St. Elizabeth's Cathedral, Malabo Explained

St. Elizabeth's Cathedral
Other Name:Catedral de Santa Isabel
Pushpin Map:Equatorial Guinea Bioko
Pushpin Label Position:right
Map Caption:location on the island of Bioko
Location:Malabo
Country: Equatorial Guinea
Denomination:Roman Catholic Church

St. Elizabeth's Cathedral[1] (Spanish; Castilian: Catedral de Santa Isabel de Malabo or Catedral de Malabo)[2] [3] is a Roman Catholic cathedral located on Independencia Avenue (Avenida de la Independencia) in the city of Malabo,[4] the capital of Equatorial Guinea,[5] home of the Archdiocese of Malabo. It is considered the largest Christian church in the nation. It was named after St. Elizabeth of Hungary.[6] The cathedral was seriously damaged by fire on January 16, 2020 while restoration work was underway.[7]

Construction

Its construction began in 1897 with donations from parishioners, commercial companies and the Spanish government, for it was one of its colonies. The architect of the monument was Luis Segarra Llairadó, and was inaugurated in 1916.

It is built in a neo-Gothic style that emphasizes its façade, flanked by two 40m (130feet) towers, and a nave with two aisles.

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://www.gcatholic.org/churches/africa/4201.htm Catedral de Santa Isabel, Malabo
  2. Book: Scafidi, Oscar . Equatorial Guinea . 2015-11-20 . Bradt Travel Guides . 9781841629254 . en.
  3. Book: Barba, Memorias Mercedes . Vida Y Pintura Naïf . Editorial Visión Libros . 9788490089842 . es.
  4. Book: González, Javier. Cinco segundos. 2013-01-01. BiblioEteca. es.
  5. Book: Aranzadi, Isabela de. Instrumentos musicales de las etnias de Guinea Ecuatorial. 2009-01-01. Editorial Apadena. 9788461203406. es.
  6. Web site: The Prime Minister in the celebration of patron saint festival of St. Elizabeth. Official Web Page of the Government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. 18 November 2015.
  7. Web site: Un incendio destruye la catedral de Malabo, joya de la arquitectura colonial española. January 16, 2020. elpais.com.