Santa Ana Cathedral, El Salvador, Neo-Gothic cathedral in Santa Ana, El Salvador
Santa Ana Cathedral is a Neo-Gothic building of white stone facing Parque Libertad, with two tall spires, a central gable topped by a cross, a small rose window, and three pointed-arch doorways. Inside, three naves form a Latin cross; the central nave measures 22 by 22 metres, and the interior holds 28 paintings and statues, 118 pews and 51 lamps.
The first parish on this site was built in 1575–1576 and damaged by lightning in 1858. Bishop Adolfo Pérez y Aguilar authorized reconstruction on 25 November 1904; the first stone was laid on 21 January 1905, and the new church was consecrated on 11 February 1913. The marble altar of Saint Anne was finished on 24 February 1959, and the building was declared a National Monument on 22 April 1995.
The patron saint is Saint Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary, adopted after the Spanish conquest replaced the town's original patron deity; the settlement appears in documents as Santa Ana Cihuatehuacán. A statue of the saint, sent from Spain by a brother of Bishop Bernardino Villalpando, is still dressed and adorned by women of the Escalón family, descendants of the former president Pedro José Escalón.
The building stands on 1a Avenida Norte near Parque Libertad and is easily accessible from the city center. Visitors should plan morning or early afternoon visits, as opening hours are limited.
The north tower holds three bells rung by hand, while the south tower's three bells were brought from the Netherlands in 1949 and are rung electrically. The cathedral also counts 28 paintings and statues, 4 confessionals, 118 pews and 51 lamps.
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