The Metropolitan Cathedral of Morelia () is a religious site that is the seat of the Archdiocese of Morelia of the Catholic church in Mexico. It is located as its name itself says in the city of Morelia, capital of the state of Michoacán, Mexico. The cathedral is located in the first square of the city, forming the trace of the Historic Center of Morelia. The building was built in the 18th century at the time of the viceroyalty, it is Baroque in style and is made of pink stone that gives it a peculiar and characteristic color. An important family group headed by Sebastián de Guedea collaborated in its construction for a long period; They were Andrés, Pedro, Diego, Miguel, Anastacio, Lorenzo and Joseph, all with the surname Guedea.
General data of interest
Majestic pink quarry building, in Baroque board style. Inside, the Doric order predominates as the basis of the ornamentation and it has Neoclassical altarpieces. Its construction began in 1660 and was completed in 1744. Among the treasures it houses are the Baroque-style Silver Manifestor from the 18th century; the silver Baptismal Font, in Neoclassical style, also from the 18th century; the Monumental Organ, from the beginning of the century and consisting of 4,600 flutes or voices; the image of the Lord of the Sacristy, made with the pre-Hispanic technique of "corn cane paste", from the 16th century, as well as valuable paintings located in the sacristy and the Chapter house.
Architecturally, the Morelia Cathedral, when compared to other cathedrals in Mexico, is similar to the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral, Puebla Cathedral, and even (inside:) the Guadalajara Cathedral.
The cathedral is the most emblematic and representative building of Morelia given its height, since it has two tall towers, which can be seen throughout the city valley. Due to their height, the towers of the Morelia Cathedral (66.8 m) are the seventh tallest in Mexico, after the towers of the Guadalupano Sanctuary (unfinished cathedral) in Zamora de Hidalgo (107.5 m), the Villahermosa Cathedral (80 m), the Puebla Cathedral in Puebla de Zaragoza (73 m), Cathedral of León, in León, Guanajuato (70 m), the Sanctuary of Guadalupe, in San Luis Potosí City (68 m) and the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral (61 m).
It is the only one of the Mexican cathedrals that faces north and not south.
It has a new LED lighting, with different colors. On Saturdays, the cathedral offers a light, sound and fireworks show with this illumination.
The cathedral is dedicated to the Transfiguration and inside it houses two highly venerated images, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which is the patron saint of the city, and the Lord of the Sacristy, a very old Christ made of corn cane paste, which It is very visited and loved by the parishioners.
Its architectural beauty and its history are other reasons why it has become an icon of the city.
Its monumental organ, of German origin at the beginning of the 20th century, was considered the largest organ in Latin America at the beginning of the 20th century and is currently considered one of the most important in Mexico.
Inside this venue, given its beauty, acoustic sound and ample space, is the setting for various artistic and cultural events such as the Morelia International Organ Festival and the Morelia International Music Festival.
On February 16, 2016, it was visited by Pope Francis, Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church.
History
In 1580 the first cathedral was inaugurated, much inferior to the current one in size and artistic value (it was located on the corners of calles Abasolo and Corregidora). However, the growth experienced by the city of Valladolid —now Morelia— at the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th, as well as a fire that severely affected the previous cathedral, made it necessary to think of another larger, more solid, and more important temple. That is why, at the beginning of the 17th century, the procedures for the construction of the new cathedral began.
On May 6, 1660, the first stone was laid by Bishop Friar Marcos Ramírez Del Prado. The construction was in charge of the Italian architect Vizencio Barroquio until his death in 1692, which is why this great architect could not see his monumental work completed. However, only 52 years later his disciples managed to finish the gigantic architectural task, so this magnificent work was completed in 1744.