Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor
Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor, aka Cathedral of St. Mary of the Incarnation in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic is the oldest cathedral in the Americas. Consecrated by Pope Julius II in 1504, the construction of the Cathedral began in 1512 under the leadership of Bishop Fray García Padilla and lasted until 1540. The cathedral’s very first stone was however laid in 1502 by Christopher Columbus’ sun Diego Columbus. On February 12, 1546, at the request of Emperor Charles V, Pope Paul III granted the cathedral the status of Metropolitan Cathedral and Primate of the Indies (sometimes called Primate of the Americas) making it the only Archdiocese with such title in the world. Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor was intended to be center of religion in the West Indies.
Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Photo: Lapo Luchini, Wikipedia
Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor is built as a mixture of Baroque, Gothic and Renaissance styles. Its exterior is decorated with allegorical friezes and detailed sculptures while the interior boasts a mahogany altar, old furniture, ancient monuments and large stained-glass windows. One of the most revered pieces of art found in the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor is a 1523 painting of the Madonna in the Chapel of the Virgin of Antigua. At one point in time, one of the cathedral’s 14 side chapels also housed the remains of Christopher Columbus (in the Chapel of the Virgin of the Light) – the remains can now be found at Faro a Colón (aka The Columbus Lighthouse).
One of the interesting things is that the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor does not have a bell tower. Because of lacking funds, it took the Spanish 29 years to build the cathedral yet even as it was nearing the completion, some features had to be omitted because there simple was not enough money. The biggest toll the cathedral took was when British pirate Sir Francis Drake captured it and used it as his fortress. The damage the cathedral sustained during the Drake’s attacks and subsequent looting and plundering left many of the artifacts and artwork damaged beyond recovery. As a matter of fact, the cathedral’s most valued artwork – the above mentioned Madonna from the Chapel of the Virgin of Antigua was stolen and spirited off to Spain in 1520. It was not returned back to the Dominican Republic until 1892.
Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor Dress Code
Dominican Republic is a deeply religious country and Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor is one of their most important religious buildings. Strict dress code disallowing shorts and tank tops used to be heavily enforced, however it’s not as strict anymore. It’s still expected that visitors take off their head coverings and sunglasses but unless your shorts are really short or otherwise inappropriately revealing, you shouldn’t encounter any significant issues stepping in. Do pay the interior a visit though. The cathedral may not look like much from the outside, but the feel of old and its history take you over once you walk within.
Female visitors are also expected to wear skirts entering the cathedral (one that goes below the knees), not pants but should that become an issue, there is usually a vendor outside the main entrance who would rent skirts out which you can drape over the pants to gain entrance to the building. Keep in mind that Dominican Republic is a tropical country with boiling hot temperature year round.
Address and Location
Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor is located next to Parque de Colon (aka Columbus Park – one of main plazas in Santo Domingo with a bronze statue of Columbus at its center), between Isabel la Católica and Calle Arzobispo Merino in Zona Colonial of Santo Domingo. The address is:
Catedral de Santa María la Menor
Calle Arzobispo Meriño esq. Arzobispo Nouel
Centro Histórico Santo Domingo de Guzman
Republica Dominicana
Phone: (809) 689-1920
Hours: Monday – Saturday: 9am – 4:30pm
Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with many museums, historical buildings and shops selling souvenirs all of which are within walking distance from one another. There is no entrance fee to the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor.
Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor Side Entrance and Statue of Colombus at Parque Colon, Photo: Siso84, Wikipedia
Called by the locals “Catedral Primada de America”, Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor is one thing you don’t want to miss when you visit Dominican Republic’s capital Santo Domingo. To remain particular, the full name of the cathedral is Holy Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of our Lady Holy Mary of the Incarnation – but we’re just gonna stick with the most common name – Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor.
Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor Video
Check out this video tour of Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor which gives beautiful visual representation of how stunning the cathedral is. Definitely worth a visit.
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