Catedral Nueva

Cuenca's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, often known as the New Cathedral of Cuenca (Catedral Nueva), is the city's cathedral church. It is located just across from Parque Calderon.

Juan Bautista Stiehle (1829-1899), a German-born Franciscan who arrived in Cuenca from Alsace in 1873, drew up the Cathedral's plan based on Bishop León Garrido's proposals. The function of the adjoining Old Cathedral, which had grown too small, was taken up by the Cathedral. The construction began in 1885 and lasted nearly a century. This structure incorporates a variety of architectural styles, but the Romanesque Revival is the most prominent. Three massive domes above the cathedral are clad in spectacular blue and white glazed tile from Czechoslovakia. Guillermo Larrazábal, a Spanish artist, designed the stained-glass windows.

Its towers are shortened because of an architect's mathematical miscalculation. The foundation of this Church to the Immaculate Conception would not have been able to take the weight if they had been raised to their projected height. Despite the architect's monumental error, the domes' skyline has become a symbol for the city. The building's exterior is built of alabaster and local marble, and the floor is covered in Carrara pink marble (Italy). When the Cathedral was first built, it could accommodate 9,000 of Cuenca's 10,000 residents.

Location: Cuenca, Ecuador