Baroque front
Twin towers and carved ornament.
Luis Alfredo Romero — CC BY-SA 4.0 · feinteriano — CC BY-SA 3.0 · feinteriano — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Luis Alfredo Romero — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Luis Alfredo Romero — CC BY-SA 4.0
St Michael the Archangel Cathedral is the main cathedral of Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, facing the central park in the heart of the city. It was the largest Catholic church of the colonial period and is one of the best-preserved historic buildings in Honduras. After a fire destroyed the earlier church on the site in 1746, the bishop ordered a new one. The cathedral was built between 1765 and 1786 by the priest José Simeón Zelaya Cepeda, designed by an architect from Guatemala, and inaugurated in 1782. An earthquake in 1823 damaged it so badly that it closed for six years of repairs; it was restored between 1934 and 1938, and in recent years its original colour was brought back. The Baroque front is framed by two bell towers and decorated with columns, carved ornament and statues in niches. The building is about 60 metres long, and its dome rises to 30 metres. Side courtyards open through ornate white portals, and one holds an old colonial fountain. The cathedral is a working church, so dress modestly and avoid walking around during Mass. It is about 10 km in a straight line from the hill town of Santa Lucía. Watch your belongings in the busy square, as in any city centre.
Twin towers and carved ornament.
Rising 30 metres.
In a side courtyard.
Central Park, downtown Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Between 1765 and 1786; it was inaugurated in 1782.
Yes, while respecting Mass times.