A few weeks ago I was accompanying a brother to medical checkups near the cathedral of San Jose de Maracay, Aragua Venezuela and while we were waiting for his turn I invited him to visit it, we were lucky to find it open.
The cathedral of Maracay has its front on Miranda Avenue and on one side is Bolivar Avenue, it differs from other cathedrals because it was built in front of the Girardot square and not like the others in front of a Bolivar square, it is not as old as you might think have at its entrance a marble plaque indicating the date of construction which was in 1958 and all the bishops who have lived and administered this diocese until today.
Architecture of the Cathedral
In its facade you can see a bell tower that caught my attention how small the bell is and that on its four sides you could see a clock at different times, with 3 large doors, but only two on that side are the ones that allow the entrance and exit of people. These wooden doors are very large, I do not dare to calculate the meters, one of them has the mark of an old sealed lock.
That day was perfect because there were few people and I could walk calmly and photograph what I wanted, when entering there is the holy water font, but it had no water 🤣, it is made of marble and its function is for the faithful to wet their fingers and then cross themselves, a way to purify their bodies before prayer, rituals of the Catholic church.
I had many years without entering and the perspective I had of this cathedral changed completely, I remembered it bigger and more majestic than it really is, my memories come from when I was a child I guess that growing up and seeing other churches in the world in other countries my vision was transformed, but that does not take away the beauty it possesses from its particularity.
With three wings that are separated by round columns painted ivory white and joined by arches with a golden border, the spaces are divided and the wooden ceiling is supported. It was impossible for me to capture all the spaces in the same photograph. I have learned since I have been in this community to observe everything around me, including the ceilings.
At the end of the central wing is the Altar, elevated by 3 marble floor steps and surrounded by square columns and arches that support the beautifully painted sky blue dome that resembles a clear, bright blue sky illuminated by two square windows through which daylight passes.
After taking a general look at the cathedral's architecture, I dove into the details of the design which I will describe below.
Cathedral Design
Starting with the altar I think it is made of wood, but I am not sure, in dark brown and gold colors it stands out from afar, with the sculpture in the center of Jesus Christ on the cross and to his left the figure of St. Joseph, patron saint of the state of Aragua and to his right a virgin that I can't recognize. In the upper part of the altar they designed a border in relief of golden color to highlight the union of the arches with the dome. All the elements of color and design add to the beauty of the altar.
After observing the central wing, my tour continued to the left wing, which is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with a piece of furniture similar to the main altar, then comes a space dedicated to the virgins, the most representative for Venezuelan Catholics, the Virgin of Coromoto, patron saint of Venezuela, the Virgin of Fatima and the Virgin of the Valley.
Then comes a space dedicated to Doctor José Gregorio Hernández, who was a person recognized for his achievements in the scientific community and for his generosity that made him gain the popularity and affection of his acquaintances during his lifetime and after his death he is credited with countless miracles, that is why he was recently named in Rome to the category of Saint.
Here we can observe a small sculpture of this personage and the most predominant is the central sculpture that is a reliquary under the figure of a microscope, united to a small hat that was used in that time and that also was part of his attire, this object conserves a lock of hair of this saint and a small bone of his index finger of the right hand, unfortunately it is far from the reach of the visitors and I could not see it well, neither in my photos making Zoom. This reliquary made a tour through some streets of all the neighborhoods of the state of Aragua.
This cathedral has many wooden benches where about 7 people can sit comfortably. Another thing I observed are the confessionals, which are wooden boxes with 3 compartments. In the center sat the priest to hear the sins and on the sides the sinners 😁🤭. I have the impression that they no longer use them.
Although there is good natural lighting, it has several chandeliers in all its wings. The flashes of light reflecting off their crystals highlight their beauty and, seeing how big and tall they were, I wondered: how will these chandeliers be maintained? 🤔
Another decorative element that I liked were some small sculptures that are the Stations of the Cross, a symbolic representation of the 12 times Jesus fell with the wood while being scourged by the Romans. A little tired from the tour, I sat down in front of Jesus of Mercy on the altar in the third wing and prayed a little for my health and that of my family.
With a view of the marble floors that reflect the passage of time and a foot on the stone slabs outside, I say goodbye thanking you for your attention and wishing you enjoyed the tour.
