The pale front
Two towers and a rose window.
ARamirez69 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rolland Alexander Nunfio Reyes. — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rolland Alexander Nunfio Reyes. — CC BY-SA 3.0 · ARamirez69 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rolland Alexander Nunfio Reyes. — CC BY-SA 3.0 · ARamirez69 — CC BY-SA 3.0
The Cathedral of Our Lady Saint Anne is a neo-Gothic church in the city of Santa Ana in western El Salvador. Its pale front with towers and rich carving looks unusual in a region dominated by colonial churches. It is still in use, so visitors come in with respect for its role. A parish church built here between 1575 and 1576 was destroyed by lightning in the nineteenth century. After the Diocese of Santa Ana was created, rebuilding was authorised in 1904 and began on 21 January 1906, and the church was consecrated on 11 February 1913. Work continued for decades until completion on 24 February 1959, and it became a National Monument on 22 April 1995. From Parque Libertad you see a front with two spired towers, a rose window and three pointed doorways, in fine pale stonework. The sides have red brick walls and tall windows. The north tower holds three bells rung by hand, and the south tower three more brought from the Netherlands in 1949. Inside are three naves and 28 paintings and statues. The church is in central Santa Ana, 49.6 km in a straight line north-west of San Salvador. The Santa Ana National Theatre is steps away. Dress modestly, keep quiet, do not walk around during Mass, and ask before taking photos inside. Watch your belongings on the square, and go in the morning for the best light on the front.
Two towers and a rose window.
Red along the sides.
A full view of the front.
Beside Parque Libertad, Santa Ana, El Salvador
The Santa Ana National Theatre, steps away.
The present building is twentieth-century, though a church stood here from 1575.