Officially designated as Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of St. Catherine of Alexandria, this outstanding 16th-century cathedral is more commonly referred to as the Cathedral of Cartagena (la Catedral de Cartagena).

In a city crowded with beautiful buildings, this one stands out with brilliant yellow walls and a domed tower that stretches high into the bright blue sky—a dome which can be seen from most anywhere in the city center and is a helpful landmark for those navigating Cartagena by foot.

Located at the corner of the historic Plaza de Bolivar in Cartagena, the cathedral is central to Cartagena and on your way no matter where you are going. The Cathedral, though hundreds of years old, is still the see of the Archbishop of Cartagena de Indias—one of the oldest bishoprics in the New World.

The building itself was declared a National Monument in 1995.

The Cathedral of Cartagena’s History

The Cathedral of Cartagena was the dream child of Pedro Fernandez de Busto—governor of Cartagena—who wanted a centralized place of worship for his more modern city. Construction began in 1577 but didn’t end for another 50 years.

Long before the Catedral de Cartagena was complete, the famous privateer Sir Francis Drake laid siege to the town of Cartagena in 1585. When the locals refused to pay the ransom he demanded to free the town, he fired a “warning” shot into the cathedral. The cannonball hit one of the support columns dead on, causing a partial collapse and a tremendous amount of damage. In spite of Drake’s temper tantrum, craftsmen rebuilt after Drake had moved on.