Facing the revamped Plaza Barrios, the cathedral is the most significant landmark in the city and the resting place of Archbishop Óscar A Romero. In the early days of the civil war, Monseñor Romero criticized the government from the pulpit until he was assassinated in 1980 while giving Mass at a nearby hospital. Look for his image in the mural inside the dome.

　　Monseñor Romero's tomb, decorated with a sculpture by Italian artist Paolo Borghi, can be viewed in the crypt below the cathedral.