Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico is the episcopal church of Mexico City. Inspired by the cathedrals of Spain such as in Valladolid, and Malaga, nonetheless it has design features of its own. The basic design, which is Gothic, was planned by Claudio de Arciniega of Spain.[1]
The Cathedral is approximately 110 metres (360 ft) long (running north-south) and 54.5 meters wide (east-west). It consists of two bell towers, a central dome, three main portals, five naves, 51 vaults, 74 arches and 40 columns. Inside the cathedral are five large altars, sixteen chapels (two of which occupy the two side naves), a choir area, a corridor, capitulary room, and sacristy. The lighting effect is given by approximately 150 windows.[2] It is the largest and oldest cathedral in the Americas and completely dominates the northern side of the Zocalo or main plaza.[3]
Construction of the cathedral
The Spaniards decided to build their temple over part of the ruins of the Aztec teocalli or sacred precinct. It was built over part of the old Aztec “teocalli” or sacred precinct, more specifically over the destroyed temple of the Huitzilopochtli, the god of war and the principle deity of the Aztecs in order to consolidate Spanish power over the newly-conquered domain. The Spanish even used the stones from the demolished temple.[2]
First church
The conquistadors originally built a church, not a cathedral on the site, using stone from the destroyed Aztec temples. However, this church was torn down in 1628 as the cathedral was built around it.[3]
Cortés ordered the church's construction after he returned from exploring what is now Honduras. Architect Martin de Sepúlveda was the first director of this project from 1524 to 1532. Juan de Zumárraga, the first See of New Spain, promoted this church's completion. This church was located in the northeast portion of what is now the Cathedrdal. It had three naves separated by three Tuscan columns. The central roof was ridged with intricate carvings done by Juan Salcedo Espinosa and gilded by Francisco de Zumaya and Andres de la Concha. The main door was probably of Renaissance style. The choir area had 48 seats made of ayacahuite wood crafted by Adrian Suster and Juan Montaño. However, this church was soon considered inadequate for the growing importance of the capital of New Spain. In 1544, ecclesiastical authorities in Valladolid ordered the creation of new and more sumptuous one. In 1552, and agreement was reached whereby the cost of the new cathedral would be shared by the Spanish crown, encomenderos and the Indians under the direct authority of the archbishop of New Spain.[4]
The cathedral
The current Cathedral was built in pieces over a span of over two centuries, from 1573 to 1813. It is a mixture of three architectural styles that predominated during the colonial period, Renaissance, Baroque and Neo-classic.[2]
Initial plans for the new cathedral were drawn up and initial work on the foundation was begun in 1562, with the decision to have the Cathedral face south instead of east was made in 1570. In 1572, contruction of the building itself began using the designs and models created by Claudio de Arciniega and Juan Miguel de Agüero. However, because of the muddy subsoil of the site, work on the foundation continued past the work on the walls to 1581. In 1585, work on the first of the cathedral's chapels began and by 1615, the Cathedral's walls reached to about half of their final height.[4] Construction of the interior of the current Cathedral began in 1623 [5] and what is now the vestry was where Mass was conducted after the first church was finally torn down.[6]
Work was interrupted by flooding in 1669[4], that resulted in waters over two meters deep, inflicting damange on other parts of the city, especialy around the main plaza or Zocalo..[7] Because of such damaged, the Cathedral project was almost moved to the hills of the Tacubaya area, to the west.[4]
However, the project continued in its current location and under the direction of Luis Gómez de Transmonte, the interior was finished and consecrated in 1667.[4][5] However, the Cathedral would still lack bell towers, the complete front facade and many of the other features it has now at the beginning of the XVIII century.[4]
In 1787, José Damian Ortiz de Castro was in charge of finishing work on the Cathedral. He did most of the work on the bell towers, putting in most of the fretwork and capping them with roofs that look like bells. However, he died in 1793 before the Cathedral's completion, leaving the work to Manuel Tolsá who finished the cupola, the central front facade, the balustrades, and the statues of Faith Hope and charity at the top of the front facade. This this basically the look the Cathedral still has today.[4]
Portals and main (southern) façade
The main portal is in the center of the main façade and the highest of the cathedral’s three portals. Statues of Saints Peter and Paul stand between the columns of the portal, while saints Andrew and James are depicted on the secondary doorway. In the center of this doorway is a high relief of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, to whom the cathedral is dedicated.[2] This image is flanked by images of Saint Matthew and Saint Andrew. Above this is the coat of arms of Mexico with the eagle's wings outstretched and above all of this is the clock tower with statues representing Faith, Hope and Charity by Tolsá.[4]
The left-hand portal has high reliefs depicting Jesus handing the keys of the Church to Saint Peter. The reliefs on the right-hand portal show a ship with the apostles in it sailing, with Saint Peter at the helm.[2] The title of this relief is "The ship of the Church sailing the seas of Eternity."[4] All of the high reliefs were inspired by the work of Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens. [2]
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Left-hand or west portal on main facade -
Main portal with view of clock -
Right-hand or east portal
Other façades
The oldest part of the cathedral is the northern façade that was built during the XVI century in the Renaissance Herrera style, named after Juan de Herrera (1530-1597) who was the architect of the El Escorial monastery in Spain. While the eastern and western facades are older than most of the rest of the building, their third level has Solomonic columns which are associated with the Baroque period.[2]
The west façade was constructed in 1688 and rebuilt in 1804. It as a three-section portal with images of the Evangelists. The East portal is similar but it has figures of the four Apostles.[4]
Towers
The towers are the work of Xalapan artist José Damián Ortiz de Castro. They are capped with what look like bells made of tezontle covered in “chiluca” (a white stone from Tziluca). Ortiz de Castro was in charge of the cathedral’s construction in the latter half of the 18th century, but when he unexpectedly died, Manuel Tolsá of Valencia, who built other notable buildings in Mexico City, was hired to finish the Cathedral, already 240 years in the making. He added the neo-Classic structure housing the clock, the statues of the three theological virtues (Faith, Hope, and Charity), the high balustrade surrounding the building and the dome that rises over the transept.[2]
The cathedral has 25 bells placed irregularly in the construction. Eighteen hang in the northern tower and only seven are located in the southern one. The largest bell is named the “Santa Maria de Guadalupe” and weighs around 13,000 kilograms. Other major bells are named the “Doña Maria” (6,900 kilograms) and “La Ronca” (the snore), named so because of its harsh tone. Doña Maria and La Ronca were placed in 1654 while the largest bell was placed later in 1793.[2]
The statues in the west tower are the work of José Zacarias Cora and represent Pope Gregory VII, Saint Augustine, Leander of Seville, St. Fulgentius of Écija, St.Francis Xavier, and Saint Barbara. The statues in the east tower are by Santiago Cristóbal Sandoval and depict San Emilio, Saint Rose of Saint Mary, Saint Ambrogio, Saint Jerome, Saint Phillip of Jesus, Saint Hippolytus of Rome, and Saint Isidore.[4]
A time capsule was found in southern bell tower of the Cathedral, placed in 1791, supposedly to protect the building from harm. The lead box was filled with religious artifacts, coins and parchments and hidden in a hollow stone ball. The ball was marked with the date of May 14, 1791, when the building’s topmost stone was laid. The box was found in October of 2007 found the box inside the stone ball base of a cross. A new time capsule will be placed in the stone ball when it is closed again.[8]
Sagrarium
Situated to the right of the main Cathedral, the Metropolitan Sagrarium was built by Lorenzo Rodríguez during the height of the Baroque period between 1749 and 1760,[2] to house the archives and vestments of the archbishop.[9] It also functioned and continues to function as a place to receive Eucharist and register parishioners.[10]
The first church built on the cathedral site also had a Sagrarium, but its exact location is unknown. During the construction of the Cathedral, the Sagrarium was housed in what are now the Chapels of San Isidro and Our Lady of Agony of Granada. However, in the XVIII century, it was decided to build a structure that was separate, but still connected, to the main Cathedral.[10] It is constructed of tezontle (a porous volcanic rock) and white stone[2] in the shape of a Greek cross[4] with its southern façade faces the Zocalo.[2] It links to the main Cathedral through the Chapel of San Isidro.[4]
Inside, each wing has a separate function. In one is the baptistry, in another is the main altar, the main entrance and a notary area, separated by inside corner walls made of chiluca stone and tezontle. Chiluca, a white stone, covers the walls and floors and the tezontle, a reddish porous volcanic stone, frames the doors and windows. In the center of the cross is an octagonal dome framed by arches that formed curved triangles where they meet at the top of the dome.[10] Its principal altar is in the very ornate Mexican Baroque style and done by indigenous artist Pedro Patiño Ixtolinque and inaugurated in 1829.[4]
Outside, due to its Baroque style, just about every area of the Sagrarium is covered in some kind of adornment, such as curiously-shaped niche shelves, floating drapes and many cherubs. There are also carvings of fruits done as rituals offerings such as grapes and pomegranates which symbolize the blood of Christ and the Church, respectively. Among the floral elements are found roses, daisies, various types of four-petaled flowers as well as the indigenous chalchihuite flower.[2]
The Sagrarium has two main outside entrances; one to the south, facing the Zocalo and the other facing east toward Seminario Street. The southern facade is more richly decorated with the theme of glorifying the Eucharist with images of the Apostles, Church Fathers, saints who founded religious orders, martyrs as well as scenes from the Bible. Along with the anthropologic reliefs are zoomorphic ones, including a rampaging lion and the eagle from the coat of arms of Mexico. The east facade is less-ambitiousbut contains figures from the Old tesiment as well as the images of Juan Nepumucen and Ignacio de Loyola. Construction dates are also inscribed here.[10]
Altars
The Altar of Forgiveness is located at the front of the central nave. It is the first element that is seen upon entering the cathedral. It was the work of Jerónimo Balbás of Valencia. It represents the first use of the estípite column in the Americas.[2] There are two stories about how the name of this altar came about. The first states that those condemned by the Inquisition were brought here to ask forgiveness in the next world. The second relates to painter Simon Pereyns who was accused of blasphemy even though he is the author of many of the works of the Cathedral. According to the story, while in jail, he painted such a beautiful image of the Virgin that his crime was forgiven.[11] This altar was damaged by a fire in January of 1967 but has been completely restored.[2]
The Altar of the Kings was also the work of Jerónimo Blabás, in Mexican Baroque or Churrigueresque style, [2] begun in 1718] by Blabas[9] in cedar, and was gilded and finished by Francico Martínez, debuting in 1737.[4] It is located in the back of the Cathdral, beyond the Altar of Forgiveness and the choir. This altar is 13.75 meters wide, 25 meters tall and 7.5 meters deep. It size and depth give it the nickname of “the golden cave”.[2]
It takes its name from the statues of saintly royalty which form part of its decoration,[2] and is the oldest work in churrigueresque style in Mexico, taking 19 years to complete. At the bottom, from left to right, are six female royal saints: Saint Margaret of Scotland venerated in New Spain because Phillip II rescued her relics, Helena of Constantinople, mother of Constantine I and is credited with finding Christ's cross, Elisabeth of Hungary, who was one of the most venerated saints in New Spain, Isabel of Portugalknown for her charity and died a nun,Empress Cunegunda lived in chastity with her husband Saint Henry, and Edith of Wilton daughter of English royalty. In the middle of the altar are six cannonized kings, four of whom are: Hermenegild a Visigoth martyr, Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor husband of Cunegunda, Edward the Confessor and Casimir of Poland. Above these four are Saints Louis of France and Ferdinand III of Castile who both fought for Christianity. Saint Louis died on Crusade and Saint Ferdinand completed the Reconquista of Spain. In the middle of these kings is an oil of the "Adoration of the Magi" by Juan Rodriguez Juarez to show Jesus as the "king of kings". The top portion features a painting of the Assumption of Mary as celestial queen flanked by oval bas reliefs, one of Saint Joseph carrying the infant Jesus and the other of Saint Teresa of Ávila with a quill in her hand and the Holy Spirit above her, inspiring her to write. Above this are figures of Jesus and Mary among sculptures of angels crowned with an image of God, the Father.[11]
This altar has been under restoration since 2003.[6]
Sacristy
The sacristy is guarded by a Herrera door. It is a mixture of Renaissance and Gothic styles. The walls hold monumental canvases painted by Cristobál de Villalpando such as “The apotheosis of Saint Michael,” “The Triumph of the Eucharist,” “The Church Militant and the Church Triumphant,” and “The Virgin of the Apocolypse”. Two other canvases, “Entering Jerusalem” and “The Assumption of the Virgin”, by Juan Correa are also here.[2]
The chapels
The sixteen chapels of the cathedral were each assigned to various religious guilds. Seven chapels occupy the side naves of the main hall and the other two were created later on the eastern and western sides of the cathedral.[2]
East side chapels
Listing from south to north (front to back)
- Chapel of Our Lady of the Agonies of Granada - Built in the first half of the 17th century, it originally served as the sacristy. It is a medieval-style chapel with a ribbed vault and two relatively simple altarpieces. The narrow altarpiece an oval painting of “Saint Raphael, Archangel and the young Tobias,” attributed to Flemish painter Martin de Vos from the XVI century. At the top of this altarpiece is a painting of “Our Lady of Mount Carmel” and above this is a painting of the Last Supper. In the back of the chapel is a churrigueresque painting of Our Lady of the Agonies of Granada.[11]
- Chapel of San Isidro - This chapel was built between 1624 and 1627 and originally was the baptistery when it was an annex. Its vault contains plaster casts representing Faith, Hope, Charity and Justice. It became a chapel after the Sagrarium was built and its door was reworked in churrigueresque style.[11]
- Chapel of the Immaculate Conception - This chapel was built between 1642 and 1648. It has a churrigueresque altarpiece that probably dates to the 18th century as it has no columns. Instead, moulding runs through the altar and frames everything. The scene of the Immaculate Conception presides over the main part of the altar which is surrounded by paintings by Jose de Ibarra relating to the Passion of Christ and various saints. The chapel also contains a canbus of Saint Christopher by Simon Pereyns done in 1588 and the “Flagellation” by Baltasar de Echave Orio painted in 1618. The altarpiece on the right hand side is also dedicated to the Conception and was donated by the College of Saints Peter and Paul (now the Nacional Monte de Piedad). It holds the remains of Franciscan friar Antonio Margil de Jesus who evangelized in what is now the north of Mexico.[11]
- Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe - Built in 1660, it was the first baptistery of the cathedral proper and for a long time was the site for the Brotherhood of the Most Holy Sacrament, which had many powerful benefactors. It is decorated in 19th century neo-classic style by architect Antonio Gonzalez Vazquez, who was the director of the Academy of San Carlos. The main altarpiece is dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe and the sides ones are dedicated to John the Baptist and San Luis Gonzaga respectively.[11]
- Chapel of Our Lady of Antigua - This chapel was sponsored and built between 1653 and 1660 by a brotherhood of musicians and organists, which promoted devotion to this Virgin. In its altarpiece is a painting of the Virgin which is a copy of the one found in the Cathedral of Seville. This copy was brought to New Spain by a merchant. Two other paintings show the birth of the Virgin and her presentation. Both were painted by Nicolas Rodriguez Juarez.[11]
- Chapel of San Pedro - This chapel was built between 1615 and 1620. It contains three Baroque altarpieces from the 17th century, which are highly decorated. The one at the back is dedicated to Saint Peter, whose sculpture presides over the altar surrounded by paintings related to his life. These were done by Baltasar de Echave Orio in the beginning of the 17th century. To the right is an altarpiece dedicated to the Holy Family with two painting by Juan de Aguilera of Florence called “The Holy Family in the worshope of Saint Joseph” and the other is “Birth of the Savior.” The left-hand altarpiece is dedicated to Saint Theresa of Jesus whose image also appears in the chapel’s window. It includes four paintings done on metal sheets with scenes from the birth of Jesus. There are also five oil paintings with scenes from the life of Saint Theresa as well as a semi-circular painting of the Coronation of Mary located above. All of these works were done by Baltasar de Echave y Rioja in the 17th century.[11]
- Chapel of Christ of the Reliquias - The chapel is done in ultra-Baroque details that can be difficult to see because of the chapel’s insufficient light.[2] Originally known as the “Christ of the Conquistadors,” this chapel was built in 1615. Its original name came from an image of Christ it has that was supposedly donated by Emperor Charles V to the Cathedral. However, over time so many reliquaries were left on its main altar that its name changed. Of 17th century ornamentation, the main altarpiece alternates between carvings of rich foliage and small heads on its columns in the main portion and small sculptures of angels on its telamons in the secondary portion. Its niches hold sculptures of saints framing the main body. Its crucifix is from the 17th century as well. Its predela is finished with sculptures of angels and also contains small paintings of martyred saints done by Juan de Herrera at the end of the 17th century. Behind these paintings, compartments are hiding which contain some of the numerous reliquaries that have been left here. The central niche contains a painting called “The Divine Countenance” which was painted on a copper plate. Below is a copy of a Flemish painting depicting the cross of Jesus. On the left-hand wall there is a simple altar dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Its main painting was done by Jose de Ibarra and dated 1737. Surrounding the alter is a series of paintings on canvas depicting the Passion of Christ by Jose Villegas done in the 17th century. On the right-hand wall, there is a altar dedicated to the Virgin of the Confidence, decorated with numerous churrigueresque figurines tucked away in niches, columns and top pieces. On each side of the painting of this Virgin are statues of Saint Anne and Saint Joachim.[11]
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Chapel of Our Lady of the Agonies of Granada -
Chapel of San Isidro -
Chapel of the Immaculate Conception -
Chapel of Our Laday of Guadalupe -
Chapel of Our Lady of Antigua -
Chapel of San Pedro -
Chapel of Christ of the Reliquias
West side chapels
- Chapel of the Holy Angels and Archangels was finished in 1665 with Baroque altarpieces decorated with Salomonic columns. It is dedicated to the Archangel Michael depicted as a medieval knight.[2] It contains a large main altarpiece with two smaller ones decorated by Juan Correa,>ref name="lonely"/> all of which were restored by Jose Torres Vergara. The main altarpiece is dedicated to the seven archanges who have scuptures of them in niches surrounding images of Saint Joseph, Mary and Christ. Above this scene are the Holy Spirit and God, the Father. The left-hand altarpiece is of similar design and dedicated to the Guardian Angel who sculpture is surrounded with pictures arranged to show the angelic hierarchy. To the left of this is a scene showing Saint Peter being released from jail and to the right, Saint Paul being knocked off his horse, done by Juan Correa in 1714. The right-hand altarpiece is dedicated to the Guardian Angel of Mexico.[11]
- Chapel of Saints Cosme and Damian - This chapel was built because these two saints were commonly invoked at a time when Mexico suffered the many diseases brought by the Conquistadors. The main altarpiece is Baroque, probably built in the 17th century. Oil paintings done on wood contain scences from physician saints and are attributed to painter Sebastian Lopez Davalos in the second half of the 17th century. The chapel contains one other small altarpiece dedicated to the birth of Jesus which came from the Franciscan church in Zinacantepec to the west of the city.[11]
- San José Chapel (1653-1660 contains an image of Our Lord of Cacao, a Christ image probably dating from the XVI century. This image’s name comes from the time when many indigenous worshippers gave their alms in the form of cocoa beans. The chapel is Churrigueresque in style and contains an agraffito statue of Saint Joseph who was the patron saint of New Spain.[2] The main retablo is Baroque from the 18th century and used to belong to the Church of Our Lady of Monserrat (now the Museum of Charreria). This altar has only statues and no paintings with busts of the Apostles in cubicles.[11]
- Chapel of La Soledad This chapel was originally built in honor of the workers building the Cathedra. It contains three Baroque altarpieces. The main one is supported by carytids and small angels as telamons to uphold the base of the main body. It is dedicated to the Virgin of Loneliness of Oaxaca whose image appears in the center. The surrounding paintings are done by Pedro Ramirez in the 16th century and depict scenes from the life of Christ.[11]
- Chapel of San Eligio or Señor de Buen Despacho - This chapel was built by the first silversmith guild, who donated the images of of the Conception and Saint Eligio, to whom the chapel used to be dedicated. In the 19th century, the chapel was redecorated and the image of Our Lord of Good Sending was placed here, called this because many supplicants reported having their prayers answered quickly here. The image probably is of the 16th century and a gift from Charles V of Spain.[11]
- Chapel of Santa Cena, now De Dolores - Built in 1615, it was originally dedicated to the Last Supper because of a painting of this event that was kept here. It was later remodeled in Neo classical style with three altarpieces by Antonio Gonzalez Velazquez added. The main altarpiece contains an image of the Virgin of los Dolores sculpted in wood and painted by Francisco Terrazas, at the request of Emperor Meximilian. On the left wall there is a ladder that leads to a series of crypts which hold most of the remains of past archbishops of Mexico. The largest and grandest of these is of Juan de Zumarraga, the first archbishop of Mexico.[11]
- Chapel of San Felipe de Jesús- This chapel is dedicated to the only martyr to come from New Spain, a friar was crucified in Japan. Completed during one of the earliest stages of the Cathedral, it is topped with a Gothic-style dome and has a Baroque altarpiece from the XVII century. A statue of the saint is located in a large niche in the altarpiece. The altar to the left is dedicated to Saint Rose of Lima, considered a protector of Mexico City. To the right is an urn with the remainsa of Emperor Agustín de Iturbide who ruled Mexico briefly in the 19th century.[2][11] Next to this chapel is a baptimal font, believed to have been the one that baptised Felipe de Jesus.[11]
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Chapel of the Archangels -
Chapels of Saints Cosme and Damian -
Chapel of San Jose -
Chapel of Nuestra Señora de Soledad -
Image of Nuestra Señora de Soledad -
Chapel of Señor de Buen Despacho -
Chapel of Nuestro Señora de los Dolores -
Chapel of San Felipe de Jesus
Other features
The cathedral currently has two organs. Originally it had only one, which was made in Spain by Jorge de Sesma and set up in the cathedral by Tiburcio Sans in 1693. The two current organs were probably made in Mexico by José Nassarre of Spain and completed by 1736, incorporating elements of the original 17th century organ. They are the largest 18th century organs in the Americas. First restoration of the instruments was completed in 1978 .[12] One of organs, called the “Organ of Evangelism” has been undergoing renovation and is scheduled to play again in 2009.[13]
The Cathedral Crypt contains the remains of most of the archbishops of Mexico City, including the first see, Juan de Zumárraga.[14]
The “choir” (place where the priest sings or reads the service) is located in the central nave between the main door and the high altar, very similar to cathedrals in Spain. It was built by Juan de Rojas between 1696 and 1697 [15]
The Cathedral’s side entrances feature four oval paintings done by the Mexican artist Miguel Cabrera in the 18th century.[9]
Restorations in 20th century
The sinking ground and seismic activity of the area have had an effect on the cathedral’s construction and current appearance. Forty-two years were required simply to simply lay its foundation when it was first built, because even then the Spaniards recognized the danger of constructing such a huge monument in soft soil.[2] However, for political reasons, much, but not all, of the cathedral was build over the remains of pre-Hispanic structures, leading to uneven foundation from the beginning.[16]
1962 fire and subsequent restoration work
On 17 January 1962 at 9 pm, a fire caused by a short circuit caused extensive damage to the Cathedral. On the Altar of Forgiveness, much of the structure and decoration were damages including the loss of the following paintings: "The Holy Face" by Alonso López de Herrera, "The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian" by Francisco de Zumaya and "The Virgin of Forgiveness" by Simon Pereyns. The choir section lost 75 of its 99 seats as well a painting by Juan Correa, and most of the books stored here. The organs were severely damaged, including the partial melting of its pipes. Other paintings by Rafael Jimeno y Planas, Juan Correa and Juan Rodriguez Juarez were damaged in other parts of the Cathedral. After the fire, authorities only recorded the damage but did nothing to try to restore what was damaged. Heated discussions ensued among historians, architects and investigations centering on the moving of the Altar of Forgiveness, as well as eliminating the choir area and some of the railings. In 1972, ecclesiastical authorities initiated demolition of the choir area without authorization of the Federal government, but were stopped. The government did an inventory of what could be saved and named Jaime Ortiz Lajous director of the project to restore the Cathedral to its pre-fire state. Restortation work not only focused on fixing what the fire damage, using archived records and photographs, but also included work on a deteriorating foundation (due to uneven sinking into the ground) and problems with the towers.[4]
The Altars of Forgiveness and of the Kings received extensive cleaning and restorative work. To replace what was lost on the Altar of Forgiveness, the following paintings were added: "Escape from Egypt" by Pereyns, "The Divine Countenance" and "The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian". The organs were disassembled with the pipes and inner workings sent to Holland for repair and the casings worked on by Mexican craftsmen. The organs were reassembled in 1977. Reconstruction of the choir area was begun in 1979 using the same type of wood and the same design as what was destroyed in the fire. In the towers, statues that were damaged more than 50% by pollution were taken out and replicas created to replace them. Those with less damage were repaired.[4]
Some interesting discoveries were made as all this restoration work occurred during the 70's and early 80's. Fifty-one paintings were found and rescued from behind the Altar of Forgiveness, including works by Juan and Nicolas Rodriguez Juarez, Miguel Cabrera and Jose de Ibarra. Inside one of the organs, a copy of the nomination of Hernan Cortez as Governor General of New Spain (1529) was found. Lastly, in the wall of the central arch of the Cathedral was found the burial place of Miguel Barrigan, the first governor of Veracruz.[4]
Late 20th century work
The Cathedral, along with the rest of the city, has been sinking into the lakebed from the day it was built. However, the fact that the city is a huge megalopolis with over 18 million people using water from underground sources has been causing water tables to drop and the sinking to accelerate during the latter half of the 20th century.[17] Sections of the complex, e.g. the Catheral and the Sagrario Chapel were still sinking at different rates[18] and the bell towers were tiling dangerously, in spite of the work done in the 1970's.[16] [3] All this caused the Cathedral to be put onto the World Monuments Fund list of the 100 Most Endangered Sites.[3]
Major restoration and foundation work began in the 1990’s to stabilize the building.[16] Engineers excavated extensively under the cathedral between 1993 and 1998. [18] They dug shafts under the cathedral and placed shafts of concrete into the very soft ground to give the edifice a more solid base to rest on.[17] The efforts have not stopped the sinking of the complex but has corrected the tilting towers and ensured that the cathedral will sink uniformly[16] This allowed the Cathedral to be taken off the endangered list in 2000.[3]
Cathedral’s cultural significance
The cathedral has been a focus of Mexican cultural identity, and is a testament to its colonial history[5] Researcher Manuel Rivera Cambas (1840-1917) reports that the cathedral was built on the site of Huitzilopochtli’s temples and with the very stones of that temple so that the Spaniards could lay claim to the land and the people.[2] In fact, supposedly Hernán Cortés himself laid the first stone of the original church[5]
Located on the Zocalo, it has been the focus at time of social and cultural activity, much of which has occurred in the 20th and 21st centuries. The cathedral was closed for four years during the time when President Plutarco Elias Calles tried to enforce Mexico’s anti-religious laws. However, it was the Pope who closed the church, ordering priests to cease their public religious duties in all Mexican churches. After the Mexican government and the papacy came to terms and major renovations were performed on the cathedral, it was opened again in 1930.[19]
The cathedral has been the scene of protests such as women protesting the Church’s exhortation for women not to wear mini-skirts and other provocative clothing to avoid rape, [20] and a candlelight vigil to protest the problem of kidnapping in Mexico.[21] Sometimes the cathedral itself protests social issues, such as the time it rang its bells in opposition when the Supreme Court upheld the Mexico City’s legalization of abortion. [22]
Probably the most serious recent event occurred on November 18, 2007, when sympathizers of the Party of the Democratic Revolution attacked the Cathedral. [23] About 150 protesters stormed into Sunday Mass shouting slogans and knocking over pews. This caused Church officials to close and lock the Cathedral for a number of days.[24] After the Cathedral was re-opened, security measures, such as bag searches, were begun.[23]
References
- ^ "Catedral metropolitana de México". MSN. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Galindo, Carmen (2002). Mexico City Historic Center. Mexico City: Ediciones Nueva Guia. pp. 41–49. ISBN 968 5437 29 7.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d e "Metropolitan Cathedral Mexico City". Sacred Destinations. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Alvarez, Jose Rogelio (2000). "Catedral de Mexico". Enciclopedia de Mexico. Vol. 3. Mexico City: Encyclopedia Brittanica. ISBN 1 56409 034 5.
{{cite encyclopedia}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|accessmonth=,|month=,|accessyear=, and|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c d "Catedral Metropolitana". Retrieved 2008-09-18.
- ^ a b "Metropolitan Catedral of Mexico City –History". Retrieved 2008-09-18.
- ^ Enciclopedia de Mexico. Mexico City: Encyclopedia Brittanica. 2000. pp. 8273–8280. ISBN 2000 1-15409-034-5.
{{cite encyclopedia}}: Check|isbn=value: length (help); Missing or empty|title=(help); Unknown parameter|vol=ignored (|volume=suggested) (help) - ^ PMC (2008-01-17). "Found atop Mexico City Cathedral - Time capsule from 1791". Retrieved 2008-09-18.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c Noble, Joshn (2000). Lonely Planet Mexico City (in Spanish). Oakland, CA: Lonely Planet Publications. pp. 110–111. ISBN 1 86450 087 5.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c d Horz de Via, Elena (1991). Guia Oficial Centro de la Ciudad de Mexico. Mexico City: INAH-SALVAT. pp. 28–30. ISBN 968-32-0540-2.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Cano de Mier, Olga (1988). Guia de Forasteros Centro Historico Ciudad de Mexico (in Spanish). Mexico City: Guias Turisticas Banamex. pp. 32–37.
- ^ Flentrop, Dirk Andries (1986). "The Organs of Mexico City Cathedral". Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology. 47.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ 08.22-2006 "Un órgano de la Catedral de México del siglo XVIII sonará de nuevo en 2009". EFE. 22-08-2006. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
{{cite news}}: Check|url=value (help); Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral". Planet Ware. 12-09-2008. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City- The choir". 2007. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
- ^ a b c d "A Walking Tour of Mexico City". Suzanne Barbezat. 12-09-2008. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Greste, Peter (2008-09-12). "World: Americas Saving Mexico's sinking cathedral". BBC. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Wiley, John (2008). "Evaluation of the measured seismic response of the Mexico City Cathedral". Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics (10): 1249–1268. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
{{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ "Mexico City Cathedral". Time. 1930. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
{{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ "Protestan mujeres in minifalda frente a catedral Cd. de México". Xinhua. 2008-08-17. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "People hold candles in front of the cathedral in Mexico City Aug. 30..." 2008-09-09. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Campanas de la Catedral de México repicaron en señal de duelo por ley del aborto". ACI Prensa. 2008-29-08. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b "Message of forgiveness at Mexico City Cathedral". Catholic News Agency. 2009-11-28. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Grillo, Ioan (2007-11-21). "Mexico City's Cathedral closes after anti-Catholic protesters storm building during Mass". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
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External links
Photo Sharing City Cathedral bells Interactive Page