The spectacular San Jose Cathedral in Antigua – a unique monument to visit
By Elizabeth Bell
Rarely do we find such an incredible Cathedral from the 17th century which is partly in use as a parish church and mostly in ruins after experiencing centuries of abandonment and earthquakes. Built in 1680 to replace the aging structure of the Cathedral of Santiago de Guatemala originally built between 1543 and 1669, the new structure was inaugurated on November 6, 1680 as the largest Cathedral between Mexico City and Lima, Peru. Today visiting the front part as an active Parish, San Jose Catedral, the ruins behind are no less than absolutely spectacular.
We are fascinated by drawings and paintings created over the centuries that illustrate the Cathedral. The oil painting from 1678 created by Antonio Ramírez provides a visual report with fabulous detail. This painting also gives an exceptional view of the inhabitants of the city depicted in the Central Plaza.
While we know from documents that apparently after failed attempts by the Spanish Capitan and Architect, Martín de Andújar, the Guatemalan architect, José de Porres, was in charge of project that took 11 years to complete. José, was of mixed race (mestizo and black) as many inhabitants from the capital. The new Cathedral showed some of the highest brick domes built at that time. We can only imagine the ornate objects inside that enhanced the Cathedral as it was, no doubt, breath-taking but only to be abandoned in 1774 when the capital moved to present day Guatemala City.
In the 1830s, the front part of this monumental structure was renovated as a parish and the original bell towers removed. Today, it does not reflect a Cathedral as most of the original art was moved to the new capital. The 1680 collection of the apostles by the Mexican artist, Juan de Correa, and the exceptional Christ sculptures from 1650 are particularly of interest.
Restoration work carried out by the CNPAG in the 1980s included recovering the original 1680 brick & stucco head of the Virgen of Ascension from the façade. It had fallen 50 feet in the 1976 earthquake and suffered little damage. Placing it back, under the supervision of Restoration Architect, Rodolfo Asturias, was no easy task. The work carried out to stabilize the broken columns, allows a fabulous contrast between the 1680 original detail and the 1980s consolidation work.
The ruins of this magnificent monument are the author’s favorite in Antigua. Unknown to many as they appear to be “hidden” behind the parish today, they are exceptional.
The ruins are open daily from 9 AM – 5 PM. The cost is Q20 for foreigners & Q10 for Guatemalans.
If you’re planning to visit Antigua Guatemala, then check out Antigua Tours by Elizabeth Bell. Her walking tours bring Antigua to life!
San Jose Cathedral Antigua Guatemala
