| Cathedral of Málaga | |
| Santa Iglesia Catedral Basílica de la Encarnación | |
|---|---|
| Country | Spain |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | http://www.diocesismalaga.es/index.php?mod=catedral |
| Architecture | |
| Groundbreaking | 1528 |
| Completed | 1782 |
| Specifications | |
| Height | 84 metres (276 ft) |
Cathedral of Málaga is Renaissance church in Málaga, Andalusia, southern Spain. It is located inside the limits that the missing Arab wall marked, forming a great architectonic set with the nearby Alcazaba and the Castle of Gibralfaro. It was constructed between 1528 and 1782, following the plans by Diego de Siloe. The interior of the cathedral is also in Renaissance style.
Contents |
The cathedral, with a rectangular plan, is composed by a nave and two aisles, the former being wider, though having the same height of the aisles. The set of chairs in the choir is a work of Pedro de Mena.
The facade, on the contrary, is baroque style and it is divided in two floors, on the floor below there are three arcs and inside of them there are doors separated by marble columns. Over the door there are some medallions. Those of the laterals doors represent the patron saints of Málaga, St Ciriaco and St. Paula, while the one in the center represents the announcement of God.
The north tower rises until the 84 metres of height and is the second-highest cathedral in Andalusia, behind the Giralda of Seville. The south tower is unfinished. Some claims such as a sign at the base of the tower state that funds were used to aid the British colonies gain independence from Great Britain, while other investigations of registries deduce that the money may have been used in the preparation of the “Way of Antequera”. The fact is that this condition of being unfinished gives to the Cathedral the nickname of “La Manquita”, meaning in English, "The One-Armed Lady".[1][2][3]
Internally a series of artworks fills the temple, among them are the gothic altarpiece of the Chapel of Santa Barbara and the 16th century tombs of the Chapel of San Francisco. The Chapel of Incarnation shows a neoclassic altarpiece of 1785, work of Juan de Villanueva and carved by Antonio Ramos and Aldehuela with sculptures of Salazar and Palomino, and The Beheading of Saint Paul painted by Enrique Simonet in 1887 during his stay in Rome.