若瑟堂法国人在渝修建的第一座天主教堂

杨艳

年代：始建于1879年

Year of Construction： 1879

坐標：渝中区民生路西段北侧若瑟堂巷1号

Address： No.1 St Joseph Cathedral Alley，

Address： North Minsheng Road West Section，

Address： Yuzhong District， Chongqing

渝中区，熙来攘往的民生路，连接着临江门和通远门，天主教堂若瑟堂就位于此。若瑟堂建于1879年，起初为一间简易平房。1893年被拆除，再建成砖木结构的教堂和附属房屋。1917年，在教堂大门前增建了50余米高的钟楼，形成了现今的格局。

若瑟堂虽是法国人主持修建，却为中西混搭风格。院落是中式建筑风格，教堂是典型的砖木结构哥特式建筑风格。整个教堂坐北朝南，建筑面积860平方米，占地面积1860平方米，保护范围面积4060平方米。若瑟堂分为经堂和钟楼，经堂为平房，可容纳300多人开展活动;钟楼为正方形，高约30米。

若瑟堂是重庆最早、也是当时最大的天主教堂，其钟楼也是当时最高的建筑。钟楼上安置有鸣钟和金钟，每逢星期日和重大节日，金钟鸣响，悠扬洪亮，周围数里可闻。抗战时期，钟楼上安装了防空报警器。

20世纪30年代初，若瑟堂前修建公路，若瑟堂得以保留。公路修好后，路边逐渐建起房屋，把若瑟堂隔离到了背街里，形成一条小巷，取名若瑟堂巷。若瑟堂被四周现代高楼大厦所遮掩，更加显示出它特别的建筑风格。

1992年，重庆市人民政府公布若瑟堂为重庆市文物保护单位。2015年，对若瑟堂进行过一次从内到外的整修。现在教堂内华灯高悬，烛光交映，也成为新人举办婚礼的地方。

The Catholic Cathedral of St. Joseph stands in the bustling Minsheng Road which links Linjiangmen Gate and Tongyuanmen Gate. Built in 1879， the cathedral was originally a simple bungalow. Later demolished in 1893， it was then rebuilt into a church of wood and brick structure with ancillary houses. In 1917， a bell tower of more than 50 meters was built in front of its entrance when the cathedral took its current shape.

Though it was the French who directed the construction， the Cathedral presents both Chinese and western style. The courtyard features Chinese architectural style while the church has a typical Gothic brick and wood structure. The cathedral faces the south， with a floor area of 860 square meters， a total construction area of 1860 square meters， and a conservation area of 4060 square meters. The Cathedral consists of a bungalow church that can accommodate more than 300 and a square bell tower of 30 meters high.

Cathedral of St. Joseph was the earliest and the largest catholic church in Chongqing at the time. The bell tower， with a church bell and a golden bell， was the highest building in the city. On Sundays and major festivals， the bell rings out across miles of the citys soundscape. During the Anti-Japanese War， air defense alarms were installed on the tower.

In the early 1930s， the cathedral was preserved when road constructions started in front of it. After roads were built， new houses began to rise on roadsides， pressing the cathedral into back street， forming an alley which was then named St Joseph Cathedral Alley. Though surrounded by high rise buildings， people can still feel the lasting beauty of the cathedral as long as they walk into the alley.

In the year 2000， it was listed as the citys Protected Cultural Relic Site by Chongqing Municipal Peoples Government. In 2015， a thorough renovation of the cathedral was conducted. Today， with lights hanging in high ceilings and candles lit up chapel halls， the cathedral has become an ideal place for wedding ceremonies.