Cathedral of Leon
The Cathedral of Leon in Nicaragua is one of the biggest cathedrals in Central America and the most prominent building in Leon. It is in the center of the city, next to the Central Park. During construction, wealthy citizens in Leon bought a tomb under the cathedral and helped pay for maintenance of the building. This tomb is the final resting place for many affluent and renowned Nicaraguans. The most impressive grave is that of Ruben Dario, the famous nineteenth-century Nicaraguan poet. There are also small cellars under the cathedral used to store valuable treasures. One cellar even had access to underground tunnels that led to other churches in the area.
Construction on the Cathedral of Leon started in 1746 and lasted over a century. During the years leading up to construction, French pirates attacked prominent cities in Nicaragua, destroying many cathedrals and other centers of culture. However, the people of Leon caught a French pirate named Dampier who happened to also be an architect. A bishop in the area commenced the construction of the cathedral with the captured pirate as its architect. By 1860, the cathedral was complete. Now, visitors come from all over the world to visit the historic Cathedral of Leon.
The cathedral is open Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit www.nicaragua.com.
Researched and written by Ariel Roberts, Undergraduate Student in History, University of West Florida, LAH 3200 Spring 2012.
