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St Mary 's is a small church , measuring 30 feet by 12 feet 3 inches ( about 9 @.@ 1 by 3 @.@ 7 m ) . It dates from the late medieval period , and was constructed using rubble masonry and large stones . It had a slate roof , although most of the roof has now gone , and there is a bellcote at the west end , which may be original rather than a later addition . There is no physical division between the nave and the chancel , although one account in the 19th century said that there had originally been a screen separating them , and some traces of it still remained at that time .
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Entrance to the church was through a doorway with a square head , in the north wall at the west end ; this dates from the 19th century . An inscribed stone near the doorway has the date 1798 and some initials , and it has been suggested that this marked the date of some renovation work . There are two windows on the south wall , one fully blocked and one partially blocked . The small window at the east end of the church dates from the latter part of the 15th century .
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Inside , little remains , but the ruins still have most of the original roof trusses ( one , at the west end of the church , is a replacement ) . There are some slate memorial tablets on the walls , dating from the middle of the 19th century , and a plain 12th @-@ century circular font . The 1937 survey noted a bell dating from 1717 and some portions of 17th @-@ century panelled seating near the pulpit ; these were not recorded when the church was given listed status in 1970 .
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= = Assessment = =
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St Mary 's has national recognition and statutory protection from alteration as it has been designated as a Grade II listed building – the lowest of the three grades of listing , designating " buildings of special interest , which warrant every effort being made to preserve them " . It was given this status on 12 May 1970 and has been listed because it is " a late Medieval church of exceptionally simple character " . Cadw ( the Welsh Government body responsible for the built heritage of Wales and the inclusion of Welsh buildings on the statutory lists ) also notes that despite its " very poor condition " , St Mary 's " is a virtually unaltered late Medieval building ( even retaining the original roof trusses ) and in its isolation , is characteristic of many churches on the island . "
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Writing in 1859 , the clergyman and antiquarian Harry Longueville Jones called it a " small , plain , single @-@ aisled chapel " , and said that one of the small south windows was " a good specimen of its kind . " A 2006 guide to the churches of Anglesey says that the " roofless ruin " of St Mary 's " has the distinction of probably being the most isolated church in Anglesey " .
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= First Light ( Rebecca Stead novel ) =
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First Light is a young adult science fiction and mystery novel by Rebecca Stead , first published in 2007 . The novel follows Peter , who is in Greenland with his father and mother for research on global warming , and Thea , who lives in Gracehope , an underground colony located below Greenland . First Light explains how global warming is melting Gracehope and Peter and Thea 's attempt to persuade the people to leave . The novel addresses the effects of global warming as a theme .
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Stead began writing the novel in 2002 , but her first draft was confusing and unorganized . To help her , she met editor Wendy Lamb who advised her to meet with a small group of people who would help critique the novel . After three years of work , Stead finished the second draft and met with Lamb who once again helped make improvements and later published the novel . Reviewers praised the description of Gracehope and main characters , as well as the performances of Coleen Marlo and David Ackroyd who voiced Thea and Peter in a subsequent audiobook publication of First Light .
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= = Inspiration and origins = =
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Stead drew inspiration from many sources in order to create the novel . As a child growing up in a big city , she was interested in the small towns which made her think " that in smaller places , everybody , even the kids , had special identities , where as in a city people are pretty anonymous " . An idea began to form for a hidden society that also served as a small town .
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Stead began writing First Light in 2002 , but had no experience prior to that . The first draft turned out confusing and unorganized . To help her , Stead met with Wendy Lamb , an editor Stead had met in a workshop a few years before . Lamb suggested that Stead meet with a " critique group " who would help read and revise the drafts Stead wrote . After Stead created a revised copy of the novel in 2005 , she sent it to Lamb again and a contract was drawn up . More revisions were made in order to make the new world created in the novel easier to understand . Stead found it hard " to maintain a sense of ' the whole ' . Over and over I mapped out the book out for myself using post @-@ its in a manila folder , trying to get a sense of where the tension went " . The novel took three years to complete .
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After the revisions were completed , much of the plot stayed the same , but several events in the original draft were cut out to strengthen the whole book . Stead combined two characters into one , having a stronger outline and also cut out several scenes for minor characters . In the end , Stead found that the revisions helped to make the book more cohesive .
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= = Plot summary = =
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First Light follows the adventure of two protagonists , Peter , who lives with his mother and father in New York but is in Greenland for his father 's research , and Thea , who lives in an underground colony in Greenland called Gracehope . Gracehope was formed hundreds of years ago by a group called the Settlers who used to live in England . They possessed unusual abilities , such as extremely good vision and hearing , leading them to be called ' eye adepts ' and ' ear adepts ' , respectively . These powers were seen as sorcery , prompting Grace , the leader of the Settlers , to bring the Settlers under the ice in Greenland where they could live in peace .
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While walking around her house , Thea finds a map in her room of Gracehope . The map shows a tunnel leading onto the surface . Thea and her cousin Mattias find the tunnel and meet Peter who helps them back to Gracehope . Reaching Gracehope , Peter realizes that several talismans of the people are in the shape of mitochondrial DNA , which his mom is studying . After waking up from a headache , Peter finds his mom next to his bed . She explains that she used to live in Gracehope , but was banished with her sister , after her sister ventured above the surface and contracted an illness that could not be cured . She also explains that her research of mitochondrial DNA relates to the ability of mutations to benefit the human body , which could cause their extremely good vision and hearing . In the end , she warns Peter that global warming is causing Gracehope to slowly melt away . The entire colony must learn the dangers they face and escape . One obstacle lies in their way : Rowen , Thea and Peter 's grandmother who banished Peter 's mom and did nothing to help Thea 's mom when she was on her deathbed from an illness when she ventured aboveground . Rowen is the head of the Council in Gracehope and is strictly against going aboveground .
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To convince the rest of the colony , Peter and Thea plan to use a piece of mythology , that a dog with four white paws would be born when it was time to leave . Such a dog had been born several days ago but has yet to open his eyes . Thea decides to proceed without using the dog and tries to convince the colony at a reenactment of the Settler 's escape to Greenland with several allies who know of Rowen 's actions . Just as Thea and her allies are about to lose the argument , Peter arrives with the dog , whose eyes are open . That , coupled with the fact that Peter is an eye adept , the first in a hundred years , convinces the colony to listen to Thea instead of Rowen . The novel ends eight months later as the people of Gracehope are slowly educated on global warming and the dangers of staying in their colony .
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= = Genre and themes = =
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First Light is categorized as a science fiction and mystery novel . Katie Haegele from the Philadelphia Inquirer also listed the novel as a " slow @-@ to @-@ unfold mystery combining elements of science and history with an appealing note of fantasy " . Kirkus Reviews classified the novel as an " ice @-@ age mystery " as both Peter and Thea " discover one another 's worlds as well as the truth about themselves " . Connie Tyrrell Burns from School Library Journal found the novel to be " an exciting , engaging mix of science fiction , mystery , and adventure " .
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Reviewers also noted the environmental theme in the book . Kirkus Reviews found that " With the impending threat of global warning as an ominous backdrop , teens from very different worlds find they have much in common " . In the novel , Peter finds an underground civilization beneath Greenland that is sinking as a result of global warming . Burns felt that First Light is a " great discussion starter of issues ranging from global warming to shunning and building a new society " . VOYA recognized the global warming theme and also classified First Light as a coming @-@ of @-@ age tale .
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= = Critical reception = =
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Publisher 's Weekly said , " It is a testament to the storytelling that the existence of this parallel world and the convergence of Peter and Thea 's stories , told in separate chapters , are both credible and absorbing . Young readers will find this a journey worth taking . " Kirkus Reviews found the novel to be a " Thoroughly enjoyable arctic adventure " , praising how the adventure tests the main characters ' courage as they learn the truth of both worlds . Vicky Smith from Horn Book Magazine found the two main characters well written and the city of Gracehope well structured . While , Smith found the city 's origin unbelievable , she recognized that few people would care about that and compared the threat in First Light similar to the one in The City of Ember . Jenifer Hubert from Booklist also compared the novel to The City of Ember and to Neal Shusterman 's Downsiders . Hubert criticized the slow beginning and flaws in the mythology and structure of the underground world , but still felt that " the icy setting and global @-@ warming theme are well realized " .
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= = Audiobook adaption = =
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First Light has been made in an audiobook containing six disks and a length of seven hours and six minutes . The audiobook was released by the Listening Library and read by David Ackroyd and Coleen Marlo for the parts of Peter and Thea , respectively . Kathy Miller from School Library Journal praised the two readers for their performance which " engages listeners , and they are both adept at creating a different voice for each character and moving seamlessly between them " . Miller also found the novel useful for starting a discussion on topics such as " political subterfuge and propaganda to global warming " . A review from Horn Book Review by Jenifer Brabander praised the easy shifts from American to English accents made by both narrators . Brabander also found the tone given to Thea appropriate and compared the novel to Stead 's second work , When You Reach Me , feeling that " [ t ] hough First Light doesn 't reach the excellence of Stead 's second novel , the Newbery @-@ winning When You Reach Me , this audio will nevertheless draw listeners in with its narrators ' strong talent " .
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= Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral =
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The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven ( Spanish : Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción de la Santísima Virgen María a los cielos ) is the largest cathedral in the Americas , and seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico . It is situated atop the former Aztec sacred precinct near the Templo Mayor on the northern side of the Plaza de la Constitución in Downtown Mexico City . The cathedral was built in sections from 1573 to 1813 around the original church that was constructed soon after the Spanish conquest of Tenochtitlan , eventually replacing it entirely . Spanish architect Claudio de Arciniega planned the construction , drawing inspiration from Gothic cathedrals in Spain .
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The cathedral has four façades which contain portals flanked with columns and statues . The two bell towers contain a total of 25 bells . The tabernacle , adjacent to the cathedral , contains the baptistery and serves to register the parishioners . There are two large , ornate altars , a sacristy , and a choir in the cathedral . Fourteen of the cathedral 's sixteen chapels are open to the public . Each chapel is dedicated to a different saint or saints , and each was sponsored by a religious guild . The chapels contain ornate altars , altarpieces , retablos , paintings , furniture and sculptures . The cathedral is home to two of the largest 18th @-@ century organs in the Americas . There is a crypt underneath the cathedral that holds the remains of many former archbishops .
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Over the centuries , the cathedral has suffered damage . A fire in 1967 destroyed a significant part of the cathedral 's interior . The restoration work that followed uncovered a number of important documents and artwork that had previously been hidden . Although a solid foundation was built for the cathedral , the soft clay soil it is built on has been a threat to its structural integrity . Dropping water tables and accelerated sinking caused the structure to be added to the World Monuments Fund list of the 100 Most Endangered Sites . Reconstruction work beginning in the 1990s stabilized the cathedral and it was removed from the endangered list in 2000 .
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After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire , the conquistadors decided to build their church on the site of the Templo Mayor of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan to consolidate Spanish power over the newly conquered domain . Hernán Cortés and the other conquistadors used the stones from the destroyed temple of the Aztec god of war Huitzilopochtli , principal deity of the Aztecs , to build the church . Cortés ordered the original church 's construction after he returned from exploring what is now Honduras . Architect Martín de Sepúlveda was the first director of this project from 1524 to 1532 . Juan de Zumárraga , the first Bishop of the first See of the New World , established in the Viceroyalty of New Spain , promoted this church 's completion . Zumárraga 's Cathedral was located in the northeast portion of what is now the cathedral . It had three naves separated by three Tuscan columns . The central roof was ridged with intricate carvings done by Juan Salcedo Espinosa and gilded by Francisco de Zumaya and Andrés de la Concha . The main door was probably of Renaissance style . The choir area had 48 seats made of ayacahuite wood crafted by Adrian Suster and Juan Montaño . However , this church was soon considered inadequate for the growing importance of the capital of New Spain .
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In 1544 , ecclesiastical authorities in Valladolid ordered the creation of new and more sumptuous cathedral . In 1552 , an agreement was reached whereby the cost of the new cathedral would be shared by the Spanish crown , encomenderos and the Indians under the direct authority of the archbishop of New Spain . The cathedral was begun by being built around the existing church in 1573 . When enough of the cathedral was built to house basic functions , the original church was demolished to enable construction to continue .
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= = Construction = =
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The cathedral was constructed over a period of over two centuries , between 1573 and 1813 . Its design is a mixture of three architectural styles that predominated during the colonial period , Renaissance , Baroque and Neo @-@ classic .
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Initial plans for the new cathedral were drawn up and work on the foundation began in 1562 . The decision to have the cathedral face south instead of east was made in 1570 . In the same year , construction commenced , working from the Gothic designs and models created by Claudio de Arciniega and Juan Miguel de Agüero , inspired by cathedrals found in Spanish cities such as Valladolid and Jaén .
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Because of the muddy subsoil of the site , work on the foundation continued past the work on the walls to 1581 . In 1585 , work on the first of the cathedral 's chapels began and by 1615 , the cathedral 's walls reached to about half of their final height . Construction of the interior of the current cathedral began in 1623 and what is now the vestry was where Mass was conducted after the first church was finally torn down .
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In 1629 , work was interrupted by flooding , over two metres in depth . Parts of the city were damaged , especially around the main plaza or Zocalo . Because of such damage , this site was almost abandoned and a new cathedral project was begun in the hills of the Tacubaya area to the west .
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Despite these problems , the project continued in its current location , and under the direction of Luis Gómez de Transmonte , the interior was finished and consecrated in 1667 . The cathedral still lacked bell towers , the complete front facade , and many of the other features it has now at the beginning of the 18th century .
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In 1787 , José Damian Ortiz de Castro was in charge of finishing work on the cathedral . He did most of the work on the bell towers , putting in most of the fretwork and capping them with roofs in the shape of bells . With his death in 1793 , he did not live to see the cathedral completed , and Manuel Tolsá finished the cathedral by adding the cupola , the central front facade , the balustrades , and the statues of Faith , Hope and Charity at the top of the front facade . Tolsa 's work was the last major construction to the cathedral and the appearance it had when he finished is the basic look the cathedral has today .
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The cathedral faces south and is approximately 54 @.@ 5 metres ( 179 ft ) wide and 110 metres ( 360 ft ) long . It consists of two bell towers , a central dome , three main portals , five naves , 51 vaults , 74 arches and 40 columns . Inside the cathedral are five large altars , sixteen chapels , a choir area , a corridor , capitulary room , and sacristy . The cathedral has approximately 150 windows .
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= = Exterior = =
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= = = Facades and portals = = =
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The main facade of the cathedral faces south . The main portal is centered in the main facade and is the highest of the cathedral 's three portals . Statues of Saint Peter and Paul the Apostle stand between the columns of the portal , while Saint Andrew and James the Just are depicted on the secondary doorway . In the center of this doorway is a high relief of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary , to whom the cathedral is dedicated . This image is flanked by images of Saint Matthew and Saint Andrew . The coat of arms of Mexico is above the doorway , with the eagle 's wings outstretched . There is a clock tower at the very top of the portal with statues representing Faith , Hope and Charity , which was created by sculptor Manuel Tolsá .
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The west facade was constructed in 1688 and rebuilt in 1804 . It has a three @-@ section portal with images of the Four Evangelists . The west portal has high reliefs depicting Jesus handing the Keys of Heaven to Saint Peter .
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The east facade is similar to the west facade . The reliefs on the east portal show a ship carrying the four apostles , with Saint Peter at the helm . The title of this relief is The ship of the Church sailing the seas of Eternity .
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The northern facade , built during the 16th century in the Renaissance Herrera style , is oldest part of the cathedral and was named after Juan de Herrera , architect of the El Escorial monastery in Spain . While the eastern and western facades are older than most of the rest of the building , their third level has Solomonic columns which are associated with the Baroque period .
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All the high reliefs of the portals of the cathedral were inspired by the work of Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens .
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= = = Bell towers = = =
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The bell towers are the work of Xalapan artist José Damián Ortiz de Castro . They are capped with bell @-@ shaped roofs made of tezontle covered in chiluca , a white stone . Ortiz de Castro was in charge of the cathedral 's construction in the latter half of the 18th century until he died , unexpectedly . Manuel Tolsá of Valencia , who had built other notable buildings in Mexico City , was hired to finish the cathedral . At this point , the cathedral had already been 240 years in the making . He added the neo @-@ Classic structure housing the clock , the statues of the three theological virtues ( Faith , Hope , and Charity ) , the high balustrade surrounding the building , and the dome that rises over the transept .
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The cathedral has 25 bells — eighteen hang in the east bell tower and seven in the west tower . The largest bell is named the Santa Maria de Guadalupe and weighs around 13 @,@ 000 kilograms ( 29 @,@ 000 lb ) . Other major bells are named the Doña Maria , which weighs 6 @,@ 900 kilograms ( 15 @,@ 200 lb ) , and La Ronca ( " the hoarse one " ) , named so because of its harsh tone . Doña Maria and La Ronca were placed in 1653 while the largest bell was placed later in 1793 .
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The statues in the west tower are the work of José Zacarías Cora and represent Pope Gregory VII , Saint Augustine , Leander of Seville , St. Fulgentius of Écija , St.Francis Xavier , and Saint Barbara . The statues in the east tower are by Santiago Cristóbal Sandoval and depict Emilio , Rose of Lima , Mary ( mother of Jesus ) , Ambrogio , Jerome , Philip of Jesus , Hippolytus of Rome , and Isidore the Laborer .
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In 1947 , a novice bell ringer died in an accident when he tried to move one of the bells while standing under it . The bell swung back and hit him in the head , killing him instantly . The bell was then " punished " by removing the clapper . In the following years , the bell was known as la castigada ( " the punished one " ) , or la muda ( " the mute one " ) . In 2000 , the clapper was reinstalled in the bell .
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In October 2007 , a time capsule was found inside the stone ball base of a cross , in the southern bell tower of the cathedral . It was placed in 1742 , supposedly to protect the building from harm . The lead box was filled with religious artifacts , coins and parchments and hidden in a hollow stone ball . The ball was marked with the date of 14 May 1791 , when the building 's topmost stone was laid . A new time capsule will be placed in the stone ball when it is closed again .
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= = = Tabernacle = = =
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Situated to the right of the main cathedral , the Metropolitan Tabernacle ( Spanish : Sagrario Metropolitana ) was built by Lorenzo Rodríguez during the height of the Baroque period between 1749 and 1760 , to house the archives and vestments of the archbishop . It also functioned and continues to function as a place to receive Eucharist and register parishioners .
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The first church built on the cathedral site also had a tabernacle , but its exact location is unknown . During the construction of the cathedral , the tabernacle was housed in what are now the Chapels of San Isidro and Our Lady of Agony of Granada . However , in the 18th century , it was decided to build a structure that was separate , but still connected , to the main cathedral . It is constructed of tezontle ( a reddish porous volcanic rock ) and white stone in the shape of a Greek cross with its southern facade faces the Zócalo . It is connected to the main cathedral via the Chapel of San Isidro .
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The interiors of each wing have separate uses . In the west wing is the baptistry , in the north is the main altar , the main entrance and a notary area , separated by inside corner walls made of chiluca stone and tezontle . Chiluca , a white stone , covers the walls and floors and the tezontle frames the doors and windows . At the crossing of the structure is an octagonal dome framed by arches that form curved triangles where they meet at the top of the dome . The principal altar is in the ornate Churrigueresque style and crafted by indigenous artist Pedro Patiño Ixtolinque . It was inaugurated in 1829 .
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The exterior of the Baroque styled tabernacle is almost entirely adorned with decorations , such as curiously shaped niche shelves , floating drapes and many cherubs . Carvings of fruits such as grapes and pomegranates have been created to in the shape of ritual offerings , symbolizing the Blood of Christ and the Church . Among the floral elements , roses , daisies , and various types of four @-@ petalled flowers can be found , including the indigenous chalchihuite .
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The tabernacle has two main outside entrances ; one to the south , facing the Zócalo and the other facing east toward Seminario Street . The southern façade is more richly decorated than the east façade . It has a theme of glorifying the Eucharist with images of the Apostles , Church Fathers , saints who founded religious orders , martyrs as well as scenes from the Bible . Zoomorphic reliefs can be found along with the anthropologic reliefs , including a rampaging lion , and the eagle from the coat of arms of Mexico . The east facade is less ambitious , but contains figures from the Old Testament as well as the images of John Nepomucene and Ignacio de Loyola . Construction dates for the phases of the tabernacle are also inscribed here .
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= = Interior = =
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= = = Altars = = =
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= = = = Altar of Forgiveness = = = =
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The Altar of Forgiveness is located at the front of the central nave . It is the first aspect of the interior that is seen upon entering the cathedral . It was the work of Spanish architect Jerónimo Balbás , and represents the first use of the estípite column ( an inverted triangle @-@ shaped pilaster ) in the Americas .
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There are two stories about how the name of this altar came about . The first states that those condemned by the Spanish Inquisition were brought to the altar to ask for forgiveness in the next world before their execution . The second relates to painter Simon Pereyns , who despite being the author of many of the works of the cathedral , was accused of blasphemy . According to the story , while Pereyns was in jail , he painted such a beautiful image of the Virgin Mary that his crime was forgiven .
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This altar was damaged by fire in January 1967 but has been completely restored .
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= = = = Altar of the Kings = = = =
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