Metropolitan Cathedral Research Articles

Metropolitan Cathedral Choir. 100 Years Since Its Foundation

In 2022, the Choir of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Cluj-Napoca celebrated 100 years of uninterrupted activity in the field of church music. The centenary of the Cluj choir can be considered a particularly important event, both for the Transylvanian musical space and for the tradition of Romanian choral music. Founded in 1922, the Metropolitan Cathedral Choir has had an outstanding musical career, having performed countless religious concerts, cultural and missionary activities, and participated in religious and secular ceremonies. The recognition of the artistic contribution of the Metropolitan Choir is largely due to its prolific activity in the musical field, which has led to increased visibility, both locally and nationally. With a constant activity of 100 years, the Cathedral Choir has had at the conductor’s desk, but also among the choristers, outstanding personalities of Romanian music. Among those who have led its musical destiny we remember: Gheorghe Dima, Vasile Petrașcu, Augustin Bena, Sava Golumba, Ioan Brie, Vasile Stanciu. Through the prestige it has acquired over time, the Metropolitan Cathedral Choir has become a benchmark for church choirs in the Diocese of Vad, Feleac and Cluj, being a benchmark of mastery and virtuosity. Keywords: diocesan choir, choral music, church choir, conductors, cathedral, centenary

Reliability-Based Seismic Safety Assessment of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Brasília

Recent destructive earthquakes in Turkey (2023) with devastating effects have reawakened the discussion about seismic activity in Brazil and the vulnerability of the Brazilian buildings. Despite the lower magnitudes, national records should not be disregarded, as earthquakes with a magnitude below five may still cause loss of life and property damage. The assessment of existing RC buildings allows us to understand the performance of a structure during an earthquake and the adoption of mitigating measures. This paper preliminarily investigates the seismic vulnerability of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Brasilia, which was recognized as a World Heritage Site by ONU in 1987. The Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) procedure has been adopted for qualitative vulnerability assessment through the guidelines of the Japan Building Disaster Prevention Association at the procedure updated in accordance with the Brazilian reality. This research examined the structure under horizontal acceleration defined by national seismic code, and various scenarios are assumed as time aging, structural irregularities, and the level of importance of the structure. In this study, the Monte Carlo simulation is carried out to evaluate the level of safety. A performed analysis has shown that the examined building possesses the seismic capacity required against the expected earthquake motions. Even with reliability analysis, the structure achieves an acceptable level of safety. The results highlight the importance of a probabilistic approach to make reliable decisions on the conservation and rehabilitation of architectural heritage buildings.

Venidas y vueltas de la Virgen de los Remedios: entre lo serio y lo jocoso

Abstract The celebration of the transfer of the image of the Virgin of Los Remedios from her sanctuary in Naucalpan to the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City was described in a series of versified accounts, from which at least eight different printed pamphlets written by different authors, dated 1653–1685, are known, as well as a poetic programme from 1621. This article analyses their rhetorical construction, and their style, which is sometimes serious, and sometimes jocose, situating them, moreover, in the discourse used by the chroniclers and historians of this time, in order to observe how verbal aesthetics around a particular phenomenon is being transformed from 1616 to 1685.

150 Anniversary of the Opening of Real School in Chișinău: Following an Educational Tour in Iași

The dialogue with Alla Ceastina, who’s the doctor in the study of arts, senior scientific researcher, focuses on an interesting document discovered in the National Archives Agency of the Republic of Moldova, which provides information about the trip of a group consisting of 25 students and 4 teachers from the Real School for the boys travelling from Chișinău to the Romanian city of Iași, which took place at 4 and 5 October 1909. Today it is particularly interesting to follow in the footsteps of this excursion, surprisingly rich in historical facts, to visit architectural monuments such as: the Church of the Three Holy Hierarchs, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Saint Nicholas Church, the university, the theater, etc. Such a trip to Iași city remains relevant and can present the basis of a modern exciting tourist route for any guide. It’s known that the Real School for the boys of Chișinău opened on December 6, 1873, and its purpose was the development of practical and technical skills with the completion of general education. So, this year we celebrate 150 years since its establishment, it’s an additional reason to remember this institution.

The Personality of the Conductor, Teacher, Composer and Jury Gavriil Mu

Religious music and secular music in Moldova, and especially in Iasi, have a history that fully deserves to be known and analyzed. After its construction, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Iași became the sacred place suitable both for the conduct of Orthodox liturgical worship, in general, and the favorable space for the manifestation and evolution of psaltic church music, of the Byzantine tradition, as well as choral music, introduced in our country, in religious worship, especially through the Russian sector. In the course of time, conductors, protopsalti and composers of both notations contributed to the beautification of religious services and to the enrichment of the psaltic and choral repertoire, through exceptional compositions. Among them all, Gavriil Musicescu shone the most, a complex personality, especially in the musical field. The history of the choir of the Cathedral of Iaşi is closely related to its name and the context of the beginning of the organization of choral music in Moldova, since the early years of the 19th century.

Apogee and Decline of Chilean Cathedral Music in the Nineteenth Century: Revisiting the Historiographical Canon

Samuel Claro Valdés established the idea of the nineteenth-century apogee and decline of cathedral music in Chile. From his point of view, performances by religious musicians represented the decline of music staged at the Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral, whereas secular masters represented a period of apogee there. This article draws on evidence-based research to show that his historical narrative is not built on hard facts related to musical performance. The basis for our critique is an in-depth study of the historical context and professional life of choirmaster Manuel Arrieta—a figure allegedly responsible, in Claro Valdés’s interpretations, for the cathedral’s musical decline.

Archaeological explorations in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Panama

Tras la destrucción de Panamá Viejo en 1671, la población fue trasladada a lo que se conoce como el Casco Antiguo o San Felipe, fundado dos años más tarde, en 1673. Este nuevo emplazamiento es, actualmente, el centro histórico de la Ciudad de Panamá, el cual fue declarado Patrimonio Mundial en 1997 (Figura 1). Uno de los inmuebles emblemáticos del Casco Antiguo es la Catedral Metropolitana, ubicada en la plaza principal de la antigua ciudad. En el año 2010 se dio inicio a un proyecto de evaluación y diagnóstico del estado actual del templo, el cual incluyó una exploración arqueológica con objetivos acotados, relacionados con interrogantes estructurales del inmueble. Este trabajo ofrece los resultados de tales exploraciones, precisando la estrategia metodológica utilizada y generando una serie de hipótesis y recomendaciones que serán de utilidad al futuro proyecto de intervención y restauración del templo.

Cultural Astronomy in Hispanic-Indigenous Contexts of Central Chile

We present the results of an archaeoastronomical analysis of structures dating from the Inca and early colonial periods in the Mapocho River basin, Chile. Our purpose is to show possible continuities or ruptures in the creation and management of architectural and natural spaces, particularly those linked to the observation of astronomical phenomena with ceremonial and calendrical significance in the Andean world. We focus on Santiago, where we undertook topographical and horizon survey work at the Main Square, Metropolitan Cathedral, San Francisco Church and Santa Lucía Hill, and evaluate documentary and ethnographic sources. Using models developed in cultural astronomy and landscape archaeology, we found these places were ancient observation spots for the Sun and Moon around the solstices, equinoxes and lunar standstills. Sightlines (ceques) may have connected these places to potentially sacred elements of the environment from a central point located in the Main Square (haukaypata).

Recreational Centers in Chisinau in the Vision of Visual Artists

One of the genres of easel painting that remains less pretentious to politics is landscape. The city of Chisinau, one of the most important cities of the Republic, was and remains a source of inspiration for artists Eugenia Gamburd, Rostislav Ocușco, Mihail Petric, Filimon Hămuraru, Ludmila Țonceva, Vasile Toma, Inesa Țîpina, Petru Jireghea, Ion Jumatii, Ion Chitoroagă, Florentin Leancă and others. That is one of the topics addressed by artists reflecting moments of relaxation, rest, sports - recreational centres (parks, lakes, stadiums etc.). This article analyzes the paintings from the collection of the National Museum of Art of Moldova, but also the private collections of plastic artists concerning the rest areas of Chisinau. These paintings made on the subject under research can be attributed not only to the landscape genre but also, in some cases, to genre painting. The subject becomes current for painters with the arrangement of the capital’s parks: The square of the Ensemble of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Chisinau, the Public Garden of Chisinau, the Botanical Garden, the Valley of Roses park, the Valley of Mills park, the Ghidighici Reservoir, the Dinamo Stadium etc.

The Influence of Interpretation through Guiding Tour, Quality of Reception and Relics’ Worship on the Satisfaction of Pilgrims Attending the Iasi Feast

Recently, in line with the increased attention paid to cultural tourism in general and to religious tourism in particular, researchers and practitioners have become increasingly interested in the analysis of various aspects related to cultural heritage in order to capitalize on its value by means of its interpretation, thus providing beneficial effects both for tourists and for tourism’s sustainable development. The aim of this research is to analyze the extent to which the methods of interpretation of the religious cultural heritage: guiding tours, quality reception, and relic worship influence the satisfaction of tourists participating in the “Saint Parascheva” pilgrimage, held annually by the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iasi. The data were collected by means of a survey (N = 932) and the information was processed by using the SPSS version 25 program. Our results indicate the significant influence that the potential to worship relics has on pilgrims’ satisfaction compared to other interpretation methods, such as the relationship with the Cathedral’s staff or the possibility of participating in guided tours. Pilgrims’ satisfaction is also perceived differently depending on certain aspects of their socio-demographic profile, i.e., their age and the perceived faith level. This study is relevant for researchers, managers, and students interested in the field of cultural heritage interpretation in genera, and in the field of religious heritage in particular, and could significantly contribute to improving pilgrims’ satisfaction as well as cultural heritage preservation.

Palaeologan Veria: A Peripheral Center under the Perspective of Its Monuments The Case of the Marble Decoration from the Old Metropolitan Cathedral as a Possible Donation by Christian Members of the Seljuk Dynasty

By the rising of the Palaiologan dynasty in Constantinople, regional centers on the Greek mainland, such as Veria, lived and prospered under the influence of the Byzantine capital, and at the same time geographically close Thessaloniki. The essay presents sculptures that came to light during the first phase of the investigations and the main phase of restoration of the Old Metropolis in Veria during the years 2011–2015. The sculptures decorated with arabesque motifs form a group with common stylistic features and are associated with a phase of renewal of the church’s liturgical furnishings in the first two decades of the 14th century, when the ecclesiastical seat of Veria was raised from an Archdiocese to a Metropolitan seat. The subject matter of the sculptures, although widespread in the Palaiologan era as the result of the interaction of the Christian with the Islamic world, might be associated with the presence, documented by written sources, of the family of Sultan ‘Izz ad-Dın Kaykaus II in Veria. The study of the documents, sources and published material and assessment of the evidence relating to members of the Seljuk ruling house of Iconium who settled in Byzantine territories of Imathia, the region of Veria including the village of Komanitzes, and the areas of Meliki, Ressiane, and Nese, reveals three noble families who took over the lands and general administration during the Palaiologan era. Since it is known from the archival researches of E. Gara that the Old Metropolis of Veria and its environs were known in the late 16th and early 17th century as the Melek Monastery, we think it is probable that the architectural sculptures described above were given to the church by that family, who could have been its patrons and benefactors.

Болгарсько-українські культурні відносини пері-оду пізнього Середньовіччя у працях українсь-ких учених ХІХ–першої чверті ХХ ст.

Болгарсько-українські культурні відносини пері-оду пізнього Середньовіччя у працях українсь-ких учених ХІХ–першої чверті ХХ ст.

La coronación de Agustín I de México en los sermones religiosos impresos

Este artículo analiza los cuatro sermones publicados sobre la coronación del militar Agustín de Iturbide como emperador del Imperio mexicano, que tuvo lugar en la catedral metropolitana el 21 de julio de 1822. A través de dichos documentos se estudian los referentes político-culturales y religiosos que manejaron los autores eclesiásticos a la hora de legitimar al nuevo emperador y explicar el proceso que había llevado hasta su coronación. Las opiniones que sostuvieron permiten un acercamiento a las interpretaciones que realizaron sobre la independencia del país, así como al modelo de gobierno que idearon. También se observan las pretensiones de buscar un encaje privilegiado para la Iglesia en el Imperio, tratando de evitar tentativas regalistas.

A Triumphal Arch for the Count of Moctezuma: Architectural Poetics and Artistic Competition at the Cathedral of Mexico City, ca. 1670–1700

In seventeenth-century Mexico City, the viceroys appointed by the kings of Spain began their tenures by processing through two ephemeral triumphal arches, one of them erected at the portal to the west transept of the Metropolitan Cathedral. The designs of those arches and their decoration with paintings on mythological themes are recorded in festival books printed to accompany the ceremonial entries. Previous scholarship has focused on the iconographic programs of the arches, seeing them as official statements on good government and the expression of an elite self-image. Less attention has been paid to the architectural structures themselves, the focus of ATriumphal Arch for the Count of Moctezuma: Architectural Poetics and Artistic Competition at the Cathedral of Mexico City, ca. 1670–1700. In this essay, Michael Schreffler presents a close and comparative reading of the descriptions of the arches in the festival books, providing insights into architectural knowledge and artistic competition in seventeenth-century Mexico City.

СТАНОВЛЕННЯ КРАКІВСЬКО-ЛЕМКІВСЬКОЇ ПРАВОСЛАВНОЇ ЄПАРХІЇ В ПЕРІОД ДРУГОЇ СВІТОВОЇ ВІЙНИ

The article deals with the history of the Orthodox Church in German-occupied Poland (Generalgouvernement), which remained autocephalous and continued to be headed by Metropolitan Dionisii Valedynskyi. In February 1941 Palladii Vydybida-Rudenko was ordained in Warsaw as archbishop of Cracow and the Lemko region. He swore to work solely for the benefit of the Ukrainian Church and the Ukrainian people; complete obedience to Archbishop Ilarion Ohiienko; and to vote during synods exactly like Ilarion, never against. After the German invasion of the USSR and the attachment of Galicia to the GG, Palladii was subsequently also named bishop of Lviv, and was elected chancellor of the Orthodox Church in the Generalgouvernement. Newly created Cracow-Lemko region eparchy numbered approximately 40 parishes. Archbishop Palladii transferred perceived Russophile priests from the region to Warsaw and replaced them with younger, Ukrainian clerics. The Ukrainian accent or language were used during church services; what constituted a ‘legal basis’ for nationalization. However, the eparchy has limited opportunities for the development of the Ukrainian national and church movement due to the opposition of the Greek Catholic lobby in German administration, lack of patriotic priests and war time difficulties. That is why Archbishop Palladii, which constantly living in Warsaw and served in Metropolitan cathedral, met with little success in the Ukrainization of Orthodoxy in Lemko region. In 1942 the synod of bishops adopted certain internal statutes that were later acknowledged by the German authorities as well. The statutes spoke very clearly about the prevailing Ukrainian spirit in the Church. The further growth of the Orthodox Church in the Generalgouvernement was, however, impeded with the withdrawal of the Germans and subsequent chaotic developments. Both Archbishop Ohiienko and Archbishop Vydybida-Rudenko sought refuge in the West.

Present-day land subsidence rates, surface faulting hazard and risk in Mexico City with 2014–2020 Sentinel-1 IW InSAR

Among the fastest sinking cities globally, the metropolitan area of Mexico City is the target of an unprecedented satellite investigation based on over 300 Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Interferometric Wide swath mode scenes acquired in 2014–2020. Two-pass differential Interferometric SAR (InSAR) and the parallelized Small BAseline Subset (SBAS) repeat-pass InSAR approach provide a complete account of spatial patterns, long-term trend and present-day settlement rates affecting the city. The 3D deformation field reveals that foremost is the role of the vertical velocity VU, with peaks of −38.7 cm/year in Nezahualcóyotl, −32.0 cm/year in Gustavo A. Madero and Venustiano Carranza, and −39.1 cm/year in Iztapalapa. Settlement at the metropolitan Cathedral in Cuauhtémoc is ongoing at up to −8.8 cm/year, consistently with the last six decades. Volcanic edifices mark ground stability “islets” inside the main subsidence bowls. East-west rates are limited, except for some horizontal strain (up to ±5 cm/year) within the subsidence bowls. Comparison with surface geology and geotechnical zoning confirms that aquitard compaction is the predominant process. The power relationship between VU [cm/year] and the thickness of lacustrine clay deposits HC [m] is: VU=176∗HC1.8. The 2019–2020 deformation scenario shows that subsidence still involves most of Nezahualcóyotl, with −3.0 cm/month VU. A well-defined long-term deformation behaviour comes out from 2014–2019 InSAR time series and comparison with 2008–2020 GPS data. RMSE of 0.9 cm is found at MMX1 station deployed within the lacustrine unit, and 0.6 cm at TNGF station onto hard volcanic rocks. The sharpest subsidence gradients and angular distortions β in 2017–2019 (up to over 1/400, i.e. 0.14°) – thus the greatest vulnerability to surface faulting and cracking as a consequence of large tensile stress in the soil caused by differential settlement – are found at the foothills of Sierra de Santa Catarina, Peñón del Marqués, Cerro Chimalhuachi, Peñón de los Baños and Sierra de Chichinautzin, where the transition unit is narrower (or absent). Faults and cracks develop where β > 1/3000, i.e. 0.03%, in 2017–2019. The observed width of the influence zone (i.e. damage band), where β is still significant to induce damage, is 250 m. Differential settlement and surface faulting could compromise the serviceability of housing and utility infrastructure. It is estimated that over 457,000 properties and 1.5 million inhabitants of the Valley of Mexico Metropolitan Area (ZMVM) are in zones at high to very high surface faulting risk, mainly in Iztapalapa, Tláhuac, Chimalhuacán and Chalco. Increased flood exposure due to formation of topographic depressions involves over 751,000 properties and ~2.7 million inhabitants of the ZMVM, mainly in Nezahualcóyotl, Tláhuac, Venustiano Carranza, Iztapalapa, Gustavo A. Madero and Ecatepec de Morelos. These municipalities are often hit by catastrophic floods.

Entre destellos se desvanece una devoción: la imagen de oro de la Asunción, patrona de la catedral metropolitana de México

The main purpose of this paper is to analyze representations of the Assumption of the Virgin, patroness of the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral in New Spain. In 1610, a superb golden figure of the Assunta was acquired and located in a silver tabernacle by the new main altarpiece, which was dedicated in 1673. In the eighteenth century, this altarpiece was substituted with a new one designed by Jerónimo de Balbás, where the golden statue was eventually relocated. Since the Assunta has generally been overlooked in colonial historiography, I intend to answer the following questions: What were the aesthetic and symbolic values, based upon the theological ideas at the time in the Spanish and Catholic worlds, guiding the representation of Mary in this golden image? What was its agency in relationship to materiality, form, and usage in liturgical contexts and religious festivals?

Seismic assessment of irregular masonry macro-elements through a nonlinear framed model: a case study

The seismic assessment of heritage structures with complex architecture, such as masonry churches, remains a challenging task. In most cases, an accurate and reliable assessment of this type of constructions requires computationally expensive nonlinear analyses. Due to this, simplified models, with an optimal compromise between accuracy and computational burden, continue to be necessary. This paper focuses on assessing the performance of an equivalent framed model, built from beam–column elements with concentrated plasticity at the ends, to simulate the in-plane seismic response of irregular masonry macro-elements. The case under study is the nave macro-element of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago, Chile. The performance of the proposed model is evaluated by comparing its results with the results of a previously generated model based on the rigid body spring model, considering both static and dynamic analysis. The proposed model, which is generated in the open source software OpenSees, shows that can satisfactorily reproduce the macro-element’s state of deterioration for different seismic intensities.

ESPECIES MADERABLES Y AGENTES PATÓGENOS DEL RETABLO DE LOS REYES DE LA CATEDRAL METROPOLITANA DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO


 
 
 El Retablo de los Reyes es una obra de arte en madera, elaborada de 1718 a 1737, que está ubicada en la Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México; es considerado patrimonio cultural y una muestra cumbre en su género, además de haber sido un ejemplo para la construcción de subsecuentes retablos en el país. Sin embargo, a través de los años sufrió de gran deterioro, por lo que se consignaron varias solicitudes para su restauración. El proyecto para emprender tal tarea se inició a finales de 2002 y finalizó en 2006, periodo en el cual se realizó el estudio aquí descrito, cuyos objetivos consistieron en determinar los agentes de su deterioro, las especies de madera que lo componen, así como el porcentaje de humedad de la misma. Para ello se seleccionaron ocho puntos en el retablo con evidencia de daño por hongos e insectos; de cada sitio se sacó una muestra de cuadrados de madera de 1 a 2 cm. Los resultados indican la presencia de un hongo de la familia Dematiaceae como causante del deterioro de la madera, que se manifiesta formando manchas; su ataque es muy frecuente, pero no llega a modificar sus propiedades químicas. De los insectos xilófagos se determinó a Calymmaderus sp., como el de mayor importancia. Durante el muestreo no se observaron nuevos orificios de salida de insectos. Se determinó que los taxa utilizados para elaborar el retablo corresponden a los géneros Cupressus y Pinus.
 
 

Fragility analysis of the nave macro-element of the Cathedral of Santiago, Chile

This paper presents the fragility analysis of a typical nave macro-element of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago, Chile. The analysis is carried out by using the rigid body spring model approach, in which rigid elements are connected to each other by means of axial and shear springs. The 2D model generated is initially verified by comparing modes with a 3D finite element model previously calibrated in DIANA software. The methodology used in this study is based on a set of eleven real seismic records corresponding to four major earthquakes that have affected Santiago city. Nonlinear incremental dynamic analyses together with a damage index based on stiffness degradation, which considers the relation between shear at the base and deformation of the macro-element, are used to generate the fragility curves. As a result of this study, the probability of exceedance for different damage states has been obtained based on a possible peak ground acceleration of the site. In particular, the results of the study demonstrate that the proposed damage index satisfactorily describes the damage suffered by some of the nave transverse sections of the Cathedral after the 2010 Maule earthquake (PGA 2.11 m/s2—Santiago Centro station).