The Iglesia Parroquial Mayor del Espíritu Santo (), also known as the Sancti Spiritus Main Parish Church or simply the Parroquial Mayor is a historic
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...
located in the province of
Sancti Spíritus
Sancti Spíritus () is a municipality and capital city of the province of Sancti Spíritus in central Cuba and one of the oldest Cuban European settlements. Sancti Spíritus is the genitive case of Latin ''Sanctus Spiritus'' ("Holy Spirit").
...
and the oldest church in
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
.
History
Located in the town of
Sancti Spíritus
Sancti Spíritus () is a municipality and capital city of the province of Sancti Spíritus in central Cuba and one of the oldest Cuban European settlements. Sancti Spíritus is the genitive case of Latin ''Sanctus Spiritus'' ("Holy Spirit").
...
, within
Sancti Spíritus Province
Sancti Spíritus () is one of the provinces of Cuba. Its capital is the identically named Sancti Spíritus. Another major city is Trinidad.
Geography
The southern coast of the province is flat, but the western portion of Sancti Spíritus provin ...
, central
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
, it is situated on the Plaza
Honorato del Castillo
Honorato del Castillo (November 30, 1838 – July 20, 1869) was a Cuban revolutionary and army general who played a key role in the Ten Years' War in Cuba.
Early life
Honorato Andrés del Castillo y Cancio was born in Sancti Spíritus, Las Vil ...
. It is two blocks south of the town's
main square.
Built in 1522, the Parish Church of Sancti Spíritus was originally constructed out of wood. Following its destruction by pirates, the church was rebuilt in stone in 1680. The 36-meter high
bell tower
A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...
, featuring gold, silver, and bronze bells, was added in the
18th century
The 18th century lasted from 1 January 1701 (represented by the Roman numerals MDCCI) to 31 December 1800 (MDCCC). During the 18th century, elements of Enlightenment thinking culminated in the Atlantic Revolutions. Revolutions began to ch ...
, with the
cupola
In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, usually dome-like structure on top of a building often crowning a larger roof or dome. Cupolas often serve as a roof lantern to admit light and air or as a lookout.
The word derives, via Ital ...
completed in the 19th century.
[Guides, I. (2022). Insight Guides Cuba (Travel Guide EBook). United Kingdom: Apa Publications.]
Gallery
File:Torre iglesia mayor Sancti Spiritus.jpg
See also
*
Sancti Spiritus
External links
References
Churches in Cuba
Religious buildings and structures in Cuba
16th century in Cuba
{{Cuba-church-stub