Tuesday, 22 November 2011 18:21
Fachada de la Parroquia del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús y San Ignacio de Loyola
Wandering through the streets of Havana also means to explore a wide range of architectural styles: Colonial, baroque, neo-classical, art nouveu, art deco, eclectic, modernist and even neo-gothic, which is the style of the Parroquia del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus y San Ignacio de Loyola (Parish Church of the Sacred Heart and Ignatius of Loyola), or simply the Iglesia de Reina (Church of Queen) as the Havanans call it.
An imposing and beautiful tower of 72 meters that can be seen from many spots of the city, with its naves, pointed arches, high ogives, illuminated stained-glass windows, gargoyles and other elements of the same style, erecting itself in the middle of the street Reina, crowned with a glorious monstrance, molten in bronze and 1.87m high; there’s no doubt that this is the highest church of Cuba as well as one of the most beautiful ones.
Although its construction started in 1914 and lasted until 1923, from 1907 the Society of Jesus gestated the project. The wooden altar is decorated with alabaster, bronze and marble and was elaborated in Madrid, just like the in wood cut image of the Sacred Heart of byzantine style; the stained-glass windows are just as fabulous, representing the Virgin Mary and Ignatius of Loyola and some saint Jesuits.
The tiled floor of the central nave is a mosaic made of crystals and stones. The parish church counts with one of the most elegant and best sounding organs of the island. As a whole, the church leaves the visitor with a really amazing feeling of monumentality.
During the past years the temple has been completely restored and rehabilitated so it continues being an outstanding and representative milestone of the Cuban and America’s religious architecture as well as one of the most beautiful constructions of Havana.
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