St. Michael's Cathedral

The Cathedral of St. Michael and All Angels, originally known as the Church of St. Michael was first built in 1628 on the site which is now occupied by the other city church, St. Mary's on Lower Broad Street in the capital city of Bridgetown, Barbados. This initial wooden structure rotted very quickly and soon had to be replaced. The church was then rebuilt in 1641 at the present location of the Cathedral but this church too, was constructed of wood and was also very small especially when compared to the colossal structure which exists today. In any case the new church was rebuilt on a parcel of land that was donated by Col. William Sharpe for the expressed purpose of the rebuilding and expansion of the church.

The new church building had some very impressive architectural elements; the beautiful barrel vaulted ceiling and the arched ceiling (the inverted boat’s prow) above the altar which resembles an upturned boat from the outside are just two examples. This exceptional model of master carpentry was, at one time, considered to be the widest ceiling in the world. The cathedral also features galleries running along three sides of the church (north, south and west) as well as some very striking examples of stained glass windows, quite like the one featuring Michael, the arch angel, with a drawn sword which is located directly the behind the altar.

Google rating: 4.2/5.0
Location: St Michael Row, Bridgetown, Barbados