Monday, March 4, 2019

Las Iglesias

Here follows the post I promised you about three of the churches located here in downtown Cochabamba. Feel free to skip it if it reads too much like a grocery list.


Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian
Catedral Metropolitana de San Sebastián

This is the mother church of what is today the Archdiocese of Cochabamba. It was founded in 1571. But the current structure dates to 1701-1735 and was built on previous foundations.

It is built in the baroque style common to Spanish colonial architecture. The church is grand in size. The building is shaped like a Latin cross, with a nave and flanking aisles forming the vertical bar of the cross, and a transept forming the horizontal bar. The church is covered with ribbed barrel vaults and a cupola or dome over the sanctuary. The interior is constructed with stone and adobe. The walls are covered in whitewash and its architectural details are gilded with gold paint. The vaults are adorned with vivid murals and filigree.

Let me walk you through the church and describe its iconography. In the south transept there is a niche with a statue of Christ crucified with figures of Mary, John, Mary of Magdala, and a friar looking on. Another niche holds a statue of Christ, Lord of Good Hope (Señor de la Buena Esperanza). A picture of Jesus the Divine Mercy, common throughout the Church, is present, as well as a figure of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Finally, there is a picture of a local saint, St. Nazaria Ignacia March. In the north transept is a statue of St. Mary of the Holy Spirit (Santa María del Espíritu Santo), a statue of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes (Our Lady of Favors), a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and a picture of St. Expeditus, popular in South America. Behind the sanctuary altar is Christ crucified and statues of archangels. Down the aisles we find statues, bas reliefs, and images of the following: the Stations of the Cross; the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary; St. Catherine of Siena; St. Joseph; Our Lady of Lourdes (in an impressive grotto); two bishop-apostles; Pope St. John XXIII and Pope St. John Paul II; St. Rita of Bascia; St. Anthony of Padua; Christ scourged at the pillar; the Divine Mercy; St. Michael the Archangel; and St. Sebastian, patron of the cathedral. Miscellaneous: there is a cross from a fraternal group, Caballeros de la Santa Cruz; and two very old-fashioned-looking confessional stalls in which you sit or kneel facing the priest.

There are two entrances, at the west façade and the south transept, but the west façade is gated and locked, making the south transept, which faces Plaza 14 de Septiembre, the only way in and out.

The western exterior is constructed mostly of rough-hewn stone, with very few windows and little glass or brick. The bell tower appears to be of more modern construction, of adobe and stone, but I am not sure. The large wooden doors are carved with images of grapevines, palms, and shells. Two very small gardens front the façade. The southern exterior is built in two stories with a gallery and arcade with Corinthian columns. It is built with cut stone. It features a rose window. The northern exterior, facing away from the plaza, is a windowless wall of rough-hewn stone.

There are memorial tablets to the bishops of Cochabamba. I believe the bishops are buried at the cathedral.

The cathedral needs repairs. A development campaign to renovate the church is underway.


Church of Saint Dominic
Templo Santo Domingo

The church was established in 1612 by the Dominican friars, the oldest establishment by a Dominican convent in the city. The present church was built in 1778-1794, replacing two earlier structures. The façade is made of carved stone and cut stone, with some brick. The portal features ancient wooden doors. There is also a bell tower, which may be of later construction. The rest of the exterior is built of brick, and carved stone, cut stone, and rough-hewn stone. The transept entrance also features enormous ancient wooden doors.

The interior is whitewashed adobe and rough-hewn stone. Again, very few windows and little glass. There is one nave with no flanking aisles, covered by barrel vaults. There is a small choir loft. There is a cupola or dome over the sanctuary. There is a fine baldacchino for the tabernacle behind the simple sanctuary altar. There is an ancient confessional stall and a modern confessional booth. This church is smaller than the cathedral. There is much less decoration and ornamentation in here than in the cathedral.

Let’s walk through the church and identify its iconography. In the nave you can find these statues and images: the Stations of the Cross; the Divine Mercy; St. Peter; the Sacred Heart of Jesus; Jesus carrying the cross; St. Catherine of Siena; St. Expeditus; St. Jude; St. Anthony of Padua; an unidentified saint; the Holy Trinity with flanking angels; St. John Vianney; St. Martin de Porres; the Holy Family; and a bishop-apostle. In the transept you can find the following: a statue of the Virgin of the Rosary (la Virgen del Rosario); a Byzantine icon of Madonna and Child; a statue of Jesus Christ the victorious Lamb of God; a statue of St. Dominic Guzman, founder of the Order of Preachers; and a figure of Our Lady of Sorrows.


Church of St. Francis
Templo San Francisco 

The church is in the custody of the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscan friars). The church and convent are among the oldest buildings in Cochabamba. The church was first built in 1581 in a Renaissance baroque style. According to the Franciscans, it was rebuilt in 1782 and renovated in 1926. The current church has a single nave from the atrium to the sanctuary. There are two side altars. It featured a ribbed barrel vault in the neo-classical style with cupola before the sanctuary. There is a transept chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary near the atrium.

The well-preserved exterior is adobe and stone and brightly whitewashed. A bell wall stands between the church and convent.

The showcase of the interior is an exquisite altarpiece carved in wood and painted with gold leaf. It is organized into three stories of ornate niches with the following figures: God the Father, St. Francis Solanus (San Francisco Solano), St. Dominic, the Immaculate Conception, Christ Crucified, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Clare of Assisi. There is also a pulpit located halfway down the nave. It is also carved in wood and gilded in gold leaf.

The interior is very simple in appearance. It is built of adobe and stone has been painted to imitate the look of marble. There is a simple wooden choir loft. Within the ample sanctuary are three deacons’ chairs that have been restored. There is also a painting to commemorate the Franciscan mission to the whole world.

Let’s catalogue the rest of the iconography found in the church. In the nave, there are Stations of the Cross; an enormous statue of Saint Anthony of Padua; a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; a statue of Mary Immaculate; a Madonna and Child flanked by two friars; the Virgin of Carmel; St. Benito of Palermo; St. Bonaventure; St. Jude; St. Sylvester; St. Joseph; St. Therese of Lisieux; St. Rose of Viterbo; St. James of Alcala; and St. Francis embracing Christ on the Cross. In the Marian transept chapel is another large statue of Saint Anthony of Padua and a statue of Our Lady Queen of Heaven with paintings of the Madonna and Child and also the Divine Child (el Divino Niño). On the other side of the transept are modern confessional booths, above which hang two intense-looking paintings depicting the divine inspiration of the Franciscan movement and its triumph with Christianity in the colonial conquest of the New World. Those paintings were made in different times with a different imagination for who God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit were and what God desired of Jesus’ followers.

Did I give you the picture you were hoping see? Forgive me if I did not. You can find photos of the Metropolitan Cathedral here, Templo Santo Domingo here, and Templo San Francisco here.

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