St. Esprit Cathedral, Istanbul

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St. Esprit Cathedral, alternatively known as the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Cattedrale di Santo Spirito, or Cattedrale dello Spirito Santo, located on Cumhuriyet Avenue, 205/B, Harbiye, between Taksim Square and Nişantaşı, is one of the main cathedrals of the Roman Catholic Church in Istanbul, Turkey.

It is the second largest Roman Catholic church in the city after the Cathedral of S. Antonio di Padova on İstiklal Avenue in Beyoğlu.

The cathedral was built in Baroque style in 1846 under the direction of the Swiss-Italian architect Giuseppe Fossati and his colleague Julien Hillereau.

St. Esprit has been a destination of several papal visits to Turkey, including those of Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI.

A statue of Pope Benedict XV stands in the courtyard of the cathedral.

Giuseppe Donizetti, a musician at the court of Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II, is buried in the vaults of the cathedral.

[edit] References

Reuters article on statue of Pope Benedict XV

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