St. Peter the
Apostle Church declared a National Monument
THE majestic St. Peter the Apostle
Church, looking down from high on a hill, is
considered one of the architectural wonders of the
city of Matanzas, in the western Cuban province of
the same name.
With
its recent designation as a National Monument, the
Iglesia de San Pedro Apóstol joins 17 other
buildings in this category. The Xanadu mansion in
the resort town of Varadero was also recently added,
just last May.
The church can be seen from many
points in the city, located 100 kilometers east of
Havana on a large natural bay.
It was built in the Versalles
neighborhood on the left bank of the Yumuri River,
which, along with the San Juan and the Canímar,
criss-cross the city, known as the ‘Athens of Cuba’
since the 19th century.
According to figures from the era,
by the mid 1800’s, the neighborhood had 380 houses
and 2,800 residents, and was growing, which
historians say motivated Bishop Félix Solans to
mandate the construction of a parish.
The plan was approved and
authorities registered the property legally August
22, 1860, using the name San Pedro Apóstol.
Documentary evidence indicates that
thanks to a 100,000 peso donation made by Doña María
Josefa Santa Cruz de Oviedo y Hernández, adequate
funds were available to begin work. The church was
to be constructed on land provided by Rosa Espinosa
de Abreu, from the Sacred Heart of Jesus order.
Adjoining land where four apartment buildings
existed was also purchased to complete the site.
Italian architect and project
manager Daniel Dall Aglio was chosen to design the
church. In 1863, he had completed another jewel in
Matanzas, the Sauto Theater, conceived as very
similar to Milan’s La Scala.
A blessing was pronounced when the
first stone was laid May 29, 1867 and the church
opened three years later.
Prensa Latina consulted several
architects who agreed that the design of the
baptistery is fluid, in perfect harmony with the
large spaces recreated in a Greco-Latin style.
Dall Aglio’s design included
triangular and semi-circular pediments, pilasters,
Doric columns, arches, barrel vaults and cupola
domes.
Another of its unique features is
its great interior luminosity, given the carefully
placed light openings on both sides of the central
dome.
To the right of the main altar is a
representation of Calvary Hill carved in wood,
considered one of the most beautiful in Cuba. The
central figure, Jesus on the cross, dates from the
18th century. After it was brought to Matanzas, the
other figures were added: Mary, Mary Magdalene and
the disciple John.
Specialists at the Monuments and Historical Sites
Office announced that, following the distinction
awarded the church, on the occasion of the 320th
anniversary of Matanzas’ founding this coming
October, the city’s central historic district,
including 950 buildings, will be declared a National
Monument.
(CubaSi-Radio Rebelde)
