CATEDRAL SANTA MARÍA LA MENOR PRIMADA DE AMÉRICA

This church is the oldest cathedral in the Americas. Diego Columbus laid the foundation stone in 1514, under the watchful eye of architect Alonso Rodriguez and thirteen specialists specially commissioned by the King of Spain. However, he actually built the monument in Mexico City. In 1519, Bishop Alejandro Geraldini, realizing that the cathedral was still only a rough draft, reactivated its construction by symbolically laying a new foundation stone. Construction continued until 1540, but the bell tower was never completed. In 1546, Pope Paul II consecrated it as a metropolitan cathedral and the first cathedral of the Indies, giving it authority over all churches in the New World. During the sacking of the city in 1586, Francis Drake set up his headquarters here. It housed the remains of Christopher Columbus in a marble mausoleum until they were transferred to the Columbus Lighthouse in 1992.

The massive structure was built from coral reef stones. It is a blend of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance styles. The facade features the imperial coat of arms of Charles V, as well as busts of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

The cathedral is accessed via three doors: one opens onto the Plaça Colón, the second, facing the Plaça de los Curas, is known as the "Pardon Door", while the third is the central door. Two of these doors are Gothic in style, while the third belongs to the Plateresque movement (a transitional architectural style between Gothic and Renaissance). The interior, with its brick floor, takes us right back to the ^16th century, with its many paintings, stained-glass windows, period objects and furnishings. The basilica is 54 m long and 23 m wide, and its greatest height from floor to vault is 16 m. Although none were included in the original design, the cathedral now boasts fourteen small chapels, each different from the next. Take, for example, the archbishops' crypt. The main mahogany altar dates from 1684. The stained glass windows are the work of Dominican artist José Rincón Mora.

Another feature you won't easily spot is a cannonball on the roof! It landed there during the British invasion of the city, but miraculously didn't explode. The Dominicans have kept it as proof of the divine intervention that protected the cathedral.