Havana Cathedral

In La Catedral de San Cristóbal de La Habana you can discover the particularities of the Cuban Baroque

Havana Cathedral ©Marvin del Cid.

The Catedral de San Cristóbal de La Habana (Cathedral of San Cristóbal in Havana), located in the Plaza de la Catedral in Old Havana, is one of the most important and impressive architectural monuments in Cuba. Designed by the Italian architect Francesco Borromini it is a building of baroque style, dominated by two uneven towers with lateral bell towers and current Tuscan facade.

San Cristóbal de La Habana Cathedral
©Wilder Méndez

Cathedral of Havana ©Tai Pan of HK .

Its construction began in 1748 by the Jesuits. In 1767 they were expelled from the New World, leaving their work at a standstill. Eleven years later, Bishop Felipe José de Tres-palacios y Verdeja, acquired the land projecting in his imagination the construction of the cathedral. Today, it is considered one of the most beautiful and restrained religious buildings of the American Baroque, declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982.

It is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, whose image is represented on the high altar. Behind it, there are three frescoes by Giuseppe Perovani.

There are many works of art in the cathedral. Among them, a precious painting of the pope preparing to give mass, which has been in the temple since the 15th century. The sculpture, gold and silver work and those of the tabernacle were made in Rome by Bianchini under the direction of the famous Spanish sculptor Antonio Solá.

The cathedral underwent several renovations directed by the architect Pedro Medina during the 18th century and, in 1755, the chapel was consecrated, a work by the Cuban Lorenzo Camacho, dedicated to Our Lady of Loreto. The church was not converted into a cathedral until 1788. The final layout of the temple consists of three naves with a practically square floor plan and houses a total of eight side chapels differentiated by thick pillars. Its construction was largely based on the use of coral rock from the Gulf of Mexico, which today allows us to see the remains of marine fossils.

Illustrious people of the Havanan and Cuban history lie in the depths of the temple. Among them, the remains of Christopher Columbus which been in the central nave of the cathedral of Havana until 1898 stand out. In that same year they were moved to Seville.

More information:

Address:

San Ignacio on the corner with Empedrado, Havana - Cuba.

Hours:

Visiting hours are from Monday to Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00h.

Price:

Entrance is free, although climbing the bell tower costs 1 CUC.

Interactive map:

What to see in Old Havana

Other nearby destinations:

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✓ To make Cuba, its culture and its heritage known.
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