La Catedral Metropolitana de Sucre

The Cathedral of Sucre was constructed between 1559 and 1712, an amazing span of time which crosses three centuries, on one of the corners of the Plaza 25 de Mayo, the town's central square. In the era of instant buildings popping out on modern cities outskirts everyday it is hard to comprehend such a time-span. A result of such a prolonged construction-time was the use of several styles in the edifice, from Renaissance to Baroque with Mestizo influences.

Outside

It is by far the most imposing and interesting structure next to the central plaza; the cathedral and its museum are well worth to the hurried visitor a couple of hours. The wonder begins at the fence surrounding the structure; a strange corner topped with an unusually shaped cross announces the visitor that he is about to enter a special place. The elaborated main door - built in brown stones as opposed to the sparkling white of the main structure - is beautiful and shows an extremely elaborated craftsmanship. The clock on the cathedral tower is more than two centuries old and still works.

Inside

The cathedral has three naves and its main altar (Altar Mayor) is in Greco-Roman style with the gorgeous Cruz de Carabuco cross over it. The silver-adorned cross arrived from Carabuco, a settlement next to the Titicaca Lake, where another important cathedral is placed. Behind the altar is the chorus of canons and six paintings representing the Apostles martyrdom, all of them painted by Montufar. The lateral naves include interesting crystal chandeliers, which are quite unusual in Bolivia. A stone banister surrounds the atrium with a stone cross at one of its angles known as the Rumi Cross.

On Altitude Light

An intrinsic problem of cities on the Andean High Plateau (the Altiplano) or near it – as Sucre is – is the strong sunlight and radiation. Taking pictures during the day without filters is almost impossible; walking on the streets without sunglasses is painful. Under these circumstances the light entering the cathedral is magical; just the right amount and in the right angles is allowed in, so that as the traveler enters the structure, he finds himself suddenly in an oasis of soft light illuminating the cathedral highlights. The responsible for that is a circular window placed at the top of the central dome; golden lines painted on the arches leading to it create beautiful patterns that captivate the eye and lead it toward the altar, which feature two highly ornamented, concentric domes protecting the valuable cross at its center. The light entering through the dome does not fall on the altar but next to it, creating a light halo moving along the day around it, thing that contributes to the delightful ambience of the cathedral interior. Overall it is probably the most beautiful cathedral in the country.

Museum

The museum is on the cathedral side - away from the plaza - and opens at 10AM; the entrance costs 10BOB ($1.25). The art collection was organized from artworks that belonged to Archbishop Arrien and was afterwards enlarged with contributions from other churches and individuals. This is one of the best collections in Bolivia of Sacred Art from the 16th to the 18th centuries and it includes paintings, silver works and sculptures. The museum structure itself - the cathedral's backside - is an elegant wonder of colonial times with small inner yards and rooms hanging out of unexpected locations.


From journal Sucre: Dream Capital