The Main Dome of Santiago de Cuba’s Cathedral Church to Be Built of Copper
The Holy Metropolitan Basilica, Cathedral and Church of Santiago de Cuba is undergoing a major restoration within the group of actions being carried out to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the foundation of that village. The restoration works on the main dome began a year ago and the workers are now using sheets of copper to cover it.
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Fausto Veloz Garcia, head of Construction and Investment with the Archbishopric in the territory said that the restoration works aim at restoring the precious-wood-made structure just as it was a century ago, when outstanding architect Carlos Segrera designed it.
The entire wooden structure is being replaced, from the base of the 40 nervures mounted among segments by mechanical joints with up-to-date technology (screws with mechanical thread and epoxy resin), to the external planking; as well as the reconstruction of lantern’s melted-iron frames and cupola.
The only difference is that the ancient dome was covered with ferro-cement and it’s presently being clad in sheets of copper – 0.6 and 0.7 millimeters, the engineer pointed out.
The restoration of the dome has reached 2 percent of the plan and it is scheduled to be finished by May 30, thanks to the hard work done by a team from the City Curator’s Office along with specialists from the Archbishopric.
The Cathedral church will be the first and only one in Santiago de Cuba to have e copper-covered dome. Italian architects Ricardo D. Deponti and Laura Bolondi are closely following this project.
The restoration of the Holy Metropolitan Basilica Cathedral Church teed off in March 2013 and, so far, the specialists have restored the parsonage and two towers with their belfries. They are working hard to finish the dome and the temple on schedule.
