Construction of the cathedral of Mérida began in 1561, and it was completed in 1598. It was the second cathedral to be completed in the Americas (the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, completed in 1550, was the first). It is a unique monument with clear antecedents in Andalusia. The seat of the bishopric of Yucatán, the cathedral was built on the site of Mayan ruins T'ho.[1][3][4]
The bishopric of Yucatán had an uncertain start. The Yucatán peninsula was explored by Francisco Hernandez de Córdoba and Juan de Grijalva on behalf of Diego Velazquez de Cuellar, the adelantado of Cuba, in 1517 and 1518.[5] The creation of a diocese in the recently discovered country was urged by Velazquez, who presumed to have jurisdiction over the region and hoped to colonize it. An episcopal see known as "Carolense" was indeed created by Pope Leo X in 1519 (later renamed "Our Lady of Remedies" by Clement VII). But said diocese was not implemented in the territory of Yucatán but in that of Tlaxcala instead and later on was moved to Puebla. It cannot therefore be considered the predecessor of the diocese of Yucatán.
The diocese of Yucatán proper, named "Yucatan and Cozumel," was created by Pius IV in 1561. St. Ildephonsus of Toledo was invoked as the patron.[6] Two prelates for the new see were nominated in succession by the Spanish Crown but neither could be consecrated for entirely accidental reasons. A third candidate, fray Francisco Toral, was eventually consecrated and took possession on August 14, 1562. He was the first of a long line of bishops, later archbishops, of Yucatán.
The system of vaulting used throughout the building was based on the ideas of Andres de Vandelvira, first applied to the building of the cathedral of Jaen. Indeed, there is every possibility that Vandelvira's schemes were brought to the Mérida project by the first bishop of Yucatán, fray Francisco Toral, who hailed from Ubeda, a town in the Jaen province.[7]
Land had been set aside for the cathedral at Mérida, the place recycled by the Spanish under Francisco de Montejo as the capital of the new colony.[6] The colonial city was set amidst the ruins of the Maya settlement of Ichcansiho (T'ho for short), and work for the church was begun shortly after Toral's arrival.[6] The church was to be built on the eastern side on the main town square, where a temporary building with a roof of palms was erected. It was not until 1562 that construction of the cathedral began. Labor for this construction came from Mayans, some of who still practiced their own religion.[2][3] Laborers used stones from the Mayan temple of Yajam Cumu to build the cathedral.[6][9] Two known Mayan workers were Francisco Pool, and Diego Can.[9] Although architect Juan Miguel de Agüero completed the cathedral, it was Don Pedro de Aulestia who led the initial construction.[9]
Coat of Armsedit
The coat of arms on the cathedral facade was originally designed to reflect the Spanish royal coat of arms.[9] The original royal coat consisted of four sections containing symbols of gold castles and crowned lions. At the very top of the coat was a representation of the royal crown of Spain. After Mexico's independence, the shield was partially destroyed due to anti-Spanish sentiment. The central piece of the shield containing the castles and lions were removed using a pickaxes and chisels. In 1824, the empty shield was filled with a Mexican eagle wearing the imperial crown of Iturbide.[10][9] After the redesign of the shield, a second wave of anti-Spanish sentiment led to the entire coat of arms being buried beneath a slab on cement. The cement was later removed to reveal the coat of arms as can be seen today.
St. Peter and St. Pauledit
On the cathedral facade there are statues of St. Peter and St. Paul. The statue of St. Paul is distinguished by the sword and the book he is holding. St. Peter is depicted holding the keys to the Church.[9]
Referencesedit
^ abcRasmussen, Christian (October 1998). "Yucatán's church of all ages". Americas. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
^ abAndrews, Anthony (1981). "Historical Archaeology in Yucatán: A Preliminary Framework". Historical Archaeology. 15 (1): 1–18. JSTOR 25615385.
^ abLow, Setha (1995). "Architecture and the Spanish American Plaza in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean". American Anthropologist. 97 (4): 748–762. doi:10.1525/aa.1995.97.4.02a00160. JSTOR 682595.
^Restall, Matthew (1997). The Maya World: Yucatec Culture and Society 1550-1850. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. p. 2. ISBN978-0-8047-3658-9.
^ abClendinnen, Inga (2003). Ambivalent Conquests. United States of America: Cambridge University Press. pp. 5. ISBN978-0521820318.
^ abcdGalindo Trejo, Jesús (2013). "La Traza Urbana de Ciudades Coloniales en México:¿Una Herencia Derivada del Calendario Mesoamericano?". Indiana. 30: 45–46 – via Academic Search Complete.
^Chuchiak IV, John F. (2005). "In Servitio Dei: Fray Diego de Landa, the Franciscan Order, and the Return of theExtirpattion of Idolatry in the Calonial Diocese of Yucatán, 1573-1579". The Americas. 61 (4): 611–646. doi:10.1353/tam.2005.0063. JSTOR 4490974.
^Edmonson, Munro S. (1986). Heaven Born Merida and its Destiny: The Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press. pp. 128–129. ISBN978-0292730274.
^ abcdefRasmussen, Christian; Howe, Kate; Lara Castro, Pbro. Juan (2001). Cathedral of Merida. Mérida, Yucatán: Compañia Editorial de la Península, S.A de C.V. p. 11.
^Schreffler, Michael J. (February 2017). "La Catedral de Mérida: La gran casa de Dios en medio de T'hó". Hispanic American Historical Review. 97 (1): 146–148. doi:10.1215/00182168-3727527. ISSN 0018-2168.
External linksedit
Media related to Cathedral of Saint Ildephonsus in Mérida at Wikimedia Commons
April 13, 2024
cathedral, mérida, yucatán, mérida, cathedral, redirects, here, cathedral, mérida, spain, cathedral, saint, mary, major, mérida, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sourc. Merida Cathedral redirects here For the cathedral in Merida Spain see Co Cathedral of Saint Mary Major Merida This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Cathedral of Merida Yucatan news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Merida Cathedral in Merida Yucatan Mexico is one of the oldest cathedrals in the Americas 1 2 Merida CathedralThe Merida CathedralReligionAffiliationRoman CatholicStatusPreservedLocationLocationMerida Yucatan Mexico Geographic coordinates20 58 1 64 N 89 37 21 32 W 20 9671222 N 89 6225889 W 20 9671222 89 6225889ArchitectureArchitect s Juan Miguel de AgueroTypeCathedralGroundbreaking1562Completed1598 1 MaterialsStoneCoat of ArmsStatue of St Paul in a niche Contents 1 History 2 Construction 3 Coat of Arms 4 St Peter and St Paul 5 References 6 External linksHistory editConstruction of the cathedral of Merida began in 1561 and it was completed in 1598 It was the second cathedral to be completed in the Americas the Cathedral of Santo Domingo completed in 1550 was the first It is a unique monument with clear antecedents in Andalusia The seat of the bishopric of Yucatan the cathedral was built on the site of Mayan ruins T ho 1 3 4 The bishopric of Yucatan had an uncertain start The Yucatan peninsula was explored by Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba and Juan de Grijalva on behalf of Diego Velazquez de Cuellar the adelantado of Cuba in 1517 and 1518 5 The creation of a diocese in the recently discovered country was urged by Velazquez who presumed to have jurisdiction over the region and hoped to colonize it An episcopal see known as Carolense was indeed created by Pope Leo X in 1519 later renamed Our Lady of Remedies by Clement VII But said diocese was not implemented in the territory of Yucatan but in that of Tlaxcala instead and later on was moved to Puebla It cannot therefore be considered the predecessor of the diocese of Yucatan The diocese of Yucatan proper named Yucatan and Cozumel was created by Pius IV in 1561 St Ildephonsus of Toledo was invoked as the patron 6 Two prelates for the new see were nominated in succession by the Spanish Crown but neither could be consecrated for entirely accidental reasons A third candidate fray Francisco Toral was eventually consecrated and took possession on August 14 1562 He was the first of a long line of bishops later archbishops of Yucatan The system of vaulting used throughout the building was based on the ideas of Andres de Vandelvira first applied to the building of the cathedral of Jaen Indeed there is every possibility that Vandelvira s schemes were brought to the Merida project by the first bishop of Yucatan fray Francisco Toral who hailed from Ubeda a town in the Jaen province 7 References to the cathedral can be found in the Books of Chilam Balam 5 8 Construction editLand had been set aside for the cathedral at Merida the place recycled by the Spanish under Francisco de Montejo as the capital of the new colony 6 The colonial city was set amidst the ruins of the Maya settlement of Ichcansiho T ho for short and work for the church was begun shortly after Toral s arrival 6 The church was to be built on the eastern side on the main town square where a temporary building with a roof of palms was erected It was not until 1562 that construction of the cathedral began Labor for this construction came from Mayans some of who still practiced their own religion 2 3 Laborers used stones from the Mayan temple of Yajam Cumu to build the cathedral 6 9 Two known Mayan workers were Francisco Pool and Diego Can 9 Although architect Juan Miguel de Aguero completed the cathedral it was Don Pedro de Aulestia who led the initial construction 9 Coat of Arms editThe coat of arms on the cathedral facade was originally designed to reflect the Spanish royal coat of arms 9 The original royal coat consisted of four sections containing symbols of gold castles and crowned lions At the very top of the coat was a representation of the royal crown of Spain After Mexico s independence the shield was partially destroyed due to anti Spanish sentiment The central piece of the shield containing the castles and lions were removed using a pickaxes and chisels In 1824 the empty shield was filled with a Mexican eagle wearing the imperial crown of Iturbide 10 9 After the redesign of the shield a second wave of anti Spanish sentiment led to the entire coat of arms being buried beneath a slab on cement The cement was later removed to reveal the coat of arms as can be seen today St Peter and St Paul editOn the cathedral facade there are statues of St Peter and St Paul The statue of St Paul is distinguished by the sword and the book he is holding St Peter is depicted holding the keys to the Church 9 References edit a b c Rasmussen Christian October 1998 Yucatan s church of all ages Americas Retrieved 2009 01 03 a b Andrews Anthony 1981 Historical Archaeology in Yucatan A Preliminary Framework Historical Archaeology 15 1 1 18 JSTOR 25615385 a b Low Setha 1995 Architecture and the Spanish American Plaza in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean American Anthropologist 97 4 748 762 doi 10 1525 aa 1995 97 4 02a00160 JSTOR 682595 Restall Matthew 1997 The Maya World Yucatec Culture and Society 1550 1850 Stanford CA Stanford University Press p 2 ISBN 978 0 8047 3658 9 a b Clendinnen Inga 2003 Ambivalent Conquests United States of America Cambridge University Press pp 5 ISBN 978 0521820318 a b c d Galindo Trejo Jesus 2013 La Traza Urbana de Ciudades Coloniales en Mexico Una Herencia Derivada del Calendario Mesoamericano Indiana 30 45 46 via Academic Search Complete Chuchiak IV John F 2005 In Servitio Dei Fray Diego de Landa the Franciscan Order and the Return of theExtirpattion of Idolatry in the Calonial Diocese of Yucatan 1573 1579 The Americas 61 4 611 646 doi 10 1353 tam 2005 0063 JSTOR 4490974 Edmonson Munro S 1986 Heaven Born Merida and its Destiny The Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel Austin Texas University of Texas Press pp 128 129 ISBN 978 0292730274 a b c d e f Rasmussen Christian Howe Kate Lara Castro Pbro Juan 2001 Cathedral of Merida Merida Yucatan Compania Editorial de la Peninsula S A de C V p 11 Schreffler Michael J February 2017 La Catedral de Merida La gran casa de Dios en medio de T ho Hispanic American Historical Review 97 1 146 148 doi 10 1215 00182168 3727527 ISSN 0018 2168 External links edit nbsp Media related to Cathedral of Saint Ildephonsus in Merida at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cathedral of Merida Yucatan amp oldid 1195939427, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
