Virgen
de los remedios Sanctuary
This church was built in 1594 in top of the pyramidal site.
It was once dedicated to “la Virgen de los Remedios” which
was the patroness of the famous Spanish conquistador Hernan
Cortes. It is one of the most famous and important peregrination
sites in Mexico, its very common that during September thousands
of believers and non-believers around the country come to
visit this sanctuary.
The interiors are baroque style, decorated with wooden altars and gypsum decoration,
along with the precious gold decorations that cover the walls and ceilings.
The main ceiling vault is decorated with allegoric paintings
that represent the four doctors of the Latin church. The exterior
is preciously decorated with polychromatic tiling, and the
stone cross that stands on the outside its one of the oldest
in the city, dating from 1666.
The main stairs that lead to the temple consist of 48 steps,
which in total have a length of 260 meters starting at the base
of the pyramid.
Franciscan
Convent
Located at the very heart of downtown San Pedro lays this
monastery dedicated to San Gabriel. The construction is characterized
by a large hall divided into several sections, each one covered
by gothic style ceilings. The main entrance has been altered
during time, mainly by several different artistic and architectural
changes like the Espadana and the baroque tower which alters
the original XVI century trace.
The Cloister: The wall paintings
inside the cloister are very alike the ones located in Huejotzingo’s
convent. Walls are covered with different themes like: the
mass of San Gregorio, the life of San Francisco, and the portraits
of many other monks
Naturals Chapel:
Located north from the convent, lays this building,
Inspired by the design of the Muslim mosques.
It’s very commonly called Real Chapel or Capilla Real, but this is incorrect
because it never received royal distinction.
Its construction is one of a kind, with 7 different areas, and 49 domes, which
are very impressive from an areal view.
The baptismal pile dates from the XVI century and it’s
completely handcrafted from a single piece. It also has a very
exquisite decoration with flowers, leaves, and other themes… all
carved in stone.
The stone cross located at the atrium was also sculpted in
1668, it’s very similar to the one located at the atrium
of “la Virgen de los Remedios” Sanctuary.
Third Order Chapel: Located
between the Franciscan convent and the Naturals Chapel, it’s
characterized by its modest dimensions and a baroque entrance
with salomonic columns. Its altars are from the neoclassic
period mostly decorated with white and golden colors.
Parish of San Pedro
Erected December of 1640 and the main dome rebuilt in 1782,
contrasting to the Convent of San Gabriel is located
downtown San Pedro.
It has Latin cross plant, covered with vaults of lunettes,
its main dome of churrigueresco style accounts with 8 windows
adorned of estípites, from the XVIII century.
In the niche is the image of the apostle San Pedro.
The tower is of baroque style, of two bodies and of square section,
it is highest of Cholula because the cornice is flown more, this
is the reason why this tower excels in the panorama of the city.
San Miguel Tianguisháhuatl
Behind the Convent of San Gabriel is where the temple
dedicated to San Miguel is located. It has a vestibule
to which it is acceded by means of arcs which give to the street.
The construction is of the last century, of a single ship,
cover with vaults of average tube. The cover is made up of
an arc of average point with pilasters. In the inferior part
there are two blinded arcs that they perhaps gave to individual
chapels. In the interior it has neoclassic altars and ornamentation
of the time. A single tower completes the building.
Jesus Tlatempa
Near San Miguelito the temple dedicated to Jesus
Nazareno is located, distinguishable by its high tower,
without a doubt one of the highest in Cholula. It is of the
XVII century, with a sober cover, arc of average point, pilasters
with boards, a window of choir with horizontal closing and
pinnacles with balls. Above there is a shield of Calatrava
and as an anagram of Christ with the IHS ends. The tower has
a robust square base and three bodies: in the first and second
there are parts of windows very ornamented, on a flown balcony
and third it is ochavado, to give it greater lightness and
lucidity. In the interior the two lunette vaults are appraised,
these same lunettes cover the ship and like interesting detail,
in the sotocoro, there are mercy pelicans, as an allegory of
Christ.
Santiago Mixquitla
Towards the northeast of Cholula this temple is located. It
has an ample vestibule and an entrance composed by three arcs
and a series of pinnacles that remember the horse armor of
the Convent of San Gabriel. The facade is ample and
counts on a cover in gray quarry, with a sober and own design
from the XVII century, formed by the arc of a semicircular
entrance in the middle of two board pilasters; it follows the
choir window, containing also a board and two shields: one
that is Mexican, made oval, and another one with the shield
of Cholula.
Above there is a small niche that has a cross and to the
sides the pyramids with its spheres. Its tower has salomonic
columns in the corners. The plant of the temple is basilical,
of 3 ships, with an ochavada dome and some paintings and altarpieces;
also, as a very important remark, there is a sculpture of St.
Santiago with its horse threatening a Moor.
San Matías Cocoyotla
It is one of the oldest churches of the region, dating from
the XVII century. It has a Renaissance covering with old forge
closings. The interior is of three lunette vaults, one for
the choir, another one for the ship and another one for the
priest. With gypsum decoration gilded.
San Juan Texpolco
(Calvario)
Temple dedicated to San Juan Evangelista “in
the Calvario”, that is, on the feet of the cross,
accompanying the Virgin and Christ the crucified. The building
is oriented towards the west; it has a single tower and facade
in form of great niche. It accounts with 3 short ships that
distinguish it of the other temples. It shows an ochavada dome
in the first section of its central ship. Its tower is of simple
alignment, the interior has the same type of decoration like
most of the temples of the city. It was built in the XVII century.
San Cristóbal Tepontla
It is far from downtown San Pedro. The facade is graceful
with fine vegetal trimming by frame. The small tower is the
typical one of the region; it has a square section body and
another ochavado.
Santa María Xixitla
Towards the South west of the city, is located Santa Maria
Xixitla, which has a triple arc entrance to the vestibule,
it’s facade is very simple, the outside of the temple,
contemplated by the South corner east is impressive, because
it seems a castle with its abutments and pinnacles. There is
a cross worked in stone with the symbols of the Passion of
Christ, and dates from the XVI century, unique in Cholula.
The tower has salomonic columns and estípites in its
bodies. In the interior it is appraised its basilical plant,
with three ships, vaults, lunettes and ochavada domes.
La Magdalena Coapa
The facade of this church is of neoclassic type. Its interior
consists of three vaults of lunettes and circular dome. The
cypress in the altar was placed at the beginning of this century.
San Pedro Mexicaltzingo
Of all the facades in Cholula, the one of San Pedro Mexicaltzingo is
possibly the most severe of all: an arc of average point, with
smooth imposts and jambs and the rectilinear window of the
boundary. The church seems to be work of the XIX century. An
old blessed water pile is conserved, possibly from the XVI
century.
San Pablo Tecama
Very peculiar temple dedicated to San Pablo, which
counts on two temples. The first, from the XVII century is
adapted like sacristy and the other temple dates from the XIX
century. In the old church there is a tower that has salomonic
pilasters and columns in its two bodies. The church
from the XIX century contains several altarpieces of neoclassic
taste, as well as several paintings. This temple distinguishes
itself from the others by its volume due to the two towers
and the volumes of both churches together.
Santa Cruz de Jerusalen
It is a modest temple where the popular taste can be appreciated
by its “baroque republican” or “neoclassic
abarrocado” which are themes from the last century.
It has a cover with an arc of average point very ornamented
and Doric columns that flank the door. There is a shield of
the holy sepulcher of Jerusalem and a niche with San Francisco.
Everything is finished with larges flowerpot or florones with
tile of Talavera, it has two towers with square and cylindrical
bodies, and corners adorned with the scrolls characteristic
of this style. The interior of the church is covered with some
gold, white and some paintings.
El Santo Sepulcro
This temple is isolated to the northwest of downtown. Its plant
is of universal Latin cross with little deep a cross-sectional
ship. The facade is simple with arc of average point and pilasters
on its puttings. Two closings in form of pyramids with balls
or spheres seem of the herreriano style of the XVII century.
The second body of the facade also has a choir window with
pilasters, continued with a small niche, also with tiny pilasters,
repeating the pinnacles. The tower is unfinished. It has a
dome in the cruise and in its interior there are some paintings
of interest, thus like several altarpieces.
San Miguelito
This small temple is located towards the north. It has an important
arc of entrance to the vestibule, on the street. A semicircular
arc is flanked by individual pilasters (estípites or
churriguerescas). It also has a niche with pilasters of short
stature that frames a small niche, finished off by a cross.
The brick facade is completed with one short tower with a single
body adorned with estipites. The interior has a tube vault
and dome that contains several paintings, some of them from
popular invoice, and of recognized painters, like: one “Virgin
of the light” of Luis Berrueco, from the XVII century.
Santa Maria Tonantzintla
Tonantzintla is located 4 km. to the south of the
city of Cholula by the federal highway Mexico 190 (it is a
ramification of this highway) and 15 km. to the south of the
City of Puebla, by the federal highway to Atlixco.
Santa Maria Tonantzintla is one
of the richest jewels of the Mexican baroque; it is characterized
by its exuberant degree. Probably one of the most important
features of this beautiful temple is the polychromatic stuccos
that ornament its interior.
Before the arrival of the Spaniards near the town, the locals
venerated Tonantzin, protective deity of the maize.
Soon after the Spanish conquest the cult to that goddess found
a logical continuity in the cult to the Virgin Mary.
Imposing therefore the construction of a chapel directed by
the Franciscan order. The natives who modeled stuccos did not
forget completely Tonantzin or its own universe. Alluding to
them in a mexicanist iconography composed by faces of children
and indigenous children with eyes bulging, plumes, Mexican
fruits such as papayas, tejocotes, zapotes, pumpkins, chili
peppers.
This iconography is not the one that dominates. Tonantzintla is
the fusion of two religious ideas. On the one hand all an iconography
related to the Virgin Mary, but on the other hand an iconography
related to the indigenous thought. The construction and decoration
of this one church date from end of century XVI and century
XVII. And still in century XVIII and XIX they continued decorating.
Its austere facade is decorated in Talavera mosaic and brick
having emphasized the tiny sculptures of San Pedro and San
Pablo, ending with the Virgin Mary to whom this place is
dedicated.
San Francisco Acatepec
(Cane Hill)
Located 5 kilometers to the south of the City of Cholula.
Until the 31 of December of 1939 it was the most beautiful
church of America. Ironically it underwent a fire, during
the last minutes of the same year. All the interiors that
were cedar wood hand carved by natives were reduced to ashes.
The façade became then the most representative feature
of this church, which does not have a space that has remained
without decorating in Talavera. It is the greatest expression
of the talaveresque baroque.
Its interior was reconstructed thanks to photographs taken by
Guillermo Khalo at the beginning of the last century.
It was built during centuries XVII and XVIII.
San Bernardino Tlaxcalancingo
(Place of the venerable maize bread)
It is located to 6 kilometers of the City of Puebla by the
federal highway to Atlixco.
Its rich facade is ornamented in talavera mosaic and brick, being this the
greatest expression of petatillo Poblano, also called Palafoxiano Baroque.
It was built during centuries XVII and XVIII.
|
