The Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago (Spanish: Catedral Metropolitana de Santiago) is the seat

Cathedra

A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...

 of the Archbishop of Santiago de Chile

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile

The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile is part of the Roman Catholic Church in Chile. The current Archbishop is Ricardo Ezzati Andrello...

, currently Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, and the center of the archdiocese of Santiago de Chile

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile

The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile is part of the Roman Catholic Church in Chile. The current Archbishop is Ricardo Ezzati Andrello...

. Construction of the cathedral began in 1748 and ended in 1800; further alterations ordered at the end of the 19th century give it its present appearance. Previous cathedrals in the archdiocese had been destroyed by earthquakes.

The cathedral, located in the city's historic center, faces Santiago's Plaza de Armas

Plaza de Armas

The Plaza de Armas is the name for the main square in many Latin American cities. In Mexico this space is known as El Zócalo, and in Central America as Parque Central...

 and stands near the Palacio Arzobispal de Santiago, the administrative center for the archdiocese. The cathedral is also close to the Parroquia El Sagrario, a Catholic temple and a Chilean national monument.

External links

• Website for the Cathedral
• http://www.iglesiadesantiago.cl