CATEDRAL DE SAN FERNANDO DE MALDONADO

This neoclassical cathedral was erected in 1801 and its construction took almost a century, due to the looting it suffered during the English invasions of 1806. It has a majestic altar, sculpted by the renowned artist Antonio Veiga. In 1882, Veiga presented his masterpiece at the Continental Exposition in Buenos Aires, where it was a great success and was later incorporated into the cathedral. However, this exhibition was a tragic-comic adventure for him, since on his return to Uruguay the altar was stored for eight years in the Montevideo Customs House and was almost auctioned off to cover the costs of storage. Thanks to the anger of the parishioners of Maldonado and the intervention of the President of the Republic, Maximo Tajes, the altar was finally returned to its rightful place... Travelers will be able to admire the Virgin of Santander, which was saved from the tumultuous waves of the sea and was on board the Ciudad de Santander when it sank in 1829 on the Isla de los Lobos. As the crew survived, the owner of the ship, the Marquis of Comillas, donated the Virgin to the cathedral. On the pedestal, a painting by the Uruguayan painter Carlos de Santiago depicts the Santander, to the great amazement of visitors. To the left of the altar is a polychrome dying Christ, which remains a mystery, as it was found on the coast, packed in a box, without knowing its origin.