Mar del Plata Cathedral, Catholic cathedral in Mar del Plata, Argentina.
The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Cecilia is a Neo-Gothic church with three naves measuring 67 metres long and 20 metres wide, covering 1,360 square metres and seating 800 people. Its central tower carries a cross, flanked by symmetrical side towers. The interior holds French stained-glass windows, an Italian organ with 36 registers and 2,500 pipes, and a floor of English mosaic.
A committee of local women petitioned the mayor in 1892 for a larger church than the Santa Cecilia chapel, and the foundation stone was laid in January 1893. Engineer Pedro Benoit directed the work without charge until his death in 1897, when his son Pedro J. continued it in a Neo-Gothic style. The first Mass was held on 28 February 1897 under a finished roof, the parish seat moved here in 1902, and the completed portion was blessed on 12 February 1905.
The church was first named San Pedro; in 1912 it became the Parish of Santa Cecilia, and in 1924 it was named a minor basilica under both patrons. Its five bronze bells, cast in France, carry the names of their donors: Clara, Inés, Ercilia, Ernestina and Josefina.
The building sits at Plaza San Martín in the city center, making it easy to find and reach by foot. Visitors can walk through the interior at their own pace, though entry may be limited during services.
The central chandelier came from Mar del Plata's Hotel Bristol, and the organ is Italian, built the year the cathedral was founded, with three manual keyboards, 36 registers and 2,500 pipes. The five bronze bells were cast in France and bear the names of their donors: Clara, Inés, Ercilia, Ernestina and Josefina.
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