Cathedral of Mérida, Yucatán facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mérida Cathedral |
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The Mérida Cathedral
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Status | Preserved |
| Location | |
| Location | Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico. |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Juan Miguel de Agüero |
| Architectural type | Cathedral |
| Groundbreaking | 1562 |
| Completed | 1598 |
| Materials | Stone |
The Mérida Cathedral in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, is a very old and important church. It is one of the first cathedrals built in all of the Americas. It stands in the city of Mérida, which is the capital of the Yucatán state. This amazing building has a long history and many interesting features.
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Building History: How Old Is It?
The construction of the Mérida Cathedral started in 1561. It took many years to build, finally finishing in 1598. This makes it one of the oldest cathedrals in the Americas. Only the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, finished in 1550, is older.
This cathedral is special because it was built on the site of ancient Mayan ruins. The Spanish chose this spot, which was once a Mayan settlement called T'ho. The cathedral became the main church for the region, serving as the seat of the bishop. A bishop is a high-ranking leader in the Christian church.
The idea for the cathedral's design came from a Spanish architect named Andres de Vandelvira. His ideas were first used in the Jaen Cathedral in Spain. It is thought that the first bishop of Yucatán, Francisco Toral, brought these design plans to Mérida.
Building the Cathedral: Who Helped?
The Spanish chose Mérida as the capital of their new colony. They set aside land for the cathedral in the main town square. Work on the church began soon after Bishop Toral arrived. At first, they built a temporary church with a roof made of palm leaves.
The actual construction of the grand stone cathedral began in 1562. Many Mayan people helped build it. Some of these workers still followed their traditional Mayan religion. They even used stones from an old Mayan temple called Yajam Cumu to build parts of the cathedral. Two known Mayan workers were Francisco Pool and Diego Can.
The first person to lead the construction was Don Pedro de Aulestia. Later, the architect Juan Miguel de Agüero finished the cathedral.
Special Features: What Can You See?
The Mérida Cathedral has some unique features that tell stories about its past.
The Coat of Arms
On the front of the cathedral, you can see a special symbol called a coat of arms. This symbol was first designed to show the Spanish royal family's power. It originally had four parts with golden castles and crowned lions. At the very top, there was a royal crown.
After Mexico became independent from Spain, people wanted to remove Spanish symbols. So, parts of the shield with the castles and lions were chipped away. In 1824, the empty shield was filled with a Mexican eagle wearing a crown. Later, the entire coat of arms was hidden under a slab of cement. Eventually, the cement was removed, and you can see the coat of arms as it is today.
Statues of Saints Peter and Paul
On the front of the cathedral, there are also statues of two important saints: St. Peter and St. Paul.
- The statue of St. Paul is easy to spot because he is holding a sword and a book.
- St. Peter is shown holding keys. These keys represent his role as a leader of the Church.
