Three days in San Salvador

Participating in February 1992 as a representative of the Romanian MFA in the specialized mission of the United Nations Development Program / UNDP in two Central American countries (El Salvador and Jamaica), I did not imagine that through the wise combination of free hours with field thematic. visits and with the implementation of the tasks I will have the opportunity to see many interesting things from the respective states.

Since I wrote last year about my impressions of Kingston/Jamaica, focusing on the memory of the singer-songwriter and guitarist Bob Marley (1945-1981), now the field of reference is San Salvador/Capital of the state of El Salvador.

* I start with Monument to the Divine Savior of the Worldthe majestic statue of the Savior Jesus Christ standing on the globe placed on top of a marble plinth where a huge cross is engraved on a four-sided concrete pedestal. The monument was inaugurated in November 1942 with José María Barahona Villaseñor as architect. Its symbolism is complex, representing El Salvador as a state and those saved from the whole world. The famous statue suffered serious damage due to the strong earthquake of 1987, but it was rebuilt on the basis of an extensive campaign called “Levantemos el alma salvatorena!”/ “Let’s raise the Salvadoran spirit!” which took place over a period of two years.

To this day, this is still the most impressive statue of Jesus Christ that I managed to kiss with two mortal eyes, making it clear that I will never in my life reach it. Statue of the Redeemer from Rio de Janeiro/Brasilia.

*Metropolitan Cathedral built on the site of the old Temple dedicated to Santo Domingo, it bears the signature of the architect Dominikus Böhm, and was inaugurated in 1842. The altar was given back in 1546 by the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Charles V. The a canopy supported on four columns containing the figures of the Prophets Moses and Elijah. Eight large paintings reflect scenes from the life and passion of Jesus Christ, created by Andrés García Ibáñez. The dome of the Cathedral is impressive due to its amplitude and decorations, which is a distinctive sign of the place of worship in the Salvadoran Capital.

*National theatre its construction began on November 3, 1911 in the French Neo-Renaissance style by the architect Daniel Beylard and was completed on March 1, 1917. It is interesting that there were no less than 12 projects for this beautiful cultural institution in Latin America : 5 from France, 2 from USA, 1 from Monaco, 1 from Italy and 3 from El Salvador. Different architectural styles were encountered, each of them aiming for supremacy: Versailles; Rococo; Romanticism; Art Nouveau. However, I did not find that combination tiring at all, on the contrary, it created the pleasure of harmony and balance for any visitor, and fortunately that year I was among them.

* National Palace built in the period 1905-1911 could see the light of day through the money accumulated thanks to collecting a “colon” for every “quintal” of coffee exported abroad. The materials used in the construction of the building were imported from various European countries including Belgium, Italy and Germany. And in this emblematic building, several styles were used: Neoclassical, Renaissance, Gothic Revival.

In addition to the 101 secondary rooms, the Palace has 4 main halls, each with a specific color and a specific destination: Red Room/The Red Hall for the receptions given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador and for the ceremonies for the presentation of credentials of foreign ambassadors; Yellow Room/The Yellow Hall as the Office of the President of the Republic; Pink Room/The Pink Hall, which used to be home to the Supreme Court and later the Ministry of Defence; Blue Room/The Blue Hall, which dates back to 1906 and remains the seat of the Salvadoran Legislature to this day, impresses with its classical architecture that includes Ionic, Corinthian and Roman elements along with an admirable sense of moderation and harmony.

*Plaza Gerardo Barrios also called Civic Plaza in its center is the equestrian bronze statue inaugurated in 1909 of the military and political leader (1813-1865), a reference monument of the country visited. The professional general Gerardo Barrios was the President of Salvador between 1859 and 1863. He is considered to be the first leader in Central America who introduced a set of reforms based on liberalism and set the path for the modernization of his state, earning the admiration of the United States and Europe. He was in prison, and was executed in 1865.

The guide who accompanied us on our journey through the Capital told us that the area where the statue is located witnessed many events, including: the assassination attempt on former President Manuel Araujo on February 4, 1913 (died five days later); large protest movements on March 30, 1980, when the funeral of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was murdered during a service, took place; celebrating the end of the Civil War on February 2, 1992, a few days before our visit, etc.

* Church of El Rosario it generated intense disputes from the moment its construction began in 1964: the rectangular project directly contradicted the traditional conception, strictly respected in Latin America, and according to which it should’ r the building has a cross shape; also, the Altar had to be placed in the middle, not in a side area. However, the plan developed by the architect and sculptor Rubén Martínez was approved by the Vatican in an urgent manner. Given that the project includes a number of elements of
“avant-garde” Pope John XXIII personally dedicated a lot of time to directly overseeing the process of building the place of worship; let’s remember that the first such church was built around 1545 and became a Cathedral in 1848. The building that is visited creates an impression with the original combination of concrete structures and stained glass windows throughout the colors of the rainbow, which, however, do not tire the eye, but fascinate it.

*Freedom Square is the central point of the Capital, dominated by The Heroes’ Memorial designed by Francisco Durini Caseres and installed in 1911: on top of a tall column an Angel of Liberty holds two laurel wreaths in his hands. Several lions’ heads are carved on the plinth of the Memorial.

*God’s tree is the name of an art gallery created in 1981 by the artist Fernando Llort with the main purpose of promoting Salvadoran art. Numerous exhibits of ceramics, wood, textiles, leather, as well as engravings, lithographs, paintings, sculptures can be admired. A huge mural painting about Childhood, a work done in a modern style, catches the attention of visitors.

Here are a few historical and cultural monuments in San Salvador that were a very pleasant surprise for me. I admit the lack of knowledge when I stepped into the country so far from Romania. Several factors had contributed to that situation; for example, without any diplomatic post in Europe, the Gulf Area and the Far East I had colleagues from that state, and in the eight years when I was Secretary of the International Union of Students I did not benefit from the pleasure of their presence. from a colleague from El Salvador.

The visit I referred to was a useful and welcome informational exercise that successfully completed my diplomatic efforts thousands of kilometers away from Bucharest that winter.