- Years of construction: 1943 - 2005
- Diocese: Metropolitanate of Tegucigalpa
- Style: modern architecture
- Tel .: +504 3186-3290
The basilica of Sayap is located in the suburb of Tegucigalpa , the capital of the Republic of Honduras , and is considered the highest Catholic church in the country. Its history is covered with a mystical aureole: at the end of the 18th century the image of the Holy Virgin Mary Sayap was found near the village of the same name. In 1780, Alejandro Colindres, who discovered the icon, built for her the first sanctuary. In 2015, a new chapel, consecrated by Pope Francis, was added to the church.
Features of architecture
The basilica was built in a modern style and painted white. The building has the form of a Latin cross and can accommodate a crowd of thousands of believers. The length of the structure is 93 m, the height of the towers is 43 m, with the domes - 46 m. The diameter of the last is 11.5 m. The width of the central nave reaches 13.5 m.
The façade is complemented by three main gates, and on both sides of the building it is as if guarded by two bell towers. To get into the atrium, it is necessary to pass through the main nave with a cylindrical roof, which is supported by impressive columns.
Lancet windows are decorated with beautiful stained-glass windows depicting the life and miracles that have happened to the Virgin Mary. The distance from wall to wall in the central nave is 31.5 m. From them you see amazing oil paintings depicting Jesus Christ and Our Lady.
The statue of the Virgin of Sayap in size only 6 cm is usually kept in the basilica, in a small chapel, but in February it often travels around Honduras, because it is considered the patroness of the country. At the same time, it is accompanied by a small group of specially appointed male clergymen.
The Altar of the Church
In the back of the nave under the dome is an altar 15 m high. Created by an artist from Valencia Francisco Hurtado-Soto, it is made of marble and bronze and impresses with a gold-plated coating created with the help of galvanic method.
The decorations in the form of 10 sculptures carved from polished white marble give originality to the altar. They depict the saints Pedro and Pablo, young people (placed on the side arches), two small angels sitting at the foot of the medallion of the Virgin, angels caring for the Sun and the Moon, and the Holy Trinity. The divine radiation of the Trinity looks very realistic due to the impregnation of bronze.
A medallion depicting the Virgin of Siapa surrounds a background of marble onyx. On the oval of the decoration there is an inscription in translation meaning "You are beautiful, Virgin Mary, and there is no original sin on you". Elements of the decor are made of both gold-plated bronze and pure gold. Among them are rubies, emeralds and other precious stones.
The altar is equipped with a turning mechanism, which allows the clergy to quickly enter the inner corridor of the temple, and then into the side galleries.
In the first week of February, the city hosts the "Fair of the Virgin of Sayap", attracting thousands of pilgrims to the church.
How to get to the temple?
Since the Basilica of Sayap is 7 km from the center of the capital of Honduras , it is possible to reach it in a rented car or to book a taxi.
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