The Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa ("Basílica Catedral", in Spanish) is located in the Main Square "Plaza de Armas" of the city of Arequipa, province of Arequipa, Peru. It is the most important Catholic church of the city and also of the larger Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Arequipa since it is the base of the archbishop and the metropolitan council. The design of the building is contributed to the architect Lucas Poblete. The cathedral is also considered one of Peru's most unusual and famous colonial cathedrals since the Spanish conquest.
History
Early construction
thumb|Cathedral of Arequipa
On August 15 1540, the city of Arequipa was founded by Garcí Manuel de Carbajal. The cathedral started construction on this very date. In the "Act of Foundation" of Arequipa, it can be read: "...in the name of its majesty Governor Francisco Pizarro, founded the beautiful village in the valley of Arequipa, in the Collasuyo section, above the river edge, in his name he put the cross, in the location signaled for the Church; He put the pike in the Plaza of the village, which he stated would do in the name of its majesty..."
The representatives of the Council, Justice and Directorate of the city signed a contract with the architect Pedro Godínez in February of 1544, then regent of the city and commander of San Juan Bautista de Characato, and the carpenters Juan Rodríguez and Gregorio Álvarez to build the church.
In September 1544, Miguel Cornejo, the mayor of the city, assigned the building of the portal to the master Toribio de Alcaraz, who agreed to build it using white volcanic ignimbrite (sillar). The church is built with two main sections. The progress of construction of the church was destroyed after a major earthquake in 1583.
In 1590, it was decided to rebuild again the main church, and this is assigned to Gaspar Báez, who is helped by several Spanish officials and many hundreds of "Mitayo" Indians. The new design would have three sections, arcs and vaults of brick.
When construction was almost finished in 1600, the violent eruption of the Huaynaputina stratovolcano (also known as Quinistaquillas or Omate), together with several earthquakes and a rain of ash, destroyed part of the structure.
In 1609, Bula of Pope Paul V created the Arequipa Diocese, separating it from the one in Cuzco. The Arequipan Catholics had become impoverished since the Volcano eruption, but decided to rebuild the cathedral.
On January 27, 1621, Mr. Andrés de Espinoza was assigned the construction of the cathedral. In 1628, Espinoza died.
In 1656, the construction of the cathedral was finished. It had three sections, 180 feet long by 84 feet wide (84.86 m by 25.6 m), 8 pillars, 5 chapels, 22 arcs, 15 brick vaults. Between 1656 and 1668, numerous earthquakes caused damage to the cathedral.
<big>Architectural Design</big>
The cathedral represents three types, the first two are related to the plan and spatial components. The first is called the basilica type and the second is the hall type. The third type is atomization, a compositional principle that develops the form of volumes rather than spaces.
The basilica type is represented by the spatial components of the plan. The plan has three naves: a central nave and two lateral naves which intersect and form a Latin cross floor plan, common in the layout of Roman basilicas.
The second type is the hall type. This type is characterized by having the interior naves of a church at the same or nearly the same height, whereas in a traditional Latin cross plan, the central nave is always taller than the lateral naves.
Atomization is a compositional principle of Neoclassicism. It means parts of a building collectively form the whole while maintaining their independence. In the cathedral, there is no single hierarchical order; instead, each element asserts its own identity. The main body of the naves extends horizontally, while the two bell towers rise verticality. The pediment above the plaza entrance spans four columns. The lateral arches are oriented in the opposite direction to the nave. Functionally, the bell towers mark the cathedral’s location from a distance, the arches guide access to the plaza and atrium, and the pediment signals the entrance to the building. Each component has a distinct purpose, and none is subordinate to the others.
Reconstruction efforts
thumb|250x250px|The Cathedral of Arequipa c. 1864
The cathedral is a result of a series of constructions and reconstructions from 1544, with the erection of the main church on site, to 1621, the completion of the first cathedral, to a series of reconstruction attempts due to fire and earthquakes, to what can be seen now.