Cathedral of San Pedro de Rabat

Rabat, Morocco

The Cathedral of St. Peter is the seat of the Archdiocese of Rabat and the main Catholic temple of the Moroccan capital. Built between 1919 and 1930, it stands out for its avant-garde style with Art Déco elements that make it a unique architectural reference in North Africa.

History

The first stone of the Cathedral of San Pedro was placed in 1918, under the direction of architect M. Lafogue. The opening ceremony was presided over in 1921 by Resident General Lyautey during the French Protectorate period in Morocco. By 1930 the construction was completed with the lifting of the two torres-needles that are visible from a distance as they approach the city of Rabat.

The cathedral belongs to the Archdiocese of Rabat, erected as an apostolic vicariate on July 2, 1923 through the brief Quae catholico nomini of Pope Pius XI, and raised to the rank of archdiocese on September 14, 1955 with the bull Dum tantis of Pope Pius XII.

Arquitectura

The temple has an avant-garde architectural style that breaks with the traditional canons of European cathedrals. Its interior stands out for its Art Déco style floor, geometric decoration and vitrals of great beauty. Together with the Spanish church of San Francisco de Assis, they are the two Catholic temples active in the city of Rabat.

The cathedral maintains its usual religious functions, including the Sunday Mass, and is next to the Wilaya of Rabat a distinctive point in the architecture of the 1930s of the Moroccan capital.