Cathedral of Córdoba

The Cathédrale of Córdoba is the church mother of the Argentinian city of Córdoba.

Situation

The cathedral is in the historical core of the city, which corresponds practically at present (2006) to the geographical center of the city.

History

Its construction itself began in 1580 under the name - that it always carries - from Iglesia de Nuestra Señora from Asunción .

After long gropings, work accepted a strong impulse thanks to the architects Jésuites. One of them, Gian Battista Primoli (or Juan Bautista Prímoli), author of the principal plan of work (Latin cross of basilical type), followed the model of the church jesuitic It Gesù in Rome. In 1606 the cathedral was officially devoted.

Subsequently the franciscain Fray Vicente Muñoz drew and directed the construction of splendid the large cupola. During the first two centuries of its construction, much of indigenous Indians come from the jesuitic estancias worked and embellished work. Some of them were extraordinary craftsmen and left their marks in many details Baroque S of this cathedral.

The frontage was drawn and completed by Andrea Blanqui (Andrés Blanqui) in 1729.

The May 25th 1758, the construction was practically finished, with the naves, the Narthex, the large cupola, the transepts and the large gantry of the neo-classic type preceded by a broad staircase and closed by an artistic wrought iron gate, very fine work of Ferronnerie in which one can observe the silhouettes of Pierre saint and Paul saint. The two large towers were completed only in 1787.

In 1901, was added the statue of the Christ Redeemer to the top of the frontage. The statue had been carried out in France.

Between 1900 and 1914, the painter and Argentinian architect of established Rioja with Córdoba Emilio Caraffa, made some final improvements (almost only repairs Italianists), and among them from the Fresque S and both principal stained glasses of the vault: the first represents the Résurrection of Christ , the second the Sacré Heart .

Description

The cathedral is surmounted by a dome. It is an imposing dome by its rise and the audacity of its design and its realization. It is flanked of four small octagonal turrets (which structurally have a function of reinforcement of the dome). External side, upwards, one sees pairs of columns on the level of the drum which end in a cornice, from where climb along the curve of the dome, of large palms they-even crowned of pyramidal pinnacles.

Between the columns of the drum of the cupola large windows equipped with forms curvilignes.
open The dome is covered with veins which run until the top. This last is crowned of a gracious lantern. This one is a small tower decorated with pilasters, pinnacles and windows. The lantern itself is surmounted by a small cupola bulbiforme which culminates by a wind vane representing the chalice and the cross.

The principal towers of the frontage have chimes, and the tower located at the south-eastern angle is equipped with a large clock. On the corners of the turns characters ready are carved to use trumpets and vêtus indigenous behaviors.

Visit interior of the cathedral

Little before crossing the gantry of entry of the cathedral, the visitor crosses full Narthex where two sarcophagi are in which lies the remainders of Jose María Paz and his wife. It is there also the urn funeral which preserves the remainders of the senior Gregorio Funes. in the crypts to lie the skin of the bishop Hernando de Trejo there Sanabria - first vice-chancellor of the first Argentinian university: that which is currently called UNC - like that of Fray (brother) Mamerto Esquiú.

If the outside of the cathedral is majestic, the interior goes hand in hand: the large central vessel is covered with a high vault harmoniously decorated with a great quantity of mouldings cut in wood and gilded, much of them by means of gold sheets. The large furnace bridge makes a play balanced with the high columns and the old sculptures representative various saints of Catholicism. All these taken sculptures separately constitute works of art of great value (much of them is articulated and is vêtues sumptuous behaviors).

The sunlight penetrates in the building mainly by a series of deep oculi located in the vault of the central nave. This nave, of basilical type is elevated compared to the two side vessels from which it is separated by the high ones and broad mainly gilded columns. On the balcony located at the top of the Narthex large the organ is. The large furnace bridge is mainly carried out with pushed back money come from High-Peru.

Large the Coupole corresponding to the dome is located at the Transept crossing . What draws the attention initially are the proportions of this cupola and its drum, like its elaborate decoration.

On the whole, the Argentinian cathedral of Córdoba is an excellent synthesis of elements of origin Rebirth combined with the style Baroque colonial Spanish, with the Neoclassicism and including/understanding details Mudéjar S.

An imposing treasure

The treasure of the cathedral would deserve a chapter with share, being given the accumulation of Ex-voto S (mainly of the silver coins or gold) and of jewels offered by the faithful fortunate ones or the town collections: Stick S of money with gold details, crowns of crimped money and gold of brilliances and pearls and embroideries to dress the statues in the Virgin, large a gate vault given in 1804, silk shawls in the form of brocarts (with money and gold wire), etc part of the treasure was unfortunately plundered during the last quarter of the XXe century.

National historical heritage

The cathedral of Córdoba is currently the colonial construction oldest and most important of Argentina in good state and fonction.
So that it constitutes a building of very first value within the architectural heritage of the country and one of the more good examples of the Baroque architecture in America. This is why it constitutes a National Historic building practically appendix of the district jesuitic of the city, which, belonged to the to him Cultural heritage of Humanity established by UNESCO.

Archdiocese

The Cathedral of Córdoba is the seat of a catholic Archevêché. The ecclesiastical Province includes/understands the Archidiocèse and five dioceses Suffragant S. They are the Diocèse S following:

Archdiocese of Córdoba
Diocese of Cruz del Eje
Diocese of Deán Funes
Diocese of Villa of Concepción del Río Cuarto
Diocese of San Francisco
Diocese of Villa María

References

Internal bond

See Project Catholicism

External bonds

Site of the Catholic church of Argentina

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