Merida Cathedral Bathed in Sunlight
by Mark Tisdale
Title
Merida Cathedral Bathed in Sunlight
Artist
Mark Tisdale
Medium
Photograph - Photo
Description
The first time I saw the large colonial cathedral on the main zocalo in Merida, I was struck by its imposing size and the general rough-hewn feel it has. As it turns out the Cathedral of San Ildefonso in Merida is actually one of the oldest cathedrals in the Americas, built in 1598. I've read that it's more of a mix of Neoclassical and Moorish architecture in design, which may explain why it felt less like the typical Spanish Colonial churches in Mexico, many of which follow the baroque style.
It may also owe to this being built when the Yucatan and the Americas were the frontier for Spain. The building materials for the church were even re-used stone from a Mayan city, T'ho, that had stood here before the Spanish arrived.
This picture was taken on one of the last afternoon's of my first visit to Merida. Each afternoon as the heat of the day started to break, these great clouds started forming. The result is my favorite type of feature-rich sky! I would custom order these skies if I could! But to go along with those great skies that afternoon in Merida, the sun really seemed to light up the cathedral, bathing it in a warm glow just before dropping over the horizon. The light was so different to the other afternoons that I began a death march back to the main plaza. I had to get this photo of the historic cathedral before the light was lost. So I'm particularly proud of this picture of Merida's colonial cathedral.
Uploaded
April 9th, 2013
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