San Felipe Cathedral/Description

San Felipe de Neri Church -- Cathedral Interior -- Albuquerque

 Once inside the cathedral, one understands the awe that the building was intended to inspire. The vaulted ceiling peaks at about a hundred feet overhead, supported by vast vigas (wooden beams). Long stained glass windows line the walls, starting about twenty feet from the ground and stretching nearly fifty feet above that. During the day, shafts of colored light spill through the windows over the hard wood pews.

 Toward the apse, an ornately carved wooden balcony rises up, overlooking the nave from about twenty feet. This balcony is home to the entire choir on Sundays; during the week, young singers from the Catholic school rotate in shifts to make sure that the church is never without wonderful sound. The cathedral is dimly lit from within by a number of candles and tapers. Off to one side of the room is a confessional booth.

Obvious exits:
Out <O>   Private Chambers <P>