Cathedral Visit

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Mon 9 Jul 2012 22:29
Our School Visit to the Cathedral
 
 
 
 
 
 
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We trotted to school this morning and at coffee break we were asked if would like to go on todays activity. Back we went after lunch, (with no books, dictionaries or pens) thinking we would be straight out like we did on Friday. No. We did an hour with our afternoon teachers, then off we set for the Cathedral. My brain was hot with the verb ending AR.
Saint Joseph’s Church (Iglesia de San José) is the Roman Catholic Church that provides the facade for the ruins of the Cathedral. The original cathedral was built around 1542, but suffered several earthquakes throughout its history, the original building was demolished in 1669.
 
 
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We walked around the church to enter the side entrance to the ruins.The cathedral was rebuilt and consecrated in 1680. By 1743 the cathedral was one of the largest in Central America. However, the devastating 1773 Guatemala earthquake seriously damaged much of the building, though the two towers at the front remained largely intact. These have undergone restoration work, and the ruins of the cathedral have been stabilised and partly rebuilt.

 

 

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Nothing could have prepared us for the sheer size of the structure

 

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We wandered around with Claudia (my afternoon teacher) giving us a talk in Spanish

 

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Incredibly, some of the carvings have survived despite being open to the elements

 

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Bear looked small beside a collapsed column

 

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A workshop and a cabinet used in processions took up two chapels

 

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Claudia, right, telling us more as we took it turns to visit the crypt, below where the main altar would have been

 

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In the crypt, now serving as a chapel, we saw a smoke blackened crucifixion scene

 

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A floor plan. How the cathedral may have looked and a brilliant piece of information in English. Sadly we couldn’t visit the church as a funeral service was being held. Our admission / donation to see the ruins was twenty five pence.

 

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On our way back to school we passed the Stations ‘parking place’ and took a couple of different shots (from Fridays) through a different gate.

 

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A disinterested model against a wall doing nothing for the colour of her dress – time for our daily ice cream.

 

 

 

 

ALL IN ALL THE SIZE OF THE CATHEDRAL WAS SUCH A SURPRISE

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