The oldest Catholic church in the country, with an architectural style that combines Gothic and Romanesque styles featuring towering towers and gradual volume structure, Holy Rosary Cathedral bridges the distance between heaven and Earth. The structure adopts the architectural design of the Basilica of Santa Maria della, with cross vaulted ceilings in the nave and central corridor, creating a gorgeous space with the intersecting columns. Light from the arched windows enhances the spiritual ambience. The Holy Stone of Imperial authorization on the entrance gate was sent by the Emperor Tongzhi, granting a freedom to preach that is extraordinary in a time when religious freedom was not yet fully embraced.
苓雅/玫瑰聖母堂
1858年清國簽訂天津條約後,准許教士於國境內傳教,隔年道明會神父郭德剛和洪保律抵達打狗港,在前金的靠海區域購地搭建臨時傳教所,為天主教在臺重新開教的發祥地,不久後進行改建,1863年自西班牙迎奉聖母像,並命名為玫瑰聖母堂。日本時代,由於教友日益增加,遂有新建聖堂的計畫,於1931年完工後,屹立愛河河畔至今,戰後還升格為主座教堂,並具「宗座聖殿」頭銜。
這座國內歷史最悠久的天主教堂,建築風格融合哥德式樣與仿羅馬式樣,高聳矗立的數座尖塔,與漸次向上的量體造型,彷彿拉近與天國之距離。格局採巴西利卡式平面的玫瑰聖母堂,中殿與通廊的天花板為交叉拱頂,與列柱共同構成華麗的視覺感,自拱窗透入的光線更增強了空間的神聖氛圍。入口大門上的「奉旨」聖石,為同治皇帝所頒賜,准予傳教之自由,在宗教尚未十分開放的古早時代中,實屬意義非凡。
文/陳坤毅
圖/高雄市政府文化局