Old Cathedral of Quelimane
| Old Cathedral of Quelimane | |
|---|---|
| Church of Our Lady of Liberation | |
| Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Livramento | |
| |
| Location | Quelimane |
| Country | Mozambique |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Founder(s) | Baltasar Pereira do Lago |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Inactive |
| Style | Portuguese colonial |
| Years built | 1776-1786 |
| Completed | 1786 |
| Closed | 1976 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Quelimane (since 1954) |
The Church of Our Lady of Liberation (Portuguese: Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Livramento), commonly known as the Old Cathedral (Portuguese: Catedral Velha), is an 18th-century Roman Catholic church in Quelimane, Mozambique. It is located at the southern end of the city, facing the banks of the Quelimane River. Built by Portuguese missionaries in the 1770s and 80s, it was named a national monument in 1943. Upon the establishment of the Diocese of Quelimane in 1954, it was elevated to cathedral status. When the New Cathedral of Quelimane was completed in 1976, the old cathedral was abandoned. Although it has fallen into decay, it remains a city landmark and a tourist attraction, and there are plans to restore the building in 2018.
Portuguese missionaries began building the church in 1776. According to local tradition, the cathedral was built on the site near where Vasco da Gama tied his ships to a large tree while en route to India in 1498. The church's construction began under Governor Baltasar Manuel Pereira do Lago, but stopped after his death. Construction resumed under Governor António de Melo e Castro. It was completed in 1786 and dedicated as the Church of Our Lady of Liberation (Portuguese: Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Livramento). Its design was reportedly based on the Sé Cathedral in Goa, India.
On 3 August 1943, it was declared a national monument of Portuguese Mozambique, for its historical significance to Zambezia Province, and especially Quelimane. On 6 October 1954, the Diocese of Quelimane was erected with territory taken from the Diocese of Beira. That year, Our Lady of Liberation was inaugurated as the diocese's cathedral. When the New Cathedral of Quelimane was completed, the old cathedral was used by other religious congregations, but gradually fell into disuse and neglect. As the cathedral became visibly abandoned, it became frequented by criminals, making it dangerous to visit. It also became home to around ten street children. Over the years, church officials made efforts to restore the cathedral, but were unable to raise the necessary funds. All the diocese could afford was the construction of temporary fencing to protect the historic building from intruders.
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Wikipedia