CATHEDRAL Malaga

In 1487, Christian forces conquered the city of Malaga and pushed out the Muslim Moors. Just a few days later, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella ordered the Aljama mosque to be consecrated as a Christian temple and eventually for it to be replaced with a new cathedral.

Construction of the Cathedral of Malaga officially began in 1525. The famous architect Diego de Siloé, who designed several churches including the cathedral of Granada, was tasked with drawing up the plans.

But he was not the last architect to work on Malaga’s cathedral. In the decades that followed, several other famous architects from the day joined him.

This phase of the construction saw the building take on a Gothic style. Today the gothic portal is the best example of this style and the oldest part of the cathedral.

In 1588, although far from completion, the cathedral was consecrated.

In the 17^th century, several interior pieces were created. The most impressive is the choir which includes 44 intricately carved stalls. The choir was designed by Pedro de Mena (1628–1688), a protege of Alonso Cano (1601–1667), the main architect behind the Cathedral of Granada. De Mena’s choir is one of the cathedral’s most valuable works.

By the beginning of the 18^th century, it had been almost 100 years since any real work on the cathedral itself had taken place. By this time it was warned that the structure was in danger of collapsing.

Repair works started and the cathedral began to take on more influences from the Renaissance. In fact, it’s been said that all of the great Andalusian Renaissance architects had worked on Malaga’s cathedral at one time or another.

Later, José Martín de Aldehuela (1729-1802), the same architect that worked on the New Bridge of Ronda, added to the cathedral, including the organ. The cathedral’s facade began to be worked on and, with the changing styles, took on the more extravagant Baroque style.

Over the centuries, the construction of the Cathedral of Malaga amounted to an enormous expense. To fund the project, a tax was laid on all ships that docked in Malaga’s port. But even with the port taxes, it still wasn’t enough to finish the building of the cathedral.

The most notable missing part of the cathedral is the unfinished tower. The missing south tower is what gives the cathedral its nickname – La Manquita (the one armed lady). The north tower was however, completed. Its 84 m (276ft) height, makes it the second tallest cathedral in Andalusia after the Cathedral of Seville.

WHY WAS THE SECOND TOWER NEVER COMPLETED?

Money was set aside to complete the entire cathedral – it was simply used somewhere else. No one is quite sure exactly where the money was allocated, but there are two theories.

The more interesting theory is that the money was sent to the Malaga born Luis de Unzaga y Amézaga who was the Spanish Governor of Louisiana. It’s said that he used the money to help the Americans in their war of independence from the British.

In one instance, Luis de Unzaga sent a boat full of gunpowder up the Mississippi River to American forces under the protection of the Spanish Flag. This shipment was crucial in stopping the British from capturing Fort Pitt in Pennsylvania.

RECENT HISTORY

In 2000, some of the reliefs from the vaulted ceiling began to crumble due to their constant exposure to Malaga’s humid climate. Safety nets had to be installed to catch any debris that might fall.

Since then, several attempts to restore the building have taken place but the deterioration still continues. It’s estimated that around 7 millions euros are needed to restore everything and complete the cathedral.