Cathedral Church of San Jose (Cathedral Church) description and photos - Guatemala: Antigua Guatemala (Topic)

Cathedral Church description and photos - Guatemala: Antigua Guatemala. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Cathedral Church.

Photo and description

The Cathedral of Antigua Guatemala, consecrated in honor of St. Joseph, is the main Catholic church in this city. The original church was built around 1541 but has suffered several earthquakes throughout its history.

The first church building was demolished in 1669, the cathedral was rebuilt and consecrated in 1680. In 1743, the temple was one of the largest in Central America. The most devastating earthquake in 1773 severely damaged most of the building, although the two towers on the pediment have been preserved almost intact. The cathedral was partially restored, after the restoration of the surviving towers. After this natural disaster, the capital was moved to another place, and a new main temple was built there, where utensils and religious objects were transferred. All the interior decorations that were not destroyed by the earthquake remained in the temple. In 1783 they were taken from the weakened ruins to the University of St. Charles Borromeo and to the warehouse of the parish of El Sagrario. In 1816, the gold trimmings were removed from the old altars and used to decorate the Cathedral of Guatemala City.

Today, part of the structure has been rebuilt and is used as the Church of St. Joseph, but the original structure remains mostly in ruins, which are open to visits.

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Topic: Cathedral Church of San Jose (Cathedral Church) description and photos - Guatemala: Antigua Guatemala.