St. Louis Cathedral

Description:

• The St. Louis Cathedral prides itself on being the oldest continuously active cathedral in the United States. What usually doesn't get mentioned is that it is also one of the ugliest. The outside is all right, but the rather grim interior wouldn't give even a minor European church a run for its money.

  Still, its history is impressive and somewhat dramatic. The cathedral formed the center of the original settlement, and it is still the major landmark of the French Quarter. This is the third building to stand on this spot. A hurricane destroyed the first in 1722. On Good Friday 1788, the bells of its replacement were kept silent for religious reasons rather than ringing out the alarm for a fire -- which eventually went out of control and burned down more than 850 buildings, including the cathedral itself.

  Rebuilt in 1794, the structure was remodeled and enlarged between 1845 and 1851 by J. N. B. de Pouilly. The brick used in its construction was taken from the original town cemetery and was covered with stucco to protect the mortar from dampness. And just when you think that's all, along comes Katrina. The roof leaked, ruining the $1-million organ, currently off getting rebuilt in Ohio and due to return sometime in 2008. Outside, two magnificent ancient live oaks fell down, narrowly missing the statue of Jesus that stood between them. Jesus's thumbs were amputated, and Archbishop Hughes, in his first post-Katrina sermon in the cathedral, vowed not to replace them until the rest of New Orleans is healed. The stately oaks were a painful loss, but plans are in the works to restore the garden to the design of the late 1800s. It's worth going inside to catch one of the free docent tours; the knowledgeable guides are full of fun facts about all of the above, plus the windows and murals and how the building nearly collapsed once from water table sinkage. Be sure to look at the slope of the floor: Clever architectural design somehow keeps the building upright even as it continues to sink. Outside is a plaque marking the visit by Pope John Paul II in 1987, plus an additional large commemorative marker set into the flagstones of Jackson Square, renaming that area for the late Pontiff.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2009
•  Recommended 2010