Leon Cathedral Nicaragua introduction
Arriving into Leon Nicaragua, you are going to find a small city with a massive history. In this post we are going to be looking at the cathedral in the heart of all the history, the Leon Cathedral.
Famous for its entirely white appearance and as being the largest cathedral in Central America, the Cathedral-Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, commonly known as León Cathedral or Basílica Catedral de la Asunción de la Bienaventurada Virgen María (what a mouthful, lets stick with Leon Cathedral for now!) it is a wonderful cultural tick for the bucket list during your travels through Nicaragua. Its cheap for a ticket to the rooftop and the views are beautiful, you don't have to spend long but its worth a look. Although if you are reading this post then you are probably into architecture and history so I will stop trying to convince you as it is probably already on your itinerary.
In this post we are going to go through the formation of Leon as a city, before talking about the architecture of the cathedral. We will give some interesting facts about Leon cathedral to help you better understand one of the most important pieces of architecture in Nicaragua. Finally we will have a quick look at the Heritage Conclusions before having a look at a little video I did during my time in Leon from the roof ... (apologies for wind noise in advance I have tried to reduce it). Hopefully by the end you will be convinced you need to visit the cathedral if you are in Nicaragua. If you enjoy this post and want more cathedral and know how to read Baroque architecture make sure you check our post on Antigua Guatemala Churches, there are some really beautiful spots you should check out also, don't forget to listen to the podcast episode on Nicaragua for a fuller account of the history of the Nicaragua. and have a look at our Nicaragua travel guide as well.
Right Lets begin.
Leon Cathedral Nicaragua History
Up and down central America, Mexico and parts of the US we are able to find Spanish architecture, why, because Christopher Columbus reached the shores of Central America during his fourth and final voyage in 1502. He explored the coast of present-day Honduras and Nicaragua but did not establish permanent settlements.
It would be Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conquistador known for the conquest of the Aztec Empire, who would send expeditions to explore and conquer Central America. The man tasked with pushing down into what is now Nicaragua would be Francisco Hernández de Córdoba. In 1524 Francisco Hernández de Córdoba founded the city of León in 1524, marking the beginning of a more sustained Spanish presence in Nicaragua. He would also establish the city of Granada, both site would be smaller Spanish outposts before civil war would erupt between them (check out out episode 3 of the Where's Next? Podcast for more on this.
As with most Spanish cities and colonies, conversion to christianity was high on the 'things to do' list. The city became a centre for religious institutions, including ... yes you have guessed it ... the Cathedral-Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the León Cathedral. There are actually a high number of cathedrals and churches in Leon which we may look at in an overview post in the near future. But for now lets look at the marvellous Leon Cathedral
Constructed between 1747 and 1814, this cathedral bears the artistic fingerprints of Spanish architect based in Antigua, Guatemala Diego José de Porres Esquivel. Perhaps even more interestingly, Leon Cathedral is the only example of Antigüeño Baroque applied to a cathedral still in existence.
The façade, adorned with sculptures and reliefs, tells a story of the melding of European and indigenous artistic traditions. There are two main styles which are the flamboyant baroque and neoclassical. There are however more styles making this cathedral something of a mis mash of architecture. Rather elegantly put in the ICOMOS report,
"Greek and Roman architecture, such as the ionic capitals, the triangular pediments, the barrel vault and the cupola. Renaissance elements are also present, such as the basilica structure, the pinnacles, the horizontal proportion and the balustrade. From the Baroque architecture, the facade borrows the break of the entablature, the cornice, the columns, the curved pediments and the lack of definition of the columns capitals. From the Neo-classic style, it has lengthened pillars, covered with garlands; from Gothic architecture, the four-centred arch and the pinnacles; from the Mudejar architecture, the alfiz."
As we look over to the main central door we can see all the symmetry that are accustom with baroque design and that is exactly what Leon Cathedral is trying to be. Tinged with neoclassical, and confused by the rest, it is a vivid representation of the Spanish influence that swept through Central America during the colonial period.
Inside the cathedral, visitors are greeted by a spacious nave with high ceilings, supporting arches, and rows of columns. The interior is adorned with altars, paintings, sculptures, and religious artwork, reflecting the Neoclassical style that gained prominence during the later phases of construction. The transept is dominated by a hemispherical cupola with further cupolas following the line of the central naive. These are directly apparent on the roof scape of the cathedral, so lets head up there now.
Leon Cathedral Nicaragua Roof scape
The roof for is essentially following the form of the interior. The domes press out of the rectilinear geometry of the traditional cathedral cross plan creating smooth hill like white features with lanterns to the major crossings.
The building is repainted (a little carelessly as you can see from the above photos). However it is still an interesting and beautiful, slightly surreal environment to be in. As you will see from my video below, it feels like being on top of a wedding cake as one of the bride or groom figurines.
The styles carry to the roof however, the attention to detail is not that of the baroque we see in Antigua or other Spanish cities. You can see the railing elements almost have a 2D like feel, much like the graphics from a 90's playstation game and this seems to carry to the elements around the lanterns, with the cupolas semi circular extrusion being in total contract to this metaphor!
To me eye the railings almost seem like a precast concrete later additional!
Leon Cathedral Nicaragua a world heritage site.
The Cathedral was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011. The conclusion of the report submitted by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) was as follows:
"ICOMOS considers that León Cathedral is not only the main historic and artistic monument of Nicaragua, but also a building of high significance for Central America. The monument bears historical, architectural, artistic and environmental values that link it to the cultural identity of a specific region in the world.
From an architectural and artistic point of view, León Cathedral is one of the best expressions of Central American religious architecture; it testifies to the persistence of layouts spread by the Spaniards in the Americas between the 16th and 18th centuries and, at the same time, bears specific features linked to a particular regional style from Antigua Guatemala, and achieving in León its most significant example."
The Cathedral-Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a significant attraction for visitors interested in exploring the colonial history, architecture, and religious heritage of Nicaragua. Its distinctive towers, ornate facade, and cultural importance make it an iconic landmark in the city of León so make sure to visit between volcano boarding sessions for a unique environment and a peak at a rich part of Nicaraguas history.
To find out more about Nicaragua check out our guide page by clicking here
Until the next one.
Jack
For the curious explorer