| Cathedral Basilica of Santa María la Menor | |
|---|---|
 Front entrance to the Cathedral of Santa María la Menor | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Catholic |
| Province | Archdiocese of Santo Domingo |
| Location | |
| Location | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 1504 |
| Completed | 1550 |
| Part of | Colonial City of Santo Domingo |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iv), (vi) |
| Reference | 526 |
| Inscription | 1990 (14th Session) |
| Coordinates | 18°28′22″N 69°53′02″W / 18.4727777878°N 69.8838888989°W |
  Location of Cathedral of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic | |
The Cathedral of Santa María la Menor in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo is dedicated to St. Mary of the Incarnation. It is the oldest existing cathedral in the Americas,[1] begun in 1504 and was completed in 1550, and the second constructed, after the Garðar Cathedral Ruins in Greenland.[2] It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Santo Domingo who has the honorary title of Primate of the Indies because this cathedral was the first diocese and the oldest cathedral established in the New World in the post-Columbus era.[1]
The cathedral is fronted with a golden-tinted coral limestone façade. The building is Gothic,[2][1] a notable example of real Gothic architecture outside Europe. There is also a treasury which has an excellent art collection of ancient woodcarvings, furnishings, funerary monuments, silver, and jewelry.
It is located between Calle Arzobispo Merino and Isabel la Católica, next to Columbus Park in the city of Santo Domingo de Guzmán.
- ^ a b c "Colonial City of Santo Domingo". UNESCO World Heritage Centre website.
- ^ a b "Basilica Cathedral of Santa María la Menor". 5albemarleway.co.uk. 15 August 2018. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2019.