Primary Cathedral of Bogotá

The Archbishopric Cathedral of Bogotá is a Roman Catholic cathedral located at the eastern side of Bolívar Square in Bogotá, D.C., Colombia. It is seat of the Archbishop of Bogotá, Cardinal Mon. Pedro Rubiano Saenz.

The Cathedral was built between 1807 and 1823. When the Spanish conquerors officially founded the city of Bogotá (changing the original Indian name of the city: Bacata), they established in 12 huts and a hay-church, that -after being totally built- would take the name of Archbishopric Cathedral of Bogotá. The cathedral holds the remains of Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, founder of Bogota. The cathedral is the biggest in Colombia and one of the biggest ones in South America.

The Cathedral consists of a classical basilica plan in a Latin cross which occupies an area of 5300 square meters, with a nave and two aisles of equal height. It also has an altar and 14 chapels: 7 the south aisle, 6 in the north aisle and a front in the central nave, which are complemented by the choir and two vestries. The lantern and cupola is located at the intersection of the transept with the cruise, supported by four scallops and decorated in a half orange, indigo blue and thirteen tongues of fire. The interior painting of the ships and the chapels is white and vaults have finials in the center.

The cover is divided into two parts. The first consists of eight Doric pilasters that rise to the architrave, frieze and cornice, also of Doric, the second body is of the Ionic order and is decorated by eight pillars. Three sculptures made by Juan de Cabrera adorn the top of each door, the door of the north San Pedro, San Pablo south gate and the Immaculate Conception facade with two angels on both sides to crown her attitude, over the latter tops the facade adorned with an isosceles triangle meshed, moldings of the Ionic order and upon it a cross double pontificates of arms, beneath the statue, on the lintel of the door reads a white marble slab the inscription: " Under the title sponsorship of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, religious Santafé prosper. MDCCCXIV year. Fray Domingo de Petrés architect, cappuccino.. " The towers, built after the earthquake of 1827 measured 42 meters high and are based on the higher ledge, each consists of three bodies with openings for the bells, the south tower is dedicated to Santa Barbara, while the north tower San Emigdio is dedicated to a clock. The main door, made in the sixteenth century is 7.20 meters high by 3.60 wide, is adorned by two independent pillars in the form of fluted columns of the Ionic order, whose capitals ending in the cornice of the facade, and has knockers, bolts, studs and cast bronze hardware and five salamanders Spanish solvi. The side doors measuring 5.60 meters high by 2.80 wide. The atrium is 110 meters long and was built between 1631 and 1664 in 1815 was extended to the Capilla del Sagrario, in 1842, tiled and extiendió to the south edge of the square and in 1913 was rounded angle the corner to facilitate rotation of the tram for the race seventh.

(description taken out from: http://catedraldebogota.org/)