Catedral de Santiago, Antigua Guatemala - founded in 1542 |
Catedral de Santiago - Cathedral of St. James, Antigua Guatemala |
The Cathedral was severely damaged in the 1773 earthquake and was later only partially rebuilt as a parish church |
Baroque façade of the Catedral de Santiago, Antigua Guatemala |
Coat-of-Arms on the Catedral de Santiago |
Façade sculpture, Catedral de Santiago |
Façade sculpture, Catedral de Santiago |
Façade sculpture, Catedral de Santiago |
Façade sculpture, Catedral de Santiago |
Catedral de Santiago, Antigua Guatemala |
The Catedral de Santiago is best seen in the late afternoon due to its position on the east side of the Parque Central |
Of the vast cathedral, only this small front portion, reoriented north-south, was rebuilt as the Parish Church of San José |
Christ carrying the Cross, Parish Church of San José |
Figure of Christ Entombed in a glass coffin |
Christ Entombed, Parish Church of San José |
Parish Church of San José (ex-Cathedral of St. James) |
Christ Bearing the Cross, Parish Church of San José |
The Crucifixion |
The Crucifixion, Catedral de Santiago - Antigua Guatemala |
Altar of the Parish Church of San José |
The Cathedral was only partially rebuilt 1780-1820 because the capital had moved to the new Guatemala City |
The entrance to the cathedral ruins is on the south side off 5a Av Ote |
Sculpture on the south side of the Cathedral |
Entrance to the ruins of the Cathedral of Santiago |
The south side of the Catedral de Santiago with the entrance to the archaeological ruins |
The Cathedral was destroyed by earthquake in 1717, 1751, and finally in 1773 |
The history of the Cathedral started in 1545, just 2 years after the city's founding |
Plan of the original Catedral de Santiago with the restored Iglesia de San José shown in red |
Fifty domes aligned 5 across once formed the three aisles and side chapels |
Looking up through an elliptical opening at blue sky |
Inside the ruins of the Cathedral of Santiago, Antigua Guatemala |
Some of the former decoration has survived the centuries giving a hint at the cathedral's former grandeur |
A statue which managed to remain in position during the earthquake |
Massive pieces of brick and masonry collapsed into the aisles |
High relief of an angel waving incense |
Not all of the domes collapsed |
Dome with the coat-of-arms of Castille y León |
A second dome with a coat-of-arms which survived the 1773 earthquake |
Side aisle, Cathedral of Santiago |
Pendentive with a surviving relief of an angel |
The former high altar of the Cathedral of Santiago |
The main asile, once covered by up to 10 domes is now open to the sky |
The crypt below the main altar, Cathedral of Santiago |
Darkened crucifixion group in the surviving crypt of the Cathedral of Santiago |
Engraved stone dated MCMLX (1960) in the cathedral crypt |
St. John the Evangelist looking down from his perch |
Pendentives are structures which support round domes over square spaces |
Pendentive of the Cathedral of Santiago with a high relief carving of an angel |
Capital of a column supporting an arch in a side aisle |
North side aisle, Catedral de Santiago, Antigua Guatemala |
Forest of pillars open to the sky, Antigua Guatemala |
Some restoration work must have been done to stabilize the ruins |
Rectory courtyard on the north side of the Cathedral |
Ruins adjacent to the cathedral, Antigua Guatemala |
Columns of a tumbled arcade |
Circular pattern illuminated on a wall of the ruined cathedral |
Looking down the main aisle towards the former altar, Cathedral of Santiago, Antigua |
Restored ancillary building on the southeast side of the cathedral, Antigua Guatemala |
Restored cathedral façade facing Antigua Guatemala's Parque Central |
Western façade of the Catedral de Santiago |
Catedral de Santiago from the arcade of the Palacio de los Capitanes Generalles |
A horse carriage passes in front of the Cathedral |
The Cathedral from Parque Central as evening falls |
The Catedral de Santiago illuminated at night, Antigua Guatemala |
Model of the Catedral de Santiago at its peak on display at Las Capuchinas |