Capilla de Santa Cecilia, Catholic chapel in Mar del Plata, Argentina
Capilla de Santa Cecilia is a Catholic chapel in Mar del Plata built with neoclassical style, featuring three arcades, a straight facade, and a bell tower crowned with a dome and cross. The structure can hold about 400 worshippers and displays the architectural approach common to its period.
Built in 1873 by architect Francisco Beltrami, this chapel was the first solid building structure in Mar del Plata. Its placement shaped the city's original street plan and became the reference point around which the growing settlement developed.
The wooden altar pieces inside were crafted by local figure Patricio Peralta Ramos, while the statue of Saint Cecilia was assembled from components brought across the ocean. These elements reflect how the young city mixed local work with European traditions in its early years.
The chapel sits on Cordoba Street between 3 de Febrero and 9 de Julio in a central location. Visitors should plan their visit around regular religious services held throughout the week to avoid disruptions.
The chapel's walls incorporate wooden planks salvaged from a shipwreck, combined with locally quarried stone and lime. This creative use of salvaged maritime materials reveals how builders adapted to limited resources in this remote coastal settlement.
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