Catedral de León
Good for: free admission, admiring architecture
- Address
- Calle Central Rubén Darío Town Center
- Website
Lonely Planet review for Catedral de León
Construction of León's most famous building began in 1747 and went on for over a hundred years. The largest cathedral in Central America, it was voted by the Nicaraguan National Assembly as the country's 'building of the millennium'. This architectural jewel is also home to Rubén Darío's tomb, guarded on one side of the altar by a sorrowful lion.
According to local legend, the city's leaders feared their original grandiose design for the structure would be turned down by Spanish imperial authorities, so they submitted a more modest, but bogus, set of plans.
The fairly sober facade (more triumph-of-the-will Neoclassicism than fluttering cherubs) fronts an interior that is a pantheon of Nicaraguan culture. Along with León's favorite son Darío, the cathedral is the final resting place of lesser known poets Alfonso Cortés and Salomón de la Selva, as well as Miguel Larreynaga. It's a high vaulted, light and unornamented space.
Traveller reviews for Catedral de León (1)
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Beautiful architecture, not easy to learn more about
andymk recommends this,
The cathedral is definitely an imposing structure and the heart of Leon. It is a beautiful building a UNESCO site. We were unable to find anyone there to tell us more about it though. We did not know Ruben Dario was buried there, for example, until afterward. Be careful poking around, as the cathedral is still used by many as a place of worship.
Good for: free admission, admiring architecture
