Description of the attraction
One of the biggest tourist attractions in Santo Domingo is the Catholic Cathedral of America, also called Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The construction of this first Catholic church of the New World began in 1514 under the leadership of Bishop Garcia Padilla and lasted 30 years - until 1544. On February 12, 1546, at the request of Emperor Charles V, Pope Paul III granted the cathedral the status of a cathedral.
This is a fairly spacious temple. Its length is 54 meters, width - 23 meters, height to vaulted ceilings - 16 meters, total area 3000 sq. meters.
During the construction of the cathedral, golden coral limestone was used, mined in local quarries. In the appearance of the temple one can observe a mixture of Gothic and Baroque styles with a strong influence of plateresco, elements of which are especially clearly traced in the design of the silver altar of 1540. The cathedral has a treasury that includes fine collections of wooden statues, furniture, jewelry, silverware.
A monument to Christopher Columbus is erected on the square next to the cathedral and, according to some historical versions, the remains of this great traveler were buried near the main altar of the temple.
In 1990, the Cathedral was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
