My first words, " That's not a fucking church"
Ho Hum, how wrong can one be, I now ask myself. Designed by sculptor Ruben Martinez, the construction took several years, opening in 1971. More learned men than I say it resembles that of a brutalist Stalinist building of the era, others applaud its radical architecture.
The architect did not have much ground space to work with as it is built on the site of a previous wooden Cathedral that burnt down.
Unlike other catholic churches , that are built in a form of a cross shape, this one isn't, it also has it's altar to the north not the east
What the guide won't tell you, about the events here: is he ashamed of his past? I only found this out during my write up.
In February 1977, several days of demonstration against the government had taken place, with protesters occupying the main square of San Salvador, culminating in the National Guard opening fire on the protesters. When the shooting began many of the demonstrators took refuge in El Rosario church, situated alongside the plaza. For three days the wounded and dead were trapped inside.
A truce was brokered by the retiring Archbishop Chavez and his fellow clergy, so that the church could be evacuated of the dead and wounded, and of others who had sought protection there from the bullets and tear gas. Reports of the number of dead vary from scores to over a hundred.
The inconspicuous entrance is tucked away down a small walkway on the side of the building where to enter, one can leave a donation pay an obligatory entrance fee.
So paying the agreed fee, enter we did.
The FUCK ME! moment
The arched roof, is known as the "stairway to heaven" (cue Led Zep!)
Constructed using limited materials, concrete, brick and glass, just over 25 yds wide and 82 yds long, it is a remarkable piece of architecture and engineering, built east to west, thus creating a spectacle of rainbow coloured reflections; light coming in from the east in the morning or from the west in the afternoon.
There are no supporting pillars.
Now I can see why it is arguably said to be the finest church in all of Central America.
Non-typical scenes from the Via Crucis, can be found along the walls.
I do not know which each represents, but jeez, I had to stand back and applaud the designer, so minimalist, and forward thinking, the guy is a genius.
Each individual construction is formed from the left over bits of ironwork and concrete from the cathedral construction.
A "deconstructed" resurrected jesus
Thanks for visiting my page, I am pleased to make your acquaintance. this is Stephen aka, @grindle, happily retired, travelling the world snapping away. My weapon of choice is currently a Nikon Z6(2).
Unless stated all images are shot by me, all text is mine based on various info sources. NOT AI generated.
If you like my blog, it would be very much appreciated if you upvote and follow me. Also, please feel free to drop a comment.
Wow what a place…
All changes once you step inside.
yup sure does a hidden gem
Whoa! That's a really cool architectural feature. Not so pretty on the outside but those stained glass windows on the inside, damn!
The old, obligatory "donation" trick. Lol it's like, can we drop the bullshit for once, just charge your entrance fee and move on. Let's all stop with the word salad games
cheers @leaky20 yes complete surprise to me
Couldn't agree more, just need a sign saying "give us your money" end of.
Yes exactly 💯 😆
😇🤙
Fantastic publication, super detailed and original.
cheers @charlemio thanks for dropping in, glad you enjoyed my efforts, I appreciate it
Thanks to you
👍
The ceiling is definitely nice :) ... From the outside it looks rough, but inside it's totally different!
This post has been manually curated by the VYB curation project
cheers @wrestlingdesires thanks for your support, and yes indeedy, thought it was an aircraft hangar from outside.
Wow - the light in that place is amazing. I totally agree, the design was a genius.
cheers @hoosie thanks for dropping in, a work of genius for sure
Wow. I did not expect it to look like that on the inside. What a phenomenal design! Equal parts art exhibit and worship space 👀. The acoustics must be unique in there. Neat!!
cheers @emanate-artworx , yes it was not expected, and a fantastic piece of engineering, it was deathly quiet when I was in there, but when they strike up the choir I could imagine the sounds
Que hermosas iglesia, la arquitectura y las obras del escultor me han encantado, gracias por compartir apreciado @grindle
Saludos @fotomaglys gracias por visitarnos y se agradecen tus comentarios. Me alegra que hayas disfrutado de la iglesia, es extraordinario.
Wow, everything on photos looks amazing!!
cheers @sarakey amazing is a good word LOL thanks
This is art. I agree with you that the architect is a genius.
I bet you were left speechless when you walked in! (in spanish, con la boca abierta!)
That is the perfect phrase!
Hello grindle!
It's nice to let you know that your article won 🥇 place.
Your post is among the best articles voted 7 days ago by the @hive-lu | King Lucoin Curator by keithtaylor
You and your curator receive 0.0196 Lu (Lucoin) investment token and a 10.78% share of the reward from Daily Report 268. Additionally, you can also receive a unique LUGOLD token for taking 1st place. All you need to do is reblog this report of the day with your winnings.
Buy Lu on the Hive-Engine exchange | World of Lu created by @szejq
STOPor to resume write a wordSTART