CATEDRAL DE LA HABANA

The cathedral occupies the entire side of Empedrado Street that faces the square, between San Ignacio and Mercaderes. The Jesuits began to build it in 1748, but work stopped in 1767 when they were expelled from Cuba by order of King Charles III of Spain. In 1772, the Parroquia Mayor, which had been erected in the Plaza de Armas but was reduced to dust by the explosion of the ship Invincible (anchored in the port), was moved to this square. The work was resumed and completed in 1777. Eleven years later, in 1788, the island was divided into two dioceses and the bishop Jose of Very Palacios was appointed. He transformed the oratory of Saint Ignatius into a cathedral dedicated to the Purísima Concepción. From 1946 to 1950, Cardinal Archbishop Manuel Arteaga initiated new renovations to the cathedral, in order to allow more light to enter the building, which is said to have gained in ventilation and beauty.

Today it is called Catedral de San Cristobal de La Habana, but for Cubans it is simply the cathedral. With its 35 meter façade, it is a quadrilateral with impressive dimensions. Neither the passing of time nor the tropical climate has been kind to the stone, but with the help of restoration, San Cristobal remains one of the most beautiful and imposing churches in Cuba. The façade is clearly baroque, its decoration inspired the architects of many Havana palaces. The classic French eye will not fail to notice the asymmetry of the side towers: the one on the left is narrower so that the alley that runs along its side is not closed. It is in this tower that the mechanism that operates the bells is located. Inside, the style is frankly neoclassical, following the modifications ordered in 1814 by Bishop Espada, a great defender and promoter of this style. Two rows of columns separate the central nave from the two side naves. The oil paintings, executed by the Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Vermay, also date from this period. The central altar and the tabernacle were decorated with wood carvings and gold ornaments by the Italian Bianchini, under the guidance of the Spaniard Antonio Sola. This carving and gold work was done in Rome. The three frescoes on the altar are the work of another Italian artist, Giuseppe Perovani. Finally, it should be noted that the story goes that the remains of Christopher Columbus lay for a long time in the central nave of the cathedral, at least until 1898, when they were moved to Seville.