Cathedral of Córdoba, Argentina

This article is about the cathedral of Córdoba, Argentina. For the cathedral of Córdoba, Spain, see Cathedral-Mosque of Córdoba.

Nuestra Señora de la Asunción
(the Córdoba Cathedral).

The cathedral and San Martín Plaza

The Cathedral of Córdoba (Our Lady of the Assumption; Template:Lang-es) is the colonial cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Córdoba, Argentina, and the oldest church in continuous service in Argentina.

Location

The cathedral of the city of Córdoba is located in the historic center of the city, which practically coincides with the geographical center of the city; its southeast angle (which is taken as a direction reference) faces the corner of Independencia and 27 de Abril streets.

Santa Catalina Passage.

It occupies the wide block that faces the west side of Plaza San Martín (former Plaza Mayor), on its north side the great church is separated from the Cabildo by an old alley called Santa Catalina, the back of the temple faces the Rivera Indarte street, its main façade is oriented to the east-south-east, which is unique in the churches of its time since they had to have the main altar facing Jerusalem (in this case, it should be to the northeast, although it is located to the northwest).

To the north, in front of the back of the Cathedral, is the small but historic Plazoleta del Fundador with a patinated bronze sculpture representing Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera standing.

History

The building itself was begun in 1582 with the name -which it still bears- of Church of Our Lady of the Assumption. In 1598 the master builder Gregorio Ferreira and the stonemason Juan Rodríguez undertook the construction of the building with sufficiently solid materials (stone, bricks and lime). In 1601, the carpenter Mateo Domínguez undertook the work of making a framework of slats and beams for the roof, while Hernando Álvarez was commissioned to supervise the manufacture of 30,000 "muslera" roof tiles, The direction of the work was entrusted shortly after to the Granadan architect Ricardo González Merguete who made various plans; The works gained a strong impetus thanks to the architects and Jesuits. Giovanni Battista Primoli designed the main floor plan (Latin cross of the basilica type) following the model of the almost contemporary Jesuit Church of the Gesù in Rome.

In 1706 the cathedral was officially consecrated.

Later, the Franciscan friar Vicente Muñoz designed and directed the construction of the magnificent great dome with lantern tower. The façade was designed and completed by Andrea Bianchi in 1729.

On May 18, 1758, the building was practically finished, with the naves, the narthex, the great dome, the crossings, and the great Neoclassical portico preceded by a wide staircase and closed by an artistic wrought iron portal, work exquisite workmanship in which you can see the silhouettes of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, although the two large bell towers were only finished in 1787. The large entrance door, like the choir stalls around the main altar, are Jesuit works carved in missionary cedar. The tower clock is a gift from the English railway at the end of the 19th century.

In 1901 the statue of Christ the Redeemer was added to the top of the façade, such a sculpture was forged in the Paucelae Coquet foundry in Paris, France.

The narthex of the cathedral, and adjacent crypts, would be the burial site for a number of prominent figures in the history of Córdoba Province, and the nation's. Some of these include General José María Paz (and his wife, Margarita Weild), Dean Gregorio Funes, Bishop Hernando de Trejo y Sanabria (the first rector of the University of Córdoba, the oldest in Argentina), and Friar Mamerto Esquiú.

The ornate interior, overlooked by the sterling silver altar crafted in Colonial Peru, also includes a church tabernacle donated to the cathedral in 1804, as well as an extensive collection of silver and gold votive offerings. The interior was later decorated with frescoes and murals painted in the early years of the 20th century by Emilio Caraffa, Carlos Camilloni, and Manuel Cardeñosa; a cast iron monument, Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) was installed above the portico in 1901.

Overview

Construction on the original church, the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción began in 1582. Its early works were planned by architect Nicolás de Dios, public works director Gregorio Ferreira, and master mason Juan Rodríguez, who employed mostly indigenous artisans and laborers. Beams and rafters were planned by Mateo Domínguez, and Hernando Álvarez designed and oversaw installation of the roof's 30,000 mission roof tiles.

Much of the initial structure was lost in a 1677 collapse. Ricardo González Merguete, a Jesuit architect, was commissioned to reinitiate works, and designed the new structural plans. Italian Gian Battista Primoli provided the floor plan, a latin cross outline based on that of the Jesuit Church of the Gesù, in Rome.

The cathedral in the 19th century

The incomplete church was inaugurated in 1709. Further additions included the cupola, designed by Franciscan Friar Vicente Muñoz, the Spanish Baroque façade and the Neoclassical portico were designed in 1729 by Italian architect Andrea Blanqui (who would design a number of other churches in what today is Argentina). The cathedral was consecrated by Bishop José Antonio de San Alberto in 1784, and the twin campaniles were completed in 1787. The cathedral is separated from the Córdoba Cabildo (colonial town hall, inaugurated in 1786), by the Santa Catalina Promenade.

The narthex of the cathedral, and adjacent crypts, would be the burial site for a number of prominent figures in the history of Córdoba Province, and the nation's. Some of these include General José María Paz (and his wife, Margarita Weild), Dean Gregorio Funes, Bishop Hernando de Trejo y Sanabria (the first rector of the University of Córdoba, the oldest in Argentina), and Friar Mamerto Esquiú.

The ornate interior, overlooked by the sterling silver altar crafted in Colonial Peru, also includes a church tabernacle donated to the cathedral in 1804, as well as an extensive collection of silver and gold votive offerings. The interior was later decorated with frescoes and murals painted in the early years of the 20th century by Emilio Caraffa, Carlos Camilloni, and Manuel Cardeñosa; a cast iron monument, Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) was installed above the portico in 1901.

The Cathedral of Córdoba was declared a National Historic Monument in 1941, and underwent extensive restoration works from 2007 to 2009.

Gallery

• 
  Lighting installed during recent restoration
• 
  Altar
• 
  Baroque ceiling
• 
  Tomb of Gen. José María Paz
• 
  Tomb of Margarita Weild
• 
  Tomb of Dean Gregorio Funes

References

https://www.britannica.com/place/Cordoba-Argentina* Catedrales Católicas del Mundo (in Spanish)

• La Voz: Luces y fachadas renovadas en la Catedral (in Spanish)
• Invitarte: Museos de Córdoba (in Spanish)