Basílica Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia
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god_herodes
N 18° 36.888 W 068° 42.892
19Q E 530078 N 2058230
The Basílica Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and cathedral dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary located in Salvaleón de Higüey, Dominican Republic.
Waymark Code: WM8GH1
Location: Dominican Republic
Date Posted: 03/30/2010
Views: 17
The basilica is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia en Higüey. The basilica was decreed on December 17, 1970.
The historic village of Salvaleón of Higüey, founded toward the year 1505 by Juan de Esquivel, conqueror of Jamaica, emblazoned with real shield by order of the King of Spain, was the first sanctuary of María in America. The current temple of masonry began to build in the middle of the century XVI by the Can. Mr. Alonso of Rock and the Superintendent Mr. Simón Bolívar, fifth grandfather of the Liberator of South America. This solid construction that has resisted inconmovible as a rock to all the inclemencies of the time, has a single ship, temperate, with ceiling in vaulted form, that maintain five arches, of elegant simplicity and sturdiness. The dome forms a complete orange average and a seashell shelters the place that occupies the high altar. A star formed of stone is the decoration of the dome; in the arches they light up embedded in beautiful series cloverleaves. The high altar, in whose center the silver niche is emphasized that keeps the Old-fashioned Saint, is work of art of the century XVI, exaggerates, executed in rich mahogany carved by hand. The table of the to jump lights up an artistic silver hood, metal that covers also the steps and the Sacrarium.
The exterior part of the temple is simple, as well as the tower or bell tower, of scarce elevation, that keeps sonorous bells donated by the pious gentleman Mr. Joaquín Alfáu in the year of 1864, who also presented the pavement of marble of the temple in the year of 1876.
The Sanctuary hoards valiosísimas tokens of historic value, that are object always of the curiosity of the visitors; among others are found chiefly: the framework of gold and silver of the Virgin, with inlays of precious stones, being emphasized in it the rich brilliant emerald surrounded by, that their Holiness Pious X gave to ours well recalled Archbishop Adolfo Alejandro Nouel from time to time of their election as the President of the Republic, and that that illustrious prelate donated the Virgin of La Altagracia as sure token of its love and refined devotion; a gigantic and artistic custody of gold of it was colonial; an elegant throne of plant with inlays and chimes of gold of the year 1811 to remove the procession of the Sacred Picture of the Virgin; a bright hyphen silver gift of the President of the Real Audience of Saint The year of 1737; Likewise, of gold and silver a carries traveling; a crucifix, two chalices and cups, six sticks of the canopy, cross and parochial candlesticks, candelabras and flower pots, and other objects of the old silver worship.
Today the jewel of greater spiritual, religious, historic value and material with which counts the sanctuary, is the beautiful crown of gold and precious stones, concluded in a cross of diamonds that maintain two angels of solid gold, of seven edges of weight, that was concocted with the gold and alhajas donated by the Dominican Town for its Canonical and Papal Coronation, celebrated on the Altar from the Country the 15 of August of the year 1922.
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Religious affiliation: Roman Catholic
Date founded or constructed: 1970/12/17
Web site: [Web Link]
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