The new cathedral

Our next stop was in Plaza Calderon, named after Abdón Calderón Garaycoa, a hero of the Ecuadorian War of Independence who died as a result of wounds suffered in the Battle of Pichincha.  His statue in the centre of the square is surrounded by eight trees, one for each of his children.  Some of these trees were set alight during protests.  They have been cut to encourage regrowth. 

Thomas explained to us about the importance of Cuenca to Ecuador as a whole, and the pride the city feels in being given World Heritage status in 2000.  It is called "Athens of Ecuador" for its architecture, its cultural diversity, its contribution to the Ecuadorian arts, sciences and letters, and for being the birthplace of many illustrious figures of Ecuadorian society.

We then went for a delicious espresso and a chicken empanada before returning to the square to visit the new cathedral.  The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was designed by Juan Bautista Stiehle (1829-1899), a German-born friar who arrived in Cuenca from Alsace in 1873.  The cathedral took over the function of the nearby Old Cathedral that had become too small.  Construction works started in 1885 and lasted for almost a century.  The building combines many architecture styles, but Romanesque Revival is predominant.  The cathedral is surmounted by three giant domes covered in striking blue and white glazed tiles from Czechoslovakia.  Its stained glass windows were created by Spanish artist Guillermo Larrazábal.

Its towers are truncated due to a calculation error by the architect.  If they had been raised to their planned height, the foundations of this church would not have been able to bear the weight.  In spite of the architect's mistake, the cathedral's domes have become a symbol for the city.  Its facade is made of alabaster and local marble, while the floor is covered with pink marble brought from Carrara, Italy. When the cathedral was first constructed, 9,000 out of Cuenca's 10,000 inhabitants could fit in the building.  Unfortunately, damage caused by recent earthquakes is clear to see.Read more