Friday, August 19, 2022

Basilicas in Western Argentina

I blogged about the following basilica on April 1, 2020.

  • Cathedral Basilica of Our Lord and the Virgin of the Miracle in Salta, Salta. 


Basilica of St. Dominic, Cordoba, Cordoba

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius X in 1911.

The Dominicans built a church in this location in the 17th Century and the current building was constructed between 1857 and 1861.  The Basilica has four towers.





The first picture is from Pinterest and the others are from Wikipedia.


Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy, Cordoba, Cordoba

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1926.

The Mercedarians built a monastery on this site in the early 17th Century and the current Basilica was completed in 1869 as the monastery’s church.  The Basilica was built in an Eclectic style and has a baroque pulpit that dates to 1776 and an altar made of Paraguayan cedar.



The first picture is from a local source and the other is from Wikipedia.


Basilica of St. Francis, Mendoza, Mendoza

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1926.

The Basilica was built in 1875 to replace a church destroyed by an earthquake.  It has a Neo-Romanesque façade and brick walls that are 3-feet thick.  The building originally had two towers and a central bell tower, but they were destroyed by a 1920 earthquake.  The Basilica has an image of the Virgin del Carmen de Cuyo, patron of the Army of the Andes.  The Army was led by General Jose de San Martin, who helped liberate southern South America from the Spanish.  San Martin’s command baton is also housed in the Basilica and San Martin’s daughter is buried in the Basilica.




The first two pictures are from local sources and the last is from Wikipedia.


Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Valley, Catamarca, Catamarca

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1941.

The Basilica serves as the Cathedral for the Diocese of Catamarca.  The first church on this site was built in 1695.  The current church was built between 1862 and 1875 in an Italian Neo-Renaissance style.  The bell tower, clock tower, and dome are all almost 140-feet tall.  The ceiling paintings were done by an Italian artist using the marouflage technique.  The Basilica has 11 chapels.




The top picture is from TripAdvisor and the other two are from Wikipedia.


Basilica of the Holy Rosary, Tucuman, Tucuman

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1941.

The Basilica was built by the Dominicans between 1863 and 1883—it is also referred to as the Church of St. Dominic.  The Basilica houses an image of the Virgin of the Rosary.  



Pictures are from Pinterest and TripAdvisor


Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, Villa del Rosario, Cordoba

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1955.

The Neo-Renaissance Basilica was built between 1886 and about 1901.  It was designed by an Italian architect who was killed, along with three assistants, when the dome collapsed in 1891.  The brick building has a bell tower and a clock tower.  





All pictures are from local sources.


Cathedral Basilica of St. Nicholas of Myra, La Rioja, La Rioja

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1955.

The Basilica is the Cathedral for the Diocese of La Rioja.  The building was constructed between 1910 and 1912 to replace a church destroyed in 1894 by an earthquake.  The church design mixes several architectural styles including neo-Byzantine, neo-Gothic, and Italian Baroque.  The Basilica has a black walnut carving of St. Nicholas made in Peru in the 17th Century.





Pictures are from the Basilica website, Flickr, Pinterest, and TripAdvisor.

Pictures with sources


Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, Mendoza, Mendoza

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John XXIII in 1962.

The Basilica was completed in 1959 and houses an image of Our Lady of the Rosary.  The image was brought here from Peru in 1590 by a Dominican priest.


From Facebook.


Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Carmel, Santiago del Estero, Santiago del Estero

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1971.

The Basilica is the Cathedral for the Diocese of Santiago del Estero.  It was built between 1868 and 1877 in a Neo-classical style and is the fifth church on this site.





Pictures are from a local source, TripAdvisor and Wikipedia.


Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Savior, San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1973.

The Basilica is the Cathedral for the Diocese of Jujuy.  The Spanish Colonial style church was built in the 1760s.




The first picture is from a local source and the last two are from Wikipedia.


Basilica and Convent of St. Francis, Salta, Salta

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1997.

The Italian Baroque-style Basilica was built between 1857 and 1872 to replace an earlier church destroyed by fire.  The 178-foot bell tower is said to be the highest in South America.  The church holds artifacts from the Battle of Salta fought in 1813 during the Argentine War for Independence.





All pictures are from Wikipedia.


Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken, Rivadavia, San Juan

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007.

The Basilica was built to replace an earlier church destroyed by a 1944 earthquake.  Devotion to Our Lady of the Forsaken has been popular in this area since at least the early 18th Century.


From Wikipedia.


Basilica of St. Francis, San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.

The Franciscans built a church on this site in 1599, but the current Basilica was built between 1925 and 1927 in a Classic Corinthian style.  The Basilica has seven Carrara marble altars.



Both are from local sources.


Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy, San Miguel de Tucuman, Tucuman

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.

The Neo-Colonial Basilica was built between 1947 and 1950, but there has been a church on this site since the 17th Century.  Local devotion to Our Lady of Mercy dates to that time but became especially important after the 1812 Battle of Tucuman during the Argentine War of Independence. 




The first picture is from Pinterest and the others are from Wikipedia.


Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows, Villa Dolores, Cordoba

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011.

The Basilica was built in the mid-19th Century.


From Pinterest.


Basilica of Our Lady of Lujan, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis 2014.

The Neo-Gothic Basilica was built between 1887 and 1935.  It is dedicated to the Patron of Argentina.  It has a clock tower and a bell tower with 15 bells.  There are 16 statues of apostles and evangelists.


From a local source.


Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation, Sampacho, Cordoba

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis 2022.

The Italianate Basilica was completed in 1902.




All pictures are from local sources.