Iglesia Catedral Basilica menor in La Rioja

The Argentinean city of La Rioja has a unique site. The Catholic Cathedral -  Iglesia Catedral Basilica, is located on the main square of the city. It is sanctified in honor of the St. Nicholas from Bari, the patron of the city.

Previously, there was the Church of Our Lady, but the earthquake of 1894 destroyed it. However, the holy place was not empty for a long time. 

The cathedral, a pattern of architectural art, was erected in a short time. Its construction took two years, from 1910 to 1912.

The architect Juan B. Arnaldi designed the cathedral. If you look at this magnificent building, it would be hard to define its architectural style. The facade of the shrine is performed in the Byzantine style, and the spires are related to the Gothic one and look like European temples, while the dome is a pattern of elegant Italian Baroque.

However, despite the mixture of conflicting styles, the cathedral looks luxurious and harmonious. The architect did a perfect job. He managed to combine the incompatible. Today, Iglesia Catedral Basilica Menor is the essential site of the city from a religious and tourist point of view. People consider it the center of beauty and admiration.

You can look at the cathedral for a long time. It is perfect both outside and inside. But visitors and travelers pay more attention to a small room behind the presbytery. It is a chapel built in 1945 by the architect Orestes Morganti. The Florentine brought the influence of Renaissance churches of his native Italy to the decor of the chapel in the Argentine city.

If the cathedral is the heart of the city, then the chapel is the heart of the cathedral. It cherishes the image of Bishop St. Nicholas from Bari.