Catedral Basílica Metropolitana Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Catholic cathedral in Manizales, Colombia
The Catedral Basílica Metropolitana Nuestra Señora del Rosario is a Gothic Revival cathedral of grey stone facing the Plaza de Bolívar in Manizales. Its tallest element is a central spire with a slim finial, flanked by two shorter pointed spires on the front corners; a smaller square tower with Roman-numeral clock faces stands mid-facade, and the triple portal and two tall pointed-arched windows with stone tracery open below.
A first cathedral on this site, built from 1888 to 1897 by Mariano Sanz de Santa María, became the seat of the new diocese of Manizales in 1900 and burned down on 20 March 1926. A national competition in 1926 was declared void, so a second contest was held in Paris in 1927, won by Julien Polti. Construction of the present cathedral began on 5 February 1928 under the Italian firm Papio Bonarda & Co.
The cathedral is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, and its 119 m height makes it the tallest cathedral in Colombia and Hispanic America. Guides lead a roughly 75-minute tour up to the Polish Corridor at 113 m, a balcony lookout with a 360° view over the city, nearby towns and the Nevado del Ruiz. The cathedral forms, with the Basílica de la Inmaculada Concepción and the Templo del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, the city's trio of neo-Gothic religious buildings.
The interior holds several thousand people and is accessible through multiple entrances along the facade. A climb through the Polish Corridor leads to a viewing point at considerable height.
A bronze altar canopy above the main altar rests on several columns. This type of canopy is rare in Colombia, with similar structures existing only in a few locations.
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