Cartagena Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cartagena CathedralCatedral de Cartagena |
|
|---|---|
Ruins of the cathedral of Cartagena
|
|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Catholic Church |
| Location | |
| Location | Cartagena, Spain |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | church |
| General contractor | Siglo XIII - Siglo XIX |
The Cathedral of Cartagena in Spain, also known as the Cathedral of Santa María la Vieja, was once a very important church. It served as the main church for the Diocese of Cartagena, which is a special area managed by a bishop in the Catholic Church. This cathedral was located on a hill called La Concepción in the old part of Cartagena. Sadly, it has been in ruins since 1939. It was badly damaged during the Spanish Civil War when forces from the Nationalist side attacked Cartagena.
Contents
History of the Cathedral
Early Days and Rebuilding
Even though Cartagena was an important religious center a long time ago, we haven't found any remains of a cathedral from before the Muslim conquest of Spain. In 1243, after King Alfonso X of Castile took back the region of Murcia, he asked Pope Innocent IV to bring back the Diocese of Cartagena. The Pope agreed in 1250 because of the area's past importance.
It's not completely clear if there was a cathedral right away after the diocese was restored. In old documents, the church was often called "Iglesia Mayor," which means "Main Church." It only started being called "Old Cathedral" much later, around the 1700s.
The Church's Role Changes
After a bishop named Pedro Gallego passed away, the new leader, García Martínez, decided to move the main church's headquarters to Murcia. Even though the main office moved, the area was still called the Diocese of Cartagena. This meant the church in Cartagena lost its status as a cathedral and became a regular parish church.
This move was officially confirmed in 1291 by Bishop Diego Martínez Magaz and King Sancho IV. The bishop and his main group of priests moved to Murcia, where the bishop had already been living for some time.
Efforts to Bring the Cathedral Back
The city leaders of Cartagena were never happy about the main church moving to Murcia. For centuries, they kept asking the Vatican (the Pope's headquarters) to bring the bishop's seat back to Cartagena. Because of this, a new, large church called the Church of Our Lady of Grace (Cartegena) began to be built in the 1700s. This church was designed to be big enough to become the new main church for the Cartagena diocese, especially since the original cathedral of Santa María was in poor condition. Even today, some people still ask for the bishop's seat to return to Cartagena.
The Brotherhood and a Special Statue
The Cofradía del Sucorro was one of the groups that organized religious parades during Holy Week in Cartagena. This group was focused on a special statue of Christ Crucified, known as the Christ of Succour, which was kept in the Cathedral. The brotherhood was started in 1691 by Pedro Manuel Colón de Portugal, who was an admiral in the Spanish Navy. He founded it as a group for important people after his son was believed to have been miraculously healed by the statue two years earlier.
Restoration and Destruction
In the late 1800s, the old church's foundations started to collapse. An architect named Victor Beltrí helped restore the church. He rebuilt it in a Romanesque style, which is an old European architectural style, but added some modern touches. In 1871, a beautiful alabaster altarpiece (a decorated screen behind the altar) was taken from one of the side chapels. The city council gave it to the National Archaeological Museum of Spain in Madrid, which opened that same year.
During the Spanish Civil War, the church was attacked and its contents were damaged on July 25, 1936. In 1939, it was shelled by the Nationalists and has been left in ruins ever since. The original statue of the Christ of Succour and its setting were destroyed during the war.
Roman Theatre Discovery
In 1988, an ancient Roman theatre was discovered during construction work near the old cathedral. It was found that the old cathedral had actually been built on top of the upper part of the theatre. The builders of the cathedral even used some materials from the old Roman theatre in its construction.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Santa María (Cartagena) para niños
