León Cathedral (Nicaragua)
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral of León, also known as the Real e Insigne Basilica Catedral de León Nicaragua,(Real and renowned Basilica Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary) is a significantly important and historic landmark in Nicaragua
. The Cathedral was awarded World Heritage Site
status with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The site's nomination is Nicaragua's third cultural landmark, following the ruins of León Viejo
and El Güegüense
.
in 1860. Since then, the cathedral of León has maintained the status of being the largest cathedral in Central America
and one of the most known in the Americas
due to its Baroque
style of architecture.
The cathedral is distinguished to have a rectangular plant, of a type generalized in those centuries and similar to those of the cathedrals of Lima and the Cuzco, Peru
. The towers and the facade belong to style neoclassicist.
She/he has five ships, ten arched tracts, two towers in their facade and a parish. The sacrarium is located almost parallel to the biggest altar whose salient it breaks the rectangular symmetry.
Their interior is roomy and its columns cruciformes, its central ship is staked for on the lateral ships and it is finished off in the cruise by a great dome.
In the terrace she/he keeps the biggest Baroque show that combines with the neoclassical style.
The windows are arched and the two steeples have a Chinese dome.
Due to robustness of their walls it has supported tremors, volcanic eruptions of the volcano Black Hill
and wars.
In 1824 several canyons were placed in their roof during the place of the city for forces conservatives and in the insurrection of June and July 1979, against dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle
, the guerilla fighters of the Sandinista National Liberation Front
(FSLN) they also used it with warlike ends.
of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, for what is one of the oldest dioceses in America. It is the headquarters of the Diócesis of León.
Under their arcades, in their crypts designed to support those earthquakes, the mortal remains of 27 people rest, among them 10 bishops, 5 priests, an eminent person of the independence, three poets, a musician, six notables and a slave.
Some illustrious characters of the Nicaraguan nation, buried in her are: the eminent person Miguel Larreynaga
; the poets Rubén Darío
, Salomón de la Selva
and Alfonso Cortés
; the musician José de la Cruz Mena; the wise doctor Luis H. Debayle; the professor Edgardo Buitrago; the first bishop from León and last of Nicaragua monsignor Simeón Pereira and Castellón and the priest Marcelino areas.
The tomb of Darío, father of the modernism and considered Príncipe of the letters castellanas, it is to the foot of the statue
of San Pablo
.
At the beginning of the 20th century monsignor Simón Pereira y Castellón (the same one that presided over the funeral of Darío the February 13 of 1916) she/he took charge to the sculptor granadino Jorge Navas Cordonero to make the statue of the Virgin María
above the frontis of the facade, those atlass that are between the frontis and the steeples. Dales also sculpted the statues of the Twelve Apostles, next to the columns of the central ship, the same as the león of this poet's tomb, very similar to the Lion
of Lucerna, Switzerland
(made by the sculptor danés Bertel Thorvaldsen
, 1770 - 1844), the Christ of monsignor's Pereira tomb and several decorations inside the temple and its Chapel
of the Sacrarium.
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. The Cathedral was awarded World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
status with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The site's nomination is Nicaragua's third cultural landmark, following the ruins of León Viejo
León Viejo
León Viejo, is the place where the city of León was originally founded in what is now the town of Puerto Momotombo in the Municipality of La Paz Centro of the Department of León, Nicaragua. This city, after a popular consultation, was abandoned to be settled in another location...
and El Güegüense
El Güegüense
El Güegüense is a satirical drama and was the first literary work of post-Columbian Nicaragua. It is regarded as one of Latin America's most distinctive colonial-era expressions and as Nicaragua's signature folkloric masterpiece combining music, dance and theater...
.
Construction
The Cathedral's construction lasted between 1747 and 1814 and was consecrated by Pope Pius IXPope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
in 1860. Since then, the cathedral of León has maintained the status of being the largest cathedral in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and one of the most known in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
due to its Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
style of architecture.
Architecture
The architectural design was carried out by the Guatemalan architect Diego José of Porres and Esquivel.The cathedral is distinguished to have a rectangular plant, of a type generalized in those centuries and similar to those of the cathedrals of Lima and the Cuzco, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. The towers and the facade belong to style neoclassicist.
She/he has five ships, ten arched tracts, two towers in their facade and a parish. The sacrarium is located almost parallel to the biggest altar whose salient it breaks the rectangular symmetry.
Their interior is roomy and its columns cruciformes, its central ship is staked for on the lateral ships and it is finished off in the cruise by a great dome.
In the terrace she/he keeps the biggest Baroque show that combines with the neoclassical style.
The windows are arched and the two steeples have a Chinese dome.
Due to robustness of their walls it has supported tremors, volcanic eruptions of the volcano Black Hill
Cerro Negro
Cerro Negro is a volcano in the Cordillera de los Maribios mountain range in Nicaragua, about 10 km from the village of Malpaisillo. It is a very new volcano, the youngest in Central America, having first appeared in April 1850...
and wars.
In 1824 several canyons were placed in their roof during the place of the city for forces conservatives and in the insurrection of June and July 1979, against dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle
Anastasio Somoza Debayle
Anastasio Somoza Debayle was a Nicaraguan leader and officially the 73rd and 76th President of Nicaragua from 1 May 1967 to 1 May 1972 and from 1 December 1974 to 17 July 1979. As head of the National Guard, he was de facto ruler of the country from 1967 to 1979...
, the guerilla fighters of the Sandinista National Liberation Front
Sandinista National Liberation Front
The Sandinista National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Nicaragua. Its members are called Sandinistas in both English and Spanish...
(FSLN) they also used it with warlike ends.
Historical value
he has historical value to be, from 1531, the Episcopal headquarters of first o'clock dioceseDiocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, for what is one of the oldest dioceses in America. It is the headquarters of the Diócesis of León.
Under their arcades, in their crypts designed to support those earthquakes, the mortal remains of 27 people rest, among them 10 bishops, 5 priests, an eminent person of the independence, three poets, a musician, six notables and a slave.
Some illustrious characters of the Nicaraguan nation, buried in her are: the eminent person Miguel Larreynaga
Miguel Larreynaga
Miguel Jerónimo Larreinaga y Silva was a Nicaraguan philosopher, humanist, lawyer and poet. He was one of the people who traveled to Spain in 1818 to ask for independence of the Central American Republic, which was granted to Nicaragua and four other counties in 1821...
; the poets Rubén Darío
Rubén Darío
Félix Rubén García Sarmiento , known as Rubén Darío, was a Nicaraguan poet who initiated the Spanish-American literary movement known as modernismo that flourished at the end of the 19th century...
, Salomón de la Selva
Salomón de la Selva
Salomón de la Selva born in León Nicaragua on March 20, 1893 and died in Paris, France on February 5, 1959 was a Nicaraguan poet and honorary member of the Mexican Academy of Language.-Biography:...
and Alfonso Cortés
Alfonso Cortés
Alfonso Cortés was a Nicaraguan poet. He is often referred to as the most important poet after Rubén Darío. Before his death, he often said he was "less important than Darío, but more profound".-Early life:...
; the musician José de la Cruz Mena; the wise doctor Luis H. Debayle; the professor Edgardo Buitrago; the first bishop from León and last of Nicaragua monsignor Simeón Pereira and Castellón and the priest Marcelino areas.
The tomb of Darío, father of the modernism and considered Príncipe of the letters castellanas, it is to the foot of the statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
of San Pablo
San Pablo
-Geography:San Pablo is a common toponym in parts of the world where the Spanish language is or was spoken.Towns, cities, and counties called San Pablo:*Argentina**San Pablo , Catamarca Province...
.
At the beginning of the 20th century monsignor Simón Pereira y Castellón (the same one that presided over the funeral of Darío the February 13 of 1916) she/he took charge to the sculptor granadino Jorge Navas Cordonero to make the statue of the Virgin María
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
above the frontis of the facade, those atlass that are between the frontis and the steeples. Dales also sculpted the statues of the Twelve Apostles, next to the columns of the central ship, the same as the león of this poet's tomb, very similar to the Lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
of Lucerna, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
(made by the sculptor danés Bertel Thorvaldsen
Bertel Thorvaldsen
Bertel Thorvaldsen was a Danish-Icelandic sculptor of international fame, who spent most of his life in Italy . Thorvaldsen was born in Copenhagen into a Danish/Icelandic family of humble means, and was accepted to the Royal Academy of Arts when he was eleven years old...
, 1770 - 1844), the Christ of monsignor's Pereira tomb and several decorations inside the temple and its Chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
of the Sacrarium.