Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Succor | |
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Precinct of the Lady Helper | |
Katedralja e Zojës Ndihmëtare | |
Country | Kosovo |
Language(s) | Albanian |
Denomination | Catholic |
History | |
Consecrated | 1870 |
Architecture | |
Heritage designation | Cultural Monument |
Administration | |
Diocese | Roman Catholic Diocese of Prizren-Pristina |
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (Albanian: Katedralja Katolike e Zojës Ndihmëtare) also known as Precinct of the Lady Helper Church and Con-cathedral of the Lady Helper is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Prizren, Kosovo. It is the seat of the Albanian Roman Catholic Diocese of Prizren-Pristina.
The first church built on the cathedral site dates back to the 5th century and was uncovered by excavations carried out between 2019 and 2021, which also revealed the presence of the walls of a 12th-century church in the foundations of the current building.[1]
The Cathedral of Prizren was commissioned in 1870 by Dario Bucciarelli, Archbishop of Skopje. Its clocktower was built by Thomas Glasnovic, an Arbanasi monk and architect. The cathedral among its frescoes features in the north side of the church a fresco of Skanderbeg and John Hunyadi painted in 1883 by Gjergj Panariti, an Albanian monk and painter from Korçë.
The cathedral was not dedicated until October 31, 1970, one hundred years after its construction.[2]
The cathedral is built on a basilic plan with three naves, in a neoclassical style. The primary construction material is brick, with decorative stone bands on the facade. Vertical columns, stairs and the balcony are made of wood. The primary interior material is marble, since a restoration in 1970.
42°12′24″N 20°44′15″E / 42.2068°N 20.7374°E