Description of the attraction
The largest church in Australia, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assistant to Christians, is located in the heart of Sydney's business center. Long a national shrine, in 1930 it received the honorary status of a "minor basilica", which means that in case of a visit to the country of the Pope, he can stay in this cathedral.
The history of the cathedral, which dates back almost two centuries, is interesting. Australia, as you know, was settled by exiles and convicts, among whom there were many Catholics and who were prohibited from practicing their religion until 1820. Only after the declaration of freedom of religion in the country did it become possible to build a Catholic church in Sydney - the first stone in its foundation was laid in 1821. The cathedral, erected in a few years, was built in the neo-Gothic style and had the shape of a Latin cross. However, it did not last long - in 1865, most of the building burned down during a fire. The construction of the new cathedral began three years later, and this time they were in no hurry: in 1882 the premises of the first stage were consecrated, the construction of the main nave was completed in 1928, and the crypt was erected only in 1961! Thus, the construction took almost a hundred years. Moreover, some construction work continues to this day - for example, in 2000, spiers were erected over two towers of the facade.
The plan of the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary has a traditional form for English churches - a Latin cross, where a bell tower is erected over the intersection of the nave and transept. It is built of golden sandstone, which has acquired a brownish tint on the outside, but retained its original color on the inside.
Inside the cathedral, you can see many paintings depicting the Way of the Cross. They were all written in Paris in the 19th century and then transported to Australia. There is also a copy of the famous statue "Pieta" by Michelangelo, the original of which is kept in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. In addition, the cathedral is famous for its stained-glass windows, which were created over almost 50 years - there are about 40 of them, and they are all devoted to various themes.
