Mexican Crucifixes: The lost crucifix of Totolapan

As part of our ongoing series on Mexico's stone crosses, we publish the occasional post on the sculpted stone crucifixes often found on church facades.

Totolapan, the church front and crucifix before the earthquake (Beverley Spears)

One of these crucifixes, affixed to the surmounting espadaña of the church at San Guillermo Totolapan—an early Augustinian monastery celebrated for its 16th century Cristo—became a victim of the earthquake that devastated the Morelos region in September 2017. 

Niccolò Brooker

Although less stylized and probably later than the related example at nearby Yecapixtla, this crucifix is not unsophisticated. With arms and legs partly disengaged but nailed to the cross, the figure of Christ is also notable for its aged face, its prominent ribs and the multiple folds of its flared loincloth.

Niccolò Brooker

During the 2017 earthquake the tower and entire espadaña collapsed into a heap of rubble in front of the church door. Tragically the colonial crucifix also succumbed, to the point where reassembly or restoration seems unlikely.

Totolapan, the church front after the 'quake (Robert Jackson)

text © 2018 Richard D. Perry

images courtesy of Beverley Spears, Niccolo Brooker and Robert Jackson

Look for future posts in this series:Yecapixtla; San Agustin Salamanca; Santiago Silao; 

San Jose Irapuato; San Agustin de Queretaro; Zacatecas Cathedral; Singuilucan;