Station 20

Life nave.

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Welcome to the central nave of the Salt Cathedral, also known as the Ship of Life. As we move through the Ship of Life, we can see 4 columns carved in situ in the salt rock: two at the beginning of the chamber and the other two at the end. Each one is 8 meters in diameter and represents the 4 evangelists: Saint Mark, Saint Matthew, Saint John and Saint Luke. Symbolically, there is neither an expressly delimited beginning nor an end as such, in the essential size of the columns, on the contrary, no limits of base or top are demarcated, the body of these emerges from the mountain itself, they have always been there, their true dimension transposes the partial reading that the Cathedral allows us, they are essentially infinite.

The concept then symbolically acquires a spiritual projection towards eternity, to an existence beyond the material, to the eternal reality and unity of God and Man. The Major Cross is a direct carving in low relief on the salt rock, it has a height of 16 meters and was conceptually conceived to be perceived as a cross of light, in fact, its location at the end of the route, on the frontal plane of the Ship of Life, symbolically expresses the encounter with the LIGHT and the TRUTH, the beginning of eternal life.

The most important significant element in the Cathedral is the High Altar, a unique symbol in itself, with an austere and direct bill on the rock, it evokes the beginnings of Christianity and is the center of the ECCLESIA. It also represents the presence and memory of the former Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, it was symbolically the first element that was located in the New Cathedral. Its weight exceeds 16 tons. After the main assembly, the nave presents the pre-Sanctuary area delimited by the Holy Communion and the steps that separate it from the Sanctuary-The Presbytery, essentially composed of the Major Cross, the Major Altar, the Ambo and the Headquarters. Attached to the presbytery, we find the sacristy, arranged in a cross and sheltered under a ribbed dome 5 meters in diameter.

Towards the center of the Nave, emerges from the depths, the creation of man or creation of Adam, a work by Carlos Enrique Rodríguez, conceived specifically for the Cathedral. Made of Carrara marble. It was sculpted in order to honor Michelangelo’s fresco of creation located in the Sistine Chapel in Rome, but it has notable differences: The hand of God is three times larger than the hand of man. God is not given a face so that each one of the visitors imagines him according to their beliefs.

The imperfection in man is represented in the right knee since it is not completely polished, and represents that man comes to earth to perfect himself. The four elements of nature are also represented: the Air that is reflected in the mantle that accompanies the hand of God; the Earth from which Adam emerges; On one side is the Water represented by small waves; and finally the fire symbolizing the spark of life that God gives to man in the ray of the central part.

This creation of Adam looks like a coin that emerges from the earth and to the earth it has to return.

When Creation emerges, the floor of the nave cracks, the saline massifs open and the crack of life is then generated, this time in the very center of the place, this significant threshold between the three naves that make up the central set of the Cathedral symbolically unites the birth of Christ (represented in The Nativity) with the end of his earthly life (represented in the Pietá), in the center, man has not yet received the divine gift.

In the central nave rests a work sculpted in salt that adds to the invaluable artistic-religious collection that attracts thousands of tourists every year. This is the salt bust in honor of Pope Francis, made by the Zipaquiño artist and carver, Carlos Penagos.

In 2017, thanks to the initiative of the Embassy of Portugal, the enthronement of the Virgin of Fátima is carried out in the central nave of the cathedral, within the framework of the celebration of her 100 years of appearance; thus consolidating a group of valuable religious images such as the Virgin of Guasá, the Virgin of Guadalupe and now, the Virgin of Fátima.

Station 20

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