Las Palmas Cathedral

The Santa Ana Cathedral stands in the midst of Vegueta, the oldest part of the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The twin-towered building is the oldest and largest church on the island and the episcopal church of the diocese of Canary Islands.

History

1497 has started with the construction, shortly after the conquest of Gran Canaria by the Spanish in 1478., The Catholic monarchs placed so that a sign of their victory over the natives, which had to proselytize. After the completion of the first phase in 1570, construction work rested over 200 years.

Architectural styles

The cathedral is a three-aisled hall church, a mixture of different architectural styles. The rear part of the church interior and the chapels of the left aisle are executed in the Gothic style. Since the construction period but extended over nearly four centuries, also reached the following architectural styles are used: right nave dates from the Renaissance period, the San Fernando Chapel from the Baroque era, the dome of the period of historicism. The classical western façade was built according to the plans of the sculptor and architect Luján Pérez.

Interior

The information carried by clustered piers hall consists of three naves with side chapels. The crossing is surmounted by a low dome, a transept is only hinted at. The ribs of the ribbed vault show complicated intricate shapes. The vault of the apse dates from the period between late Gothic and Renaissance. It indicates a shell shape.

Equipment

• Under the central dome are the statues of the 12 apostles. They come from Luján Pérez.
• In the right-hand side chapel the sculpture " La Dolorosa " is ( the Sorrows ) also Luján Pérez.
• Paintings of Cristobal de Quintana and Juan de Miranda

Swell

• Irene Börjes: Gran Canaria, ISBN 978-3-89953-371-2
• Nana Claudia Nenzel: Gran Canaria, ISBN 978-3-89905-538-2