Catedral Metropolitana Basílica de San Juan Bautista

In Old San Juan one find a real gem, the Catedral Metropolitana Basílica de San Juan Bautista. Although the ceiling decorations are painted rather than carved, it is still a interestingly ornate and imposing.



It holds a special place in the Americas. From Wikipedia:

The cathedral is one of the oldest buildings in San Juan, located in Old San Juan, the oldest cathedral in the United States, and is the second oldest cathedral in the Americas.^{[citation needed]} Even though the Cathedral of Santa María la Menor in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, is an older church building, the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista was the first cathedral church in the Americas as San Juan, then known as the city of Puerto Rico, was the first diocese of the New World with bishop Don Alonso Manso in 1511.

The original cathedral was a wooden structure built in 1521 that was destroyed by a hurricane (sound familiar?) and was replaced by the current building in 1540.

Although, like most buildings in Puerto Rico, the maintenance is not perfect (no doubt due, in part, to the weather), it is a carefully looked after facility. There were workers setting things up for Lent and folks pushing brooms about to keep things tidy.

The simplicity of the color scheme give an air of elegance and accentuates the designs painted on the ceiling, the borders, and archways.

Even though the medallions and arches are all painted, they are exceedingly well done and from the floor give the impression of being slightly three-dimensional.

The dome and the crossing is especially well done. The colors give a richness to the decor. You have to look closely to see that the trim on the cornices is simply painted.

The decoration are not excessively romantic or baroque, rather simple, classical, and elegant. Even the gilt columns feel tasteful in the context of the surrounding space.

And my ubiquitous ceiling panorama shows the clean lines and symmetry of the building. It was a nice visit. And for once, it felt as a church really should: all the doors were flung wide open to welcome all and there was no admission charges. Truly a welcoming space.