Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral, Catholic cathedral at Plaza de Armas, Santiago, Chile
Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral is a Catholic church at Plaza de Armas in the Santiago commune in Chile. Three naves organize the interior, which holds a main altar made of marble and numerous religious sculptures.
Construction of the current building, the fifth cathedral at this location, began in 1748 under Bishop Juan González Melgarejo. A fire had destroyed the earlier structure and made rebuilding necessary.
The cathedral is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, not to Saint James. Its consecration was presided over by Bishop Manuel de Alday in 1775. The archbishops of Santiago are buried in the crypt beneath the presbytery slab.
The church opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors should note the schedule, as the building is used for services and religious ceremonies.
The cathedral's width is 45 metres and its length about 100 metres, giving a floor area of roughly 4,500 square metres. In the central nave, a marble ciborium built in Munich in 1912 crowns the old main altar, topped by an eagle and flanked by angels.
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