Havana Catedral San Cristobal de la Habana
Catedral San Cristobal de la Habana Photos
About Catedral San Cristobal de la Habana
La Catedral San Cristobal de la Habana (Cathedral of Saint Christopher of Havana) was constructed in 1748 on the former Plaza de La Ciénaga or Swamp Square, and is said to be the only example of a baroque construction that possesses asymmetrical features. Notice though that the right tower is wider than the left. This odd feature was added in order to allow any build up of water on the plaza to flow off the streets.
Another curious feature can be found in the walls and columns. The material includes coral, cut and hauled in from the coast by many slaves. Fossils of marine flora and fauna are clearly seen in the stone of the cathedral and make it quite a fascinating spectacle. Cuban writer Alejo Carpentier famously described the Cathedral as ‘music set in stone.’
The tablet in the corner here commemorates the first archbishop of Havana, Don Jose Felipe de Trespalacios.
It’s not known who the designer of the Cathedral was but Weiss considers that it was probably one of the Jesuits, who took ideas from other drawings because this building is quite different in style from every other baroque structure here.
Bishop Espada, said to be a man of greatness and sensitivity, undertook various modifications and commissioned the Italian artist Giuseppe Perovani to complete 3 frescoes over the altar called: La Ultima Cena (The Last Supper), La Asuncion de la Virgin (The Assumption of the Virgin Mary) and La Potestad de las Llaves (The Key Holder).
The main altar table is made of Carrara marble.
Misfortune visited the painter though as he fell off the scaffolding for which Espada brought in Jean Baptiste Vermay to complete the cycle. As a consequence, Vermay left a powerful influence in Cuban art and founded the La Escuela de Pintura San Alejandro (The St Alessandro Painting School) and then went on to decorate the El Templete which is a memorial in Plaza de las Armas.
The cathedral is also home to copies of Rubens and Murillo on the altars. A fine sculpture of Saint Christopher, patron saint of Havana, dates from 1632 and was made by Martín Andújar in Seville. Pedro Medina has also been attributed as an artist here although it doesn’t make clear where.
According to sources at the time, this church was erected by the Jesuits replacing a hermitage that existed in this area. Apparently it would serve as the temple to the monastery of the same religious order that was annexed on to it. The Jesuits though never did get to see the cathedral completed as an edict by King Carlos III of Spain expelled them from Cuba in 1767.
Shortly after La Catedral San Cristobal was consecrated in 1789, some of Christopher Columbus’ remains were kept here between 1796 and 1898. They were subsequently transferred to Seville Cathedral in Spain.
Between 1946-1949 the cathedral was restored by the architect Cristobal Martinez Marquez, who included some interior modifications that were advised by the state. It’s now the seat of Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, the Cardinal Archbishop of Havana.
Two of the bells here are said to have been cast with gold and silver mixed into the bronze, giving them a sweet ringing tone. While up here it’s easy to see that the view from the bell tower is well worth the climb and why this is the most prominent building in the square.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana_cathedral
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/cuba/havana-cathedral.htm
Juan de las Cuevas Toraya, 500 Años De Construcciones En Cuba, Havana 2001, pp46-47.