassical trend prevailing in that time of history and that determined the style of the reconstruction of the church, Fray Domingo, of Spanish origin, son of a mason, who arrived in
Santafé de Bogotá Santa Fe (Spanish; 'holy faith') or Santa Fé (Portuguese; 'holy faith') may refer to: Places Argentina *Santa Fe, Argentina **Santa Fe Province Bolivia * Santa Fe de Yapacaní * Santa Fe (Oruro) Brazil * Bonito de Santa Fé *Santa Fé de Goiá ...
in 1792 to exercise his profession as an architect, beginning the work of the new cathedral on February 11, 1807. He has been considered one of the most representative architects of the
new kingdom of Granada New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
, among other works the Astronomical Observatory of Bogotá, the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Rosario of Chiquinquirá, the Cathedral of Zipaquirá, the Cathedral Basilica of Santa Fe de Antioquia, the Facatativá Cathedral and the Co-Cathedral of Guaduas. When Friar Domingo died in 1811, the construction of the interior of the cathedral was completed. The remaining works were directed by Nicolás León, who managed to complete them on April 19, 1823. In that same year, the consecration of the cathedral was officiated. The Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Bogotá was recognized with the honorary title of Primate of
Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
by
Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...
, through the Decree of the Consistorial Congregation of November 7, 1902. File:Plaza Bolívar and cathedral Bogotá 1840 José Santos Figueroa.jpg, Plaza de Bolívar and cathedral in 1840 by José Santos Figueroa File:Plaza de Bolívar Bogotá 1844 Santiago Castillo Escallón.jpg, Plaza de Bolívar in 1844, oil by Santiago Castillo Escallón File:Plaza Mayor de Bogotá, 1846.JPG, The Plaza de Bolívar in 1846 a watercolor by Edward Mark Walhouse File:Bogotá Cathedral 1950.jpg, Bogotá Cathedral in 1950. Banco de la República Collection.


Urban context

The Metropolitan and Primate Basilica Cathedral occupies the northern part of the eastern block of the Plaza de Bolívar, in the historic center of the city of
Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...
, corresponding to the locality of La Candelaria, whose minor mayor's office was created by the
Bogotá City Council The Bogotá City Council is the highest Political and second highest Administrative Authority of Bogotá, Colombia. It is the only city council in the country which has 45 Councillors, since the limit for all other city councils is 21 Councillor ...
through the agreement 7 of December 4, 1974. Its exact location is between
Carrera Séptima Carrera Séptima (Seventh Street), also known as Eduardo Posada Flórez Avenue, is one of the principal transit arteries which crosses the eastern side of Bogotá north and south. It is the most important thoroughfare of the city in the sense ...
and Carrera Sexta with Calles 10ª and 11ª, in which the portal is oriented towards the west (on Carrera Séptima, looking towards Plaza de Bolívar) and the side door or false door faces north (on Calle 11th, looking towards the Casa del Florero or Museum of the 20 de julio, place where the Cry of Independence occurred, and surrounding buildings). Its location corresponds to the Episcopal Pastoral Zone of the Immaculate Conception, forming the parish of the Cathedral in the neighborhood of La Candelaria. In the same neighborhood there are four other
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...
es. On the south side of the cathedral is the Chapel del Sagrario, a church built between 1660 and 1689. Between the Cathedral and the Chapel del Sagrario is the Casa del Cabildo Eclesiástico (also known as the City Hall), which is a three-story building built in 1689 by order of Archbishop Julián Cortázar. Completing the block on the Plaza de Bolívar is the Archbishop's Palace, a building built between 1952 and 1959 to replace the colonial palace, destroyed in April 1948 during the
Bogotazo El Bogotazo (from "Bogotá" and the ''-azo'' suffix of violent augmentation) was a massive outbreak of rioting after the assassination in Bogotá, Colombia of Liberal leader and presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán on 9 April 1948 d ...
, which was it was located on Calle 11 with Carrera Sexta, next to the Mint House. In the current place of the Archbishop's Palace, the Customs building had been located since 1793, which served as a prison for Viceroy Amar y Borbón after July 20, 1810, and as an office for Viceroy Sámano and
Pablo Morillo Pablo Morillo y Morillo, Count of Cartagena and Marquess of La Puerta, a.k.a. ''El Pacificador'' (The Peace Maker) (5 May 1775 – 27 July 1837) was a Spanish military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and in the Spanish American I ...
during the Spanish reconquest. In the back of the cathedral is the parish house, whose lot was initially destined for the Hospital de San Pedro by order of Archbishop Friar
Juan de los Barrios Friar Juan de los Barrios y Toledo, OFM (1496 – February 12, 1569) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as the first Archbishop of Santafé de Bogotá of the New Kingdom of Granada, (1564–1569), ''(in Latin)'' Bishop of Santa Marta (1 ...
on October 21, 1564. Due to limited space, in 1723 the hospital was moved to the west of the city, on the site currently occupied by the
Hospital San Juan de Dios Hospital San Juan de Dios may refer to: *Hospital San Juan de Dios, Bogota, Colombia *San Juan de Dios Hospital (Santiago), Chile *A former hospital in Cúcuta, Colombia, now a library *Hospital San Juan de Dios, Pamplona, Colombia *, San José, Co ...
. The current building of the parish house on the corner of calle 11 with carrera 6 dates from 1759 and was declared a national monument through the resolution 191 of March 1, 2005. The Plaza de Bolívar, as Plaza Mayor of the city, has been the scene of some of the main political and social demonstrations throughout the country's history. Its framework is complemented by the Palace of Justice on the north side, the
Palacio Liévano The Palacio Liévano or Lievano Palace is a building located on the west side of the Plaza de Bolivar in Bogotá, Colombia in the cultural and historical hub of the city. The palace is located in La Candelaria, Bogotá, La Candelaria district. Al ...
(headquarters of the Mayor's Office of Bogotá) to the west and the
Capitolio Nacional The National Capitol of Colombia (), often simply referred to as ''Capitolio Nacional'' ''(National Capitol)'', is a building on Bolivar Square in central Bogotá, the construction of which began in 1848 and was finished in 1926. It houses both ...
to the south. In this way, some of the main institutions that represent the three branches of public power in the country appear in the Square. Since July 20, 1847, in the center of it there is a statue 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 ...
, from whom it officially receives its name, work of the
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
sculptor
Pietro Tenerani Pietro Tenerani (11 November 1789 – 16 December 1869) was an Italian sculptor of the Neoclassic style. Biography Early career Pietro Tenerani was born in Torano, near Carrara. He initially trained with his maternal uncle, the sculptor P ...
.


Description

The cathedral is made up of a Classical basilica plan in the form of a Latin cross that occupies an area of 5,300 square meters, has five naves: the central nave and two side naves of the same height and the other two for the chapels. It also has a main altar and 16 chapels: 8 in the south nave, 8 in the north nave and a frontal one in the central nave, which are complemented by the choir and two sacristies. The lantern and dome are located at the intersection of the transept with the crossing, supported by four pendentives and decorated in the shape of a semicircular dome, with indigo blue and thirteen tongues of fire. The interior paint of the naves and chapels is white, and their vaults have rosettes in the center. The portal is divided into two bodies. The first is made up of eight Corinthian pilasters that go up to the architrave, frieze and cornice, also of the
Doric order The Doric order is one of the three orders of ancient Greek and later Roman architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian. The Doric is most easily recognized by the simple circular capitals at the top of t ...
; the second body is of the
Ionic order The Ionic order is one of the three canonic classical order, orders of classical architecture, the other two being the Doric order, Doric and the Corinthian order, Corinthian. There are two lesser orders: the Tuscan order, Tuscan (a plainer Doric) ...
and is adorned with eight pilasters. Three sculptures made by Juan de Cabrera adorn the upper part of each door: the north door
Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...
, the south door
Saint Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...
and the frontis the
Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Mariology, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Debated by medieval theologians, it was not def ...
with two angels on both sides in an attitude of crowning her; Above the latter, the façade is finished off with an isosceles triangle adorned with indentation, Ionic order moldings and above it a pontifical cross with double arms, and below the statue, on the lintel of the main door, a marble slab reads white the inscription: "Under the title and patronage of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, religious Santafé will prosper. Year of MDCCCXIV. Architect Friar Domingo de Petrés, Capuchin.". The
tower A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...
s, rebuilt after the earthquake of 1827, measure 52 meters high and start from the main
cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative Moulding (decorative), moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, ar ...
as a
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 ...
, each one is made up of three bodies with openings on all four sides in the upper body for the bells and in the middle body ; the south tower is consecrated to
Saint Barbara Saint Barbara (; ; ; ), known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an Early Christianity, early Christian Greek saint and martyr. There is no reference to her in the authentic early Christian writings nor in the origin ...
, while the north tower, consecrated to Saint Emygdius, has a clock. The main
door A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a ''doorway'' or ''portal''. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide securit ...
, made in the 16th century, is 7.20 meters high by 3.60 wide, is adorned by two independent pilasters in the form of fluted columns of the Ionic order, whose capitals end in the front cornice, and It features knockers, bolts, studs and fittings in Spanish cast bronze and five salamanders in solvier. The side doors measure 5.60 meters high by 2.80 wide. The atrium is 110 meters long and was built between 1631 and 1664, in 1815 it was extended to the Chapel del Sagrario, in 1842 it was paved and extended to the southern end of the square and in 1913 the corner angle was rounded to facilitate the turn of the
tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...
by the Carrera Séptima.


Chapels


Chapel I: Chapel del Baptisterio

Upon entering the cathedral and to the right is the south nave, where from west to east, the first thing you see is the Chapel of the Baptistery with the
baptismal font A baptismal font is an Church architecture, ecclesiastical architectural element, which serves as a receptacle for baptismal water used for baptism, as a part of Christian initiation for both rites of Infant baptism, infant and Believer's bapti ...
, a carved stone font from the 18th century, and behind it, the painting "''Baptism of Christ''", oil on canvas painted by the artist
Ricardo Acevedo Bernal Ricardo Acevedo Bernal (4 May 1867 – 7 April 1930) was a Colombian portrait painter, composer and photographer. Biography He was born in Bogotá and attended the "Colegio Mayor de San Bartolomé", where he studied with Father Santiago Pá ...
in 1898. On the western side of the chapel is the painting "''Jesus Child and the Eternal Father''", oil on canvas by the artist Pedro Figueroa.


Chapel II: Chapel of San Pedro

Continuing east along the south nave, we find the Chapel de San José, which contains a masonry altar of composite order, designed by Petrés. In this altar we find a carved wooden image, from the Sevillian School of the 17th century. On the eastern side of the chapel is the oil on canvas "''Jesus with the Cross on His Back''". To the west of the chapel is the painting "''Our Lady of Sorrows''", oil on canvas from the 17th century and by an anonymous author, Saint Peter bears the second title of the Metropolitan Basilica Cathedral.


Chapel del Sagrario

From the Metropolitan and Primate Basilica Cathedral we can access the Chapel del Sagrario.


Chapel III: Chapel of Nuestra Señora del Carmen

Carved and polychrome wooden sculpture from the 20th century. On the eastern side of the chapel we find the painting "Saint Teresa of Jesus", oil on canvas from the 17th century and by an anonymous author. On the western side we find the painting "''Appearance of Our Lady to San Simón Stock''", oil on canvas from the 17th century and by an anonymous author.


Chapel IV: Chapel of Santa Isabel de Hungría

Saint
Elizabeth of Hungary Elizabeth of Hungary (, , ; 7 July 120717 November 1231), also known as Elisabeth of Thuringia, was a princess of the Kingdom of Hungary and the landgravine of Thuringia. Elizabeth was married at the age of 14, and widowed at 20. After her hus ...
is the
patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...
of the Archdiocese of Bogotá. Previously known as the chapel of
Saint Ursula Ursula (Latin for 'little she-bear') was a Romano-British virgin and martyr possibly of royal origin. She is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church and the Anglican Communion. Her feast day in the pre-1970 G ...
and later as Saint
Catherine of Siena Caterina di Jacopo di Benincasa (25 March 1347 – 29 April 1380), known as Catherine of Siena, was an Italian mystic and pious laywoman who engaged in papal and Italian politics through extensive letter-writing and advocacy. Canonized in 1461, ...
. At the bottom of the chapel is the painting "''Saint Elizabeth of Hungary''", oil on canvas by the Spaniard Domínguez (copy of a painting by the Spaniard Esteban Murillo). In this chapel stands out the tomb of the Spanish
conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...
and founder of the city
Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada y Rivera, also spelled as Ximénez and De Quezada, (; 1509 – 16 February 1579) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador in northern South America, territories currently known as Colombia. He explored the territory n ...
, sculpted by the artist Luis Alberto Acuña on a white marble altar by Cassioli; On the eastern wall, the bust of General
Antonio Nariño Antonio Amador José de Nariño y Álvarez del Casal (April 9, 1765 – December 13, 1823),Hector, M., and A. Ardila. Hombres y mujeres en las letras de Colombia. 2. Bogota: Magisterio, 2008. 25. Print. was a Colombian ideological wiktionary:p ...
stands out in the place where his remains lie. Three apses in front of the chapel's colonnade contain the monuments of the city's archbishops, in order that of Vicente Arbeláez in Renaissance style, that of Manuel José Mosquera in wood and Gothic style, and that of José Telésforo Paul in Florentine Gothic style. On the western wall, a marble monument contains the ashes of the Venezuelan Pedro Gual and a plaque commemorates Archbishop Fernando Caicedo y Flores, complemented by a picture of the Creed of Santiago and the statue of Mary Immaculate, which was on the main altar for three centuries. Four columns rest on the step, which contain the remains of Archbishops Aquinao Camacho, del Pórtico and Torres and a few steps to the south is Monsignor Juan Bautista Agnozzi, delegate of the Holy See who visited the city in 1882.


Chapel V: Chapel of Santiago Apóstol

It is made up of an Ionic altar with the colonial painting "''Saint James Apostle in the Battle of Clavijo''", oil on canvas by Gregorio Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos. The painter Gregorio Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos (1638–1711), author of all the paintings in this chapel, is buried in this place.


Chapel VI: Chapel of Nuestra Señora del Topo

Behind the main altar is the Chapel of Our Lady of El Topo, a historical and religious relic where the choir stalls of the canons are located. It measures 29 meters long by 14 wide, it has a semicircular arch entrance supported by two pilasters and closed by an iron gate. The central altar is from the 18th century, of the Doric order embossed in silver and also has two altars on the side walls. The main altarpiece is dated 1610 by an unknown author, represents the invocation of Our Lady of Sorrows of El Topo, patron saint of the canons of Bogotá, in which the virgin appears leaning over the head of the dead Jesus. On her sides are an image of Saint Joseph and an image of Saint Francis. In this chapel are the remains of Aurelio París Sanz de Santamaría.


Chapel VII: Chapel of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores

Made in 1906 and contains an Ionic altar and three niches: the left one with the Magdalena, the central one with Our Lady and the right one with Saint John the Evangelist, where the tomb of Juan Martín de Sarratea, superintendent of the Mint House, is located. , and finally there is a door that communicates with the Sacristy of the Chaplains of the Choir and above it there is a painting of the Sepulcher of the Lord.


Chapel VIII: Chapel of San Juan Nepomuceno

Formerly called the Chapel of the Virgin of Perpetual Help (also called the Holy Trinity), today it is known as the Chapel of
John of Nepomuk John of Nepomuk (or John Nepomucene) (; ; ) ( 1345 – 20 March 1393) was a saint of Bohemia (a western part of what is now the Czech Republic) who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia. Later accounts st ...
, and was built in 1630. It has a Doric altar surrounded by a grille, a statue of Our Lady in a niche and four lateral paintings. It has a painting of Saint Francis Borgia, the work of Gregorio Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos.


Chapel IX: Chapel of la Inmaculada Concepción

This chapel is adorned with a half-round arch and a masonry altar. It contains a statue of the Immaculate Conception, patron saint of the city of Bogotá, bearing the first title of the Bogotá Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica, installed in the central niche in 1904, and a statue over the tomb of Archbishop
Bernardo Herrera Restrepo Bernardo is a given name, possibly derived from the Germanic Bernhard. It may refer to: People * Bernardo the Japanese (died 1557), early Japanese Christian convert and disciple of Saint Francis Xavier * Bernardo Accolti (1465–1536), Italian ...
on the western wall, a work by the artist Gustavo Arcila Uribe.


Chapel X: Chapel of San José

This chapel, before being dedicated to
Saint Joseph According to the canonical Gospels, Joseph (; ) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. Joseph is venerated as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Eastern O ...
, was called the Chapel of
Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes ''Nuestra'' is the debut studio album of the Venezuelan rock band La Vida Bohème, released in August 2010. Recorded and produced by Rudy Pagliuca, it is a free download on the website of the record label All of the Above. The album was nominated ...
, and it is the oldest chapel (built in 1590). It was originally the chapel of
Saint Anne According to apocrypha, as well as Christianity, Christian and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the wife of Joachim and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the Bible's Gosp ...
because of the painting by Gaspar Figueroa and it contains an Ionic altar, a Quitoan statue of
Virgin of Mercy The Virgin of Mercy is a subject in Christian art, showing a group of people sheltering for protection under the outspread cloak, or pallium, of the Virgin Mary. It was especially popular in Italy from the 13th to 16th centuries, often as a spec ...
in the central niche and the tomb of Eulogio Tamayo (treasurer and dean of the cathedral in 1887, who during the Concordat, requested the legal status of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts).


"False" door

After the Chapel of San José is the side entrance of the church or "false door", which has on its outside a coat of arms of
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
carved in stone and on the inside two ancient Italian style paintings.


Chapel XI: Chapel of las Ánimas

The second chapel of this nave is dedicated to the Holy Christ (also known as the
souls The soul is the purported immaterial aspect or essence of a living being. It is typically believed to be immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that describe the relationship between the soul and the bod ...
in
purgatory In Christianity, Purgatory (, borrowed into English language, English via Anglo-Norman language, Anglo-Norman and Old French) is a passing Intermediate state (Christianity), intermediate state after physical death for purifying or purging a soul ...
), it contains an altar of order composed of a small grille, a picture of the Crucified Christ, two small pictures on the right side and a painting of the Salvador de Vásquez.


Chapel XII: Chapel of the Sagrado Corazón de Jesús

The north aisle has on the western side the Chapel of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus () is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus Christ is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This devotion to Christ is p ...
, which has a golden Doric altar and a marble statue of
Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...
, the work of the Pussilque Russaud House in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
and marble inscriptions on the laws of 1913 as a tribute to Jesus Christ and from 1919 as a tribute to Our Lady.


Pipe organ

The
pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurised air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a Musical keyboard, keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single tone and pitch, the pipes are provide ...
of the cathedral was originally an instrument by Aquilino Amezua, a prominent Spanish organ builder, his system consists of 58 games or
organ stop An organ stop is a component of a pipe organ that admits pressurized air (known as ''wind'') to a set of organ pipes. Its name comes from the fact that stops can be used selectively by the organist; each can be "on" (admitting the passage of a ...
s, a console with four manual keyboards and a keyboard that is played with the feet ( pedalboard), it also has around 4,500 pipes, all of which makes it the largest organ in
Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
. In itself, the organ is an orchestra with instruments such as
trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...
s, bombards,
oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double-reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common type of oboe, the soprano oboe pitched in C, ...
s,
clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...
s,
flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...
s and human
voice The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound produ ...
s. It is not only played in religious services, but also in concerts. The instrument underwent a restoration, which had a value of 2,515 million pesos, which was financed by the Colombian Ministry of Culture, the National Tourism Fund (Fontur) and the Archdiocese of Bogotá. The process was carried out between 2013 and 2016 and was in charge of the Spanish organ company Gerhard Grenzing S.A., which has intervened the organs of the cathedrals of Seville, Brussels and Mexico, among others. Finally, the inauguration of the organ took place on July 2, 2016, with the Blessing of the instrument by Cardinal Rubén Salazar Gómez and an inaugural concert presided over by the Spanish maestro Juan de la Rubia, titular organist of the
Sagrada Família The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, otherwise known as Sagrada Família, is a church under construction in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world. Desi ...
in
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
(Spain).


Other burials

*
Aníbal Muñoz Duque Aníbal Muñoz Duque (3 October 1908 – 15 January 1987) was a Roman Catholic Cardinal and Archbishop of Bogotá. Biography He was born in Santa Rosa de Osos, Colombia as the son of José María Muñoz and Ana Rosa Duque. He was educated ...
* Aurelio París Sanz de Santamaría * Julián de Cortázar *
Policarpa Salavarrieta Policarpa Salavarrieta Ríos (c. 26 January 1795 – 14 November 1817), also known by her nickname of La Pola, was a Neogranadine seamstress who spied for the Revolutionary Forces during the Spanish Reconquista of the Viceroyalty of New G ...
(
cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty grave, tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere or have been lost. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although t ...
)


Geography and Parish boundaries

*North: Church of La Veracruz and Church of Nuestra Señora de Las Aguas *South: Nuestra Señora de Belén and Santa Bárbara Parishes (Center) *East: Church of Nuestra Señora de Egipto *West: Church of La Capuchina.


See also

* List of buildings in Bogotá *
List of tallest structures built before the 20th century List of pre-twentieth century structures by height See also *History of the world's tallest buildings *List of tallest buildings and structures References

{{Tallest buildings and structures Lists of tallest structures, Ancient structur ...


References


External links


Arquedíosis de Bogotá
Catedral Primada de Colombia {{DEFAULTSORT:Primary Cathedral Of Bogota Buildings and structures in Bogotá Roman Catholic cathedrals in Colombia Roman Catholic churches completed in 1823 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Colombia Basilica churches in Colombia Landmarks in Colombia National monuments of Colombia Tourist attractions in Bogotá Baroque architecture in the Spanish Empire Spanish Colonial architecture in Colombia Roman Catholic churches in Bogotá