Localization

Catedral de San Rosendo is located on the Gerardo Medina Street, between the Antonio Maceo and Ceferino Fernández.

Opening Hours

In 1688, Bishop Diego Evelino de Compostela who was determined to establish parish churches in urban and rural areas, founded the parish church of the town Pinar del Rio. It was dedicated to Saint Rosendo (Rudesindus Guterri in Latin) according to the tradition. Saint Rosendo was chosen as protector of this region by the first inhabitants when they attended a mass in a small hermitage under a pine forest on the banks of the Río Hato de San Mateo in the mid-17th century.

Saint Rosendo (907-977), Patron Saint of Pinar del Rio, was a Galician reforming bishop that founded several monasteries and abbeys, all under strict Benedictine Rule. He was canonized by Pope Celestine III in 1195.

The current solid building was inaugurated as parish church in 1883, parallel to the establishment of the city of Pinar del Rio. When the Diocese of Pinar del Río was established by Pope Leo XIII only nine months after the birth of the Republic in 1903 , the old parish church was elevated to the rank of bishopric and received the category of cathedral. It was consecrated by Bishop Manuel Ruiz y Rodríguez in 1914. This diocese covers the province of Pinar del Río and the western half of Artemisa, that is, the municipalities of San Cristóbal, Bahía Honda, Candelaria, Artemisa, Guanajay and Mariel.

The church has three naves, a larger central one and two lateral ones. Its style places it closer to neoclassical although with some evocations of the baroque style. On the neoclassical façade, there are the sculptures of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, made of stone. They were brought from Spain.



In the garden at the entrance of the church, there stands the sculpture of the Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Sacred Heart of Jesus). A sculpture in memory of the father, philosopher, politician, teacher and Cuban writer Félix Varela is located in the side garden of the Cathedral, accompanied by a plaque with the phrase: "Seek the glory of God in everything, sanctifying our actions, tending towards love of neighbor", by Varela.

There are important images inside the cathedral, such as the image of San Rosendo behind the altar. On his right stands the image of San José, and on his left stands the image of Virgin of Charity of El Cobre, Patron Saint of Cuba. A special place is reserved for the image of the Virgin of Sorrows, considered also the oldest and one of the most popular images that was used in the process along with Christ. The church also has an excellent stained glass window referencing the story of the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre.

the statue of Félix Varela