Catedral Metropolitana de Quito — Attraction in Centro Histórico

From the outside, this place looks quite impressive, with its white tower and distinctive green and yellow checked domes on the roof. But for $4, you can enter and see the inside, with its many huge pieces of art, depicting many religious scenes. As the inside of religious buildings go, this one is relatively basic. But the real reason to pay to enter is to go up to the roof. I walked around the whole building a few times, and found a lovely little library, but no stairs. I went back to where I had paid and asked how I could get up to the roof, as I had seen people up there. She provided me with an English speaking guide, which I initially thought was strange... I just needed directions to the stairs. I followed the guide across the building and she stopped at a tiny door, which looked like a cupboard. She then told me to watch my head, shoulders and arms, which again, I thought was strange. She then asked me if I was claustrophobic and then opened this tiny door and climbed inside and beckoned me to follow her. Inside was a tiny set of curved winding stairs, no more than a metre wide. I followed her until we got to a little path inside and then we reached some more tiny stairs, but this time, there were metal bars across the entrance. We literally had to climb over and then under these bars and although I'm slim, it was a struggle to get through. Large people will not fit - see the photo. But after this little assault course, we were soon out on the roof and what a sight it was. From the roof, you can see many colourful domes, one of which has tiny stairs built into it, which the guides beckoned me to climb. With a fear of heights, it felt a little unsafe, but it was well worth it, because the views from this position were incredible. We could see the entire Grand Plaza in front of the building, plus the whole surrounding area. This alone was well worth the entrance fee. It was an unexpected adventure to get there too. I can't recommend this enough. It was the...

I visited the Metropolitan Cathedral of Quito. The entrance fee comes with a guided tour and I was attended by Andres.

Andres was a knowledgeable and friendly guide. He took the effort to explain the intricate details of the Cathedral that I would otherwise missed, such as the details of the statues and paintings, and the influence of local culture and history on those. He guided me to the dome and explained to me how the forces of federal and local city politics and religions came into play in the past as enunciated through the importance of the Independence Square.

Despite an immaterial language difference, I was pleasantly impressed by Andres. I could understand him very well. He is dedicated and passionate about touring me around. I learned a lot from him and would highly recommend others to engage him when you visit the Cathedral! He deserves a compliment for...

Otro edificio indispensable en una ciudad española era la catedral, una de las primeras construcciones en levantarse aquí durante el siglo xvi en los mismos comienzos de la Colonia.

En sus inicios fue de adobe y madera; más tarde se hizo más fuerte y maciza, con un estilo que se ha señalado como gótico-mudéjar, que se deja ver ya en su fachada. Situada, claro está, como edificio principal en la Plaza Grande, uno de sus atractivos exteriores para muchos entendidos está en el pretil que da sobre esta plaza y en la simetría de las piedras del arco o templete de Carondelet.

Pero la desigual topografía sobre la que se asienta la ciudad ya muestra aquí su injerencia y determinación.

Los especialistas señalan cómo el atrio corredizo no sólo fue una solución para ese difícil terreno, sino que ayudó en los planes evangelizadores de los primeros misioneros para reunir a la feligresía antes de entrar al templo.

Es evidente que toda la distribución del edificio está concebida según las irregularidades del terreno. De hecho, la mayor parte de los materiales vienen de las canteras del cercano Pichincha.

La gradería en abanico y las puertas completan un conjunto arquitectónico que luego, en su interior, indica ya la riqueza y belleza de un estilo que quedó inscrito en el arte religioso del mundo.

La catedral de Quito fue asignada desde sus comienzos al obispo de la ciudad. El artesonado de madera de cedro de sus techos recuerda la riqueza del conjunto. Los retablos con sus tallas, las pinturas murales y otros ornamentos de indudable belleza configuran un entorno rico y sugestivo. Julio Pazos Barrera lo describe con las siguientes palabras: «el coro bajo es semicircular y en su parte inferior se han adosado asientos tallados y dorados que los ocupan los miembros del cabildo diocesano. El púlpito y los retablos de las capillas son barrocos. Guarda la catedral frescos de Bernardo Rodríguez y Manuel Samaniego. La gran pintura de la Asunción de la Virgen, ubicada en la parte alta del coro, es obra de Samaniego, y en un altar del trascoro se exhibe la singular escultura de la Sábana Santa de Caspicara».

A estas piezas, obra de los artistas más connotados del arte quiteño, cabe sumar aquella que realizó el padre Carlos, La negación de San Pedro. Sin duda, en esta y en las demás creaciones citadas se pone de manifiesto el alto grado de sofisticación y belleza que había alcanzado el arte quiteño, resaltando las cualidades de sus grandes maestros y el nivel artístico insuperable a que habían llegado las artes...