Huelva Cathedral

Huelva Cathedral
Cathedral of Our Lady of Mercy
Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Merced
West façade in 2024
Map
37°15′46″N 6°57′09″W / 37.2628°N 6.9525°W / 37.2628; -6.9525
LocationHuelva
AddressPlaza de la Merced
CountrySpain
DenominationCatholic
History
Former name(s)Convent of Our Lady of Mercy
StatusCathedral
DedicationVirgin of Mercy
Dedicated15 March 1954[1]
Architecture
Architect(s)Ambrosio de Figueroa
StyleBaroque, Neoclassical, Colonial
Years built1605—1877
Administration
MetropolisSeville
DioceseHuelva (since 1953)
Clergy
Bishop(s)Santiago Gómez Sierra
TypeNon-movable
CriteriaMonument
Designated12 March 1970[2]
Reference no.RI-51-0003842

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Mercy is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Huelva, Andalusia, Spain. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Huelva since 1954.

History

The convent church from the 17th century was destroyed by several earthquakes in the 18th century. A church rebuilt in 1775 in Neoclassical style. It served as the chapel of the adjacent former Convent of Our Lady of Mercy, occupied by the Mercedarian Order until it was abolished during the ecclesiastical confiscations of Mendizábal of 1835.[3] The former convent is now one of the buildings of the University of Huelva.

The two bell-gables were added to the façade in 1915 to accommodate the new bells.[3]

It was elevated to the status of a cathedral on 15 March 1954, a year after the Diocese of Huelva was created as a division of the Archdiocese of Seville.[1]

The church was declared a National Monument on 12 March 1970,[4]

On 28 February 1969 a new earthquake damaged the building considerably, having it closed down for renovations between 1970 and 1977. Restoration works were headed by architect Rafael Manzano Martos.[3]

  • Façade as seen from the Plaza de la Merced
    Façade as seen from the Plaza de la Merced
  • Interior, central nave and main altar
    Interior, central nave and main altar
  • Chapel of Jesus of the Chains
    Chapel of Jesus of the Chains
  • Chapel of Saint Roch
    Chapel of Saint Roch
  • Image of the Virgin of the Ribbon, in the main altar
    Image of the Virgin of the Ribbon, in the main altar

References

  1. ^ a b "Catedral de Huelva". Diocese of Huelva. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Iglesia y Antiguo Convento de la Merced". Ministry of Culture. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Carrasco Terriza, Manuel Jesús. "Santa Iglesia Catedral de la Merced, de Huelva" (PDF) (in Spanish). Diocese of Huelva. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  4. ^ "Colonial-style church". Spanish Tourism Office. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
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