Haciendas of Yucatán: San Antonio Xocnaceh

We continue our posts on the haciendas of Yucatán and their chapels, with a look at this one in the Puuc region of the peninsula:

This roofless chapel near Oxkutzcab, until recently abandoned since the Caste War of the 19th century, now functions as a reception area adjunct to the private hacienda, open to selected visitors.

The classic 18th century Yucatecan facade features twin belfries with pointed Gothic openings. The sharply pitched center pediment frames an empty niche that once housed a stone statue of the patron saint, St Anthony.

 

Despite long neglect and exposure to the weather, vestiges of colorful 18th century murals still cling to the surfaces along the nave and in the sanctuary.

mural of St. Anthony

While most of these remnants consist of floral bands and friezes, a portrait of St Anthony, the patron saint, has also survived.

The chapel interior today

text © 2018 Richard D. Perry

photography by the author and Jürgen Putz

please visit our other Yucatán hacienda posts: Tabi; Blanca Flor