page_title: Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy (Yarumal)
section_title: Interior
hierarchical_section_title: Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy (Yarumal) / Building characteristics / Interior
caption_attribution_description: Español: Neve Central de la Basílica de Yarumal. Antioquia, Colombia.
context_page_description: The Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy is a minor basilica in Yarumal, Colombia. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa de Osos, and is the seat of the parish of the same name. The basilica is devoted to the Virgin Mary, and the patron saint is the Virgin of Mercy. It is the titular church of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga.
  It was designed and built in the Renaissance Revival style as a larger replacement for Yarumal's first church. Begun in 1866, the construction project suffered from multiple difficulties including its enormous cost, the civil wars in the late nineteenth century, its partial collapse in 1890, and an earthquake in 1938. These delayed completion of the church until 1944, at which point it was consecrated. During construction, the Chapel of Saint Aloysius was made a parish church.
  The basilica is rectangular, divided longitudinally into three parts. The main façade is made up of two domed towers joined by the central nave. It is home to several works of art, notably Nuestra Señora de la Merced, a 1798 painting of the Virgin of Mercy that is considered to be miraculous.
context_section_description: At the beginning of the church, which are before or in the beginning sections of the naves, there are two areas under the towers, as well as the area beneath the choir loft. These three areas are separated by walls, and are not designed as is usual in churches, where the towers of the façade are in line with the lateral naves. In area below the choir loft there are four paintings of the Stations of the Cross, and in the areas under the towers there are two more such paintings.
  The central nave is considerably wider taller, and is separated laterally, between the choir loft and the sotacoro and the transept, by two arcades on each side, composed of a series of seven pillars each, which are joined by semicircular arches. Said pillars have square bases and are made up of a base, the shaft, and a capital with a cornice on which the arches are supported.
  On these arches, in the high part of the central nave, there is a wide and solely decorative entablature. Beside this on each side there are two series of six windows, aligned with the axes of the arches, that allow light into the room. The central nave has a dropped ceiling to hide ceiling structure, on which hang three enormous and striking glass lamps.
  The transept area is square, and each side is equally wide as the central nave. In each corner there is a large pillar, which support by means of arches the raised dome with eight windows.
  The lateral naves are almost the same length as the central nave. In the external walls they have two series of six windows, each one separated by a decorative cornice. The lower series is of larger and has artistic stained glass. In each side wall there are four paintings of the Stations of the Cross and two wooden confessionals.
  In the area south of the side wall there is a door to the church. In the left side wall, also south, the church is attached to the chapel of the Fallen Christ, which then joins at the north with the corridor of ossuaries and at the south with the stairs to the towers and to the high chorus. The lateral naves also have a dropped ceiling to hide the structure, on which hang two glass lamps.
  The transept, or transverse nave, projects a bit to the sides though not so much as to form the shape of a Latin cross. It opens in the east–west direction, and has the same width and height of the central nave. The transept comes before the main area of the church, which is highlighted by a marble railing and three tall steps. In addition to this, the area of the transept beside the presbytery there are four other steps, emphasizing the altar area within the church.
  In the each of the eastern and western walls of the transept, are niches that contain pictures and several windows to provide light. The baptismal font is found in the western section of the transept, and in front of this in the north wall is what seems to have once been an entry, but has been converted into a larger niche that houses a high relief of the baptism of Jesus, and above this is a Chi Rho, a monogram of the name of Christ.
  The main areas of the church are the presbytery and the chapel of the reserve altar. Said chapel is located in the end of the right nave. It is a rectangular room, four steps above, which served for much time as the main altar. The presbytery is elevated above the rest of the temple by seven steps; it makes up the main area of the central nave and has a vaulted apse covering it. Inside the presbytery are the altar in a half baldachin, the table of the sacrifice, the seat of the priest, and the ambon, all in marble.
caption: Central nave
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