Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Cochabamba. It is located in the Plaza 14 de Septiembre in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

History

The original structure was begun in 1571, atop the foundations of the 14th century Villa de Oropeza, making it the oldest structure in the valley. In 1618, the church administrators agreed to build a bigger church, both to renovate the deteriorating building and to accommodate the increasing populace. The current building was built in 1701 atop the foundation of the previous one. Construction was completed in 1735.
In September 2012, the cathedral was declared a National Heritage Site by the Senate of Bolivia.

Architecture

The cathedral's facade is a fusion of Spanish baroque and indigenous Bolivian styles. It has a Renaissance Latin Cross style groundplan. The structure itself is built of stone and adobe masonry, with the domes and vaults made with brick and lime mortar, ornamented with ceramic tiling.