A Jewel of Havana’s Gothic Architecture
Photo Feature by Ernesto Gonzalez Díaz
HAVANA TIMES – Located in the La Víbora neighborhood, at the intersection of Buenaventura and Vista Alegre streets, just a few meters from the busy and populous 10 de Octubre Avenue, the “Los pasionistas” Church stands as a jewel of Gothic architecture in the capital. It was built in the 1940s based on the idea of Father Niceforo Diez to make it resemble the Burgos Cathedral in Spain, hence it has two towers and the 13th-century Gothic style. Both towers, 50 meters high, can be seen from various points in the city.
It was officially inaugurated on September 14, 1948, even though the two towers were not yet finished; they were completed in 1953. Like the Reina Church, located at the corner of Reina and Belascoain, it is a testament to Gothic art in Havana’s ecclesiastical architecture.
In addition to its majestic towers, it has a beautiful collection of perfectly preserved stained glass windows, each placed over a station of the Via Crucis, as well as a 19th-century organ, also in perfect condition.
The name “Los Pasionistas” comes from the Congregation of the Passion or the Passionist Fathers, founded in 1720 by St. Paul of the Cross, whose real name was Paolo Francesco Massari, an Italian priest born in Ovada in 1694. The emblem of this order can be found on the entrance porch of the church.
