Cathedral of St. Louis - St. Louis, Missouri
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BruceS
N 38° 38.524 W 090° 15.293
15S E 738917 N 4280633
Locally known as the "New Cathedral" the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis is the cathedral for the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
Waymark Code: WMCKJN
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 09/17/2011
Views: 11
The CATHEDRAL OF ST. LOUIS, 4400 Lindell Blvd., is a $3,000,000 gray-granite structure of developed Byzantine style, measuring 204 by 305 feet. It was begun May 1, 1907, and dedicated October 18, 1914. Work on the structure has continued steadily since that time, Barnett, Haynes & Barnett were the architects.
Three domes rise behind the two 157-foot towers facing Lindell Boulevard; only one, however, the 227-foot central dome covered with green tile and topped by a gold cross, is visible from the street. The floor plan of the cathedral is that of the Greek cross. The narthex or vestibule, measuring 21 by 90 feet, and 26 feet high, has 10 mosaic ceiling panels depicting the life of St. Louis, The nave is covered by a great dome resting upon pendentives and flanked by two semidomes. Mosaics, planned to cover the surface of the domes, are only partially completed (1940). With the exception of those in the chapels and on the sanctuary wall, which were done by Tiffany & Company, the mosaics in the cathedral were designed by Albert Oerken of Germany, and executed by the Ravenna Mosaic, Inc., and Emil Frei, Inc., of St. Louis. The entire wall space is done in banded courses of yellow Verona and Champville marbles. Two great rose windows are set in the north and south walk The south window is predominantly blue; the north window is predominantly red, with a cross as the center motif. An interior gallery entirely surrounds the building. Detached from the nave by ambulatories are four chapels: The Blessed Sacrament Chapel, the Virgin Mother, or Lady Chapel, All Souls' Chapel, and All Saints' Chapel. The main altar dominating the sanctuary Is covered by a baldacchino 57 feet high, the dome of which is supported by 10 monolithic columns 2 feet In diameter and 20 feet In height of red Verona, yellow Sienna, Fiori de Pesco, and verd antique marbles. The bases of the columns are of golden-black Oporto marble, and the capitals are of Trani marble. The altar itself is of yellow Sienna marble. - Missouri: A Guide to the 'Show Me' State, St. Louis section, pgs. 321-322
The Cathedral of St. Louis was designated a basilica by Pope John Paul II on April 4, 1997 and on October 19, 1997, the 150th anniversary of the elevation of the Diocese of St. Louis to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Louis, the Cathedral was elevated to a minor basilica and renamed Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.
The installation of the mosaics in the interior began in 1912 and was finally completed in 1988. The installation involved 20 different artists and contains 41.5 million glass tessarae pieces in over 7,000 colors. covering 83,000 quare feet it is the largest mosaic collection in the world.
The cathedral is open daily for tours either self guided or with a tour group escort.