Basilica of St. Lawrence, Asheville

Coordinates: 35°35′50″N 82°33′22″W / 35.5972°N 82.5562°W / 35.5972; -82.5562
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Minor Basilica of Saint Lawrence
Minor Basilica
Location
LocationAsheville, North Carolina, United States
StateNorth Carolina
Architecture
Architect(s)Rafael Guastavino
StyleSpanish Renaissance architecture
Completed1909
Website
www.saintlawrencebasilica.org

The Minor Basilica of St. Lawrence the Deacon & Martyr is a

Asheville.[1] Pope John Paul II elevated the status of the church to minor basilica in 1993. It is a parish church, located within the Diocese of Charlotte. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is the only basilica in western North Carolina. Its dome, inspired by the Basilica de los Desamparados of Valencia, has a span of 58 by 82 feet (18 by 25 m), and is reputed to be the largest, freestanding, elliptical dome in North America. The architectural style is Spanish Renaissance.[2][3]

It is located in the Downtown Asheville Historic District.

Interior

The inside of the basilica is adorned with statues of saints, including

terra cotta, ornamental partitions of the Four Evangelists and Archangels St. Raphael and St. Michael
.

Stained glass windows

The basilica is known for its many elaborate

Resurrection of Christ
.

  • Christ Healing the Afflicted
    Christ Healing the Afflicted
  • The Transfiguration of Christ
    The Transfiguration of Christ

Chapels

To the right and the left of the high altar are two chapels.

Chapel of Our Lady

The first chapel, to the left of the altar, is a

Saint Raphael the Archangel. In the back left of the chapel is the crypt of Rafael Guastavino.[2]

  • Marian altar
    Marian altar
  • Italian marble relief of the Nativity of Christ
    Italian marble relief of the Nativity of Christ

Eucharistic Adoration Chapel

The second chapel, to the right of the main altar, is the "Eucharistic Adoration Chapel", originally named the "Chapel of St. Joseph". The chapel is used for

St. Lawrence
, to whom the basilica is dedicated. The chapel's altar and part of the apse wall are a mosaic of bits of tile assembled by Rev. Peter Marion and Rev. Patrick Marion, who were priests during the construction of the basilica.

Basilica of St. Lawrence under renovations in April of 2022
Basilica of St. Lawrence under renovations in April of 2022

Grounds

The basilica includes a

Blessed Virgin Mary
.

Gallery

  • Rear of the Basilica[6]
    Rear of the Basilica[6]
  • Dome of the Basilica[7]
    Dome of the Basilica[7]
  • Altar of the Basilica[8]
    Altar of the Basilica[8]
  • Inside the structure of the dome is the tomb of Rafael Guastavino
    Inside the structure of the dome is the tomb of Rafael Guastavino

References

  1. ^ "Basilica of St Lawrence, Asheville, NC, Diocese of Charlotte". Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  2. ^ a b c "Basilica of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr". Archived from the original on 2009-12-27. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  3. ISBN 978-1568987415
    . The church is built in the Spanish Renaissance Style (...) Historian Peter Austin has noted that all floors, ceilings, and stairs are constructed of tile vaulting (…) Guastavino cited as inspiration the seventeenth-century Basilica de los Desamparados in his native city of Valencia, which also contains an elliptical dome on a rectangular plan. The brightly colored exterior tilling on the top of each tower showed a further influence of Valencian architecture on Guastavino's design.
  4. ^ "Basilica of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr". Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2010-09-18.
  5. ^ "basilicalibrary's books | LibraryThing". www.librarything.com. Retrieved Dec 14, 2019.
  6. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-10-08. Retrieved 2007-01-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2007-01-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2007-01-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links

35°35′50″N 82°33′22″W / 35.5972°N 82.5562°W / 35.5972; -82.5562

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