Cathedral of Saint Vibiana

Saint Vibiana's Cathedral
Location214 S Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Coordinates34°03′02″N 118°14′40″W / 34.0505°N 118.2444°W / 34.0505; -118.2444
Built1876
ArchitectKysor & Mathews
Architectural style(s)Italianate
DesignatedMay 10, 1963[1]
Reference no.17[1]
Cathedral of Saint Vibiana is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Cathedral of Saint Vibiana
Location of Saint Vibiana's Cathedral in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Cathedral of Saint Vibiana is located in California
Cathedral of Saint Vibiana
Cathedral of Saint Vibiana (California)
Cathedral of Saint Vibiana is located in the United States
Cathedral of Saint Vibiana
Cathedral of Saint Vibiana (the United States)
St. Vibiana complex in 2006, before the cupola was returned in 2007

The Cathedral of Saint Vibiana (Spanish: Catedral de Santa Vibiana), often called St. Vibiana's, is a former Catholic cathedral for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Located in Downtown Los Angeles, the building opened in 1876 as the cathedral for what was then known as the Diocese of Monterey–Los Angeles, and remained the official cathedral of the Los Angeles see for over 100 years.[2] It is named for Vibiana, a saint who lived in the 3rd century, and Is currently a secular events venue.

The cathedral was heavily damaged during the 1994 Northridge earthquake and became the subject of a lengthy legal battle between the archdiocese, which wanted to demolish the building and build a new cathedral on the site, and preservationists, who wanted the building to remain standing due to its historical significance. In 1996, the parties involved reached a compromise in which the archdiocese would purchase a nearby site on which to build a new cathedral, and in turn would turn over the St. Vibiana site to the City of Los Angeles. The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels was dedicated in 2002 as the successor to St. Vibiana's.

In the late 2000s, the former cathedral building became an event venue called Vibiana. The Little Tokyo branch of the Los Angeles Public Library is also located on the site. The 1876 cathedral structure is one of the last remaining buildings from the early period of Los Angeles history.

  1. ^ a b Department of City Planning. "Designated Historic-Cultural Monuments". City of Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 2010-06-09. Retrieved 2012-10-03.
  2. ^ Nelson, Louis P. (2006). American Sanctuary: Understanding Sacred Spaces. Indiana University Press. p. 142. ISBN 0-253-21822-5.