Cathedral of Quito, Catholic cathedral on Independence Plaza, Historic Center, Quito, Ecuador

The Cathedral of Quito is a Catholic cathedral in the historic center of Ecuador, extending along the southern side of Independence Plaza. The three naves are supported by square pillars and pointed arches, while several side chapels and a main altar organize the interior space.

The first provisional structure was built between 1562 and 1565 using adobe, wood, and straw under the direction of Pedro Rodriguez de Aguayo. Over the following centuries, the building was expanded and remodeled several times until it reached its present form with Gothic elements.

The title Primada de Ecuador, granted in 1995, makes it the country's highest-ranking Catholic church, not its first cathedral. Inside, look for the 1797 main altarpiece with sculptures by Caspicara and Manuel de Samaniego's painting of the Assumption, plus Samaniego and Bernardo Rodríguez's tempera scenes on the nave arches.

The main door does not face Independence Plaza; the entrance used from the square is the side door, reached through a wide atrium with a dome and a circular staircase. The Carondelet Arch, dated 1807, stands at the atrium. The bell tower rises beside the main door.

The bell tower's top was rebuilt in 1930 by the German priest and architect Pedro Bruning, after earthquakes in 1858 and 1859 damaged it; he gave it a Prussian-style helmet that differs from the rest of the building. The cathedral's catacombs hold the remains of independence leader Antonio José de Sucre, in a chapel beside the sacristy.