Puebla Cathedral

During my September 2013 visit to Puebla, I visited the Cathedral many times. The Puebla Cathedral is one of the oldest in Mexico, and often said to be second only to the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City. Construction began in November of 1575, under the direction of architect Francisco Becerra. Construction continued with some delays, and at one point was halted altogether. In 1640, Bishop Juan de Palafox was ordered by King Philip III of Spain to complete the building. It was consecrated on April 18, 1649. Still, it was not entirely complete. The north tower was completed in 1678, and the south tower in 1768. Overall, it took nearly 200 years to fully complete the building.

The Cathedral was built in a combination of the Renassiance and Baroque styles. The front façade is built out of dark grey stone, and is quite simple compared to some of the later churrigueresque cathedrals. The Cathedral has two towers, supposedly the tallest in Mexico at over 200 feet (70m) tall. There are bells in only one tower.

The interior features 14 side chapels, as well as an octagonal altar. The altar was designed by Manuel Tolsá and built in 1797. It has two levels supported by Corinthian columns, topped with a dome similar to that of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

I took quite a few photos of the Cathedral, which are shown below. It’s a very impressive building, and I hope you enjoy them. Please click any image for a larger version.