Morelia Cathedral

Cathedral of Morelia (Spanish: Catedral de Morelia (San Salvador))[1] is a Baroque-style, Roman Catholic cathedral located in the center of the city of Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Morelia.

Morelia Cathedral
Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Lord
Catedral de la Transfiguración del Señor de Morelia  (Spanish)
The pink stone of the Cathedral of Morelia
LocationMorelia, Mexico
DenominationCatholic
TraditionRoman Rite
History
StatusCathedral
DedicationTransfiguration of Jesus
Architecture
Groundbreaking6 May 1660
Completed1744
Administration
ArchdioceseMorelia

History

Construction of the church building, using local pink stone, began in 1660, but was only completed in 1744, after 84 years. The interior is bedecked with both baroque and neoclassical decoration.

The church interior displays an elaborate 18th-century baroque altar frame titled Manifestador de la Plata (Silver-Manifestation). The Baptismal Font (Pila Bautismal), also of silver, was built in a neoclassical-style. The monumental organ, imported from Germany in 1905, was the largest organ in the Western Hemisphere at the time.[2][3] It consists of 4600 flutes or pipes.[4]

Eastern façade

Outside, the 70 meter high bell-towers are prominent from afar. The cathedral is reputedly the only one in Mexico not oriented toward the East, but to the north.

An icon titled the Señor de la Sacristía (Lord of the vestry), is made in a style influenced by pre-Christian art of "corn cane paste", the 16th century, as well as valuable paintings located in the sacristy and the chapter. This icon and the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, patron of the city, are commonly venerated. The cathedral is dedicated to the Transfiguration.

According to the critic and art historian Sylvester Baxter, the cathedral in Morelia is the most beautiful of all Mexican cathedrals. The cathedral, on some Saturdays, is the site for a spectacle of light, sound and fireworks. The church is also the sponsor of many artistic and cultural events, like the International Organ Festival of Morelia, and International Music Festival of Morelia.

References
  1. "Catedral de Morelia (San Salvador)". Secretariat of Culture. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  2. Vega Núñez, Alfonso (1954). "The Morelia Cathedral Organ". Smithsonian Folkways. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  3. Bush, Douglas Earl; Kassel, Richard (2006). The Organ: An Encyclopedia. New York: Routledge. p. 350. ISBN 0-415-94174-1. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  4. "Michoacán" (PDF). Secretariat of Tourism (Mexico). p. 3. Retrieved 16 February 2016.

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