Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Managua
# Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Managua

The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Mary (Spanish: Catedral Metropolitana de la Inmaculada Concepción de María), referred to as the New Cathedral (La Nueva Catedral), is located in Managua, Nicaragua. It was dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary.

## History

The cathedral was built in 1991 to serve as a replacement for the Old Cathedral of Managua or St. James' Cathedral (Catedral de Santiago). The old cathedral was damaged and thought to be unrestoreable after a 1972 earthquake that destroyed 90% of the city.

The new cathedral was designed by the Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta. Construction began around August 1991, and the cathedral was inaugurated on September 4, 1993. The cost of the newly built cathedral was estimated at $4.5 million. The new cathedral has generated much controversy, particularly about its architectural style and finance. The costs were covered partially thanks to the help of American Tom Monaghan, owner of Domino's Pizza. Locals refer to it as La Chichona on account of the plethora of cupolas adorning it which resemble many chichas (Spanish: slang for "breasts").

A fire started by a Molotov cocktail damaged an image of Sangre de Cristo y el Santísimo in the cathedral on July 31, 2020. Neither of the two people in the cathedral at the time were injured.

