Description of the attraction
The church of the city of Tegucigalpa, Santa Maria de los Dolores, is one of the oldest in the country. The first building on the site of the current temple was built in 1579, it was a modest hermitage, erected by monks. Organized activities for the construction of the church began in 1732 at the request of the priest Juan Francisco Marquez-Nota. The architect Juan Nepomuseno Cacho was appointed in charge of the work. In 1781, the parish of Santa Maria de los Dolores was established in Tegucigalpa, but construction lasted 80 years, and the temple was only opened on March 17, 1815.
The church was built in the tradition of the American Baroque, with two bell towers and a dome. On the facade at the top there are three circles in which are carved: in the center the Sacred Heart of Jesus, on the right and on the left nails, stairs, wooden spears, whips and symbols that remind of the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. The circles are separated from each other by Roman columns entwined with stylized vines. One level below there is a peculiarly shaped rosette with a contrasting frame and stained glass windows; to the left and to the right of it there are sculptural images of saints. The lower level consists of a double-winged main gate with sculpted leaves on the right and left sides. The interior decoration consists of frescoes, paintings, silver and gold trimmings in the Baroque tradition.
