Catedral Metropolitana

Catedral Metropolitana review

On the west side of the plaza is this neo-classical cathedral, whose strictly-by-the-book columns and cornices look rather incongrous amid all this chaos. The cornerstone for the original church was laid by Juan de Garay in 1580 (perhaps he did a poor job of it as the structure has collapsed six times since then.) The plan for the present cream-coloured building, the sixth cathedral on this site, was hatched in 1753; the first façade was blessed in 1791 and the final touches were added in 1910.

The high baroque interior arches create a sombre atmosphere, while the rococo main altar and the organ (dating from 1822) stand out. The right-hand nave houses the mausoleum containing - since 1880 - the repatriated remains of the Liberator José de San Martín (who died in France in 1850). The most striking feature of the building's Greco-Roman exterior is the frontispiece, depicting the reunion of Jacob and his sons with Joseph in Egypt.