Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Capilla de San
Felipe de Jesús
Dedicated in 1636, this
chapel
(right)
honors San
Felipe de Jesús, the first
Mexican Saint. The 17th-
century paintings
illustrate scenes from his
life. The urn on the right
side of the chapel
contains the remains of
Don Agustin de Iturbe,
the first Mexican ruler
following independence
from Spain.
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Miguel Cabrera
Masterpieces
Four spectacular
masterpieces by Oaxaca
painter Miguel Cabrera
hang in the vestibules
above the cathedral's
side doors
(below)
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Pinnacle
Sculptures of the
three virtues, Faith,
Hope, and Charity, adorn
the pinnacle of the clock
tower designed by
Spanish architect Manuel
Tolsá and completed in
1813. Tolsá was the
cathedral's final architect,
and was responsible for
adding many of the
details that harmonized
and unified the
completed design.
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Capilla de Nuestra
Señora de los
Dolores
The oldest chapel in the
cathedral, it was com-
pleted around 1600. The
image of Nuestra Señora
de los Dolores in the
center of the main altar
is by Clemente Terrazas.
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Metropolitana
Sacrarium
The sculpted façade of
this parish church, which
is attached to the
cathedral, is considered
to be the foremost
example of the
Churrigueresque style in
Mexico. Built by Spaniard
Lorenzo Rodríquez from
1740-68, the interior is in
the Moorish style.
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Altar del Perdón
Cathedral Guide
Enter from the
courtyard on the north
side of the Zócalo. In
the front center, is the
Altar del Perdón. Behind
this altar are the choir
loft and two pipe
organs. Next is the
main altar with the Altar
de los Reyes at the rear
of the cathedral. There
are seven chapels along
the left and right side of
the cathedral and at its
center, between the
choir loft and the main
altar, hangs the pendu-
lum that measures the
tilt of the building.
This splendid gold
altar, created by
Jerónimo de Balbás,
stands behind the Doors
of Forgiveness, the
central entrance to the
cathedral from the Zócalo.
The doors are open only
on special occasions.
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Altar de los Reyes
This Baroque master-
piece
(right)
by sculptor
Jerónimo de Balbás is
dedicated to canonized
Kings and Queens. The
altar has the paintings
Adoration of the Kings
and
Assumption of the
Virgin
both by Juan
Rodríguez Juárez.
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The cathedral was built on the site of an Aztec temple
