As is our custom at t his time of the year we like to feature a church dedicated to the Three Kings, or Los Reyes Magos
In this post , the first of two, we look at the town of Los Reyes, a medium size market town in central Puebla state, across the autopista from Acatzingo, SE of the city of Puebla.
This is the first of two posts on the church, focusing here on the ornate facade of painted stucco relief.
Facade:
The church of the Three Kings presents a triple tier facade in the lacy, wedding cake style of popular Pueblan baroque,; its classical retablo format is enhanced with abundant applied surface ornament of carved stucco in good condition, and usually painted orange or yellow.
Lower tier: classical fluted columns are set on complex, raised carved bases. doorway. Applied surface decoration - whorls, foliage starbursts, etc - appear on and between columns, and in spandrels over the plain arched doorway.
Oval medallions between the columns framing stucco reliefs of the Four Evangelists in folkloric style each with his symbol.
The plain rectangular choir window is flanked by ornamental relief pendants
Decorative pinnacles extend above pilasters into the gable area.
The large center relief medallion shows one of Magi kneeling before mother & child, flanked by two other kings (reyes) on horseback. A stucco star above at apex, is supported by angels.
The gable is capped by a sinuous projecting mixtilinear pediment.
Giant pilasters flank the entire facade, ornamented in the same fashion as the upper tier pilasters, as are the cornices between the tiers.A substantial, triple staged tower with prominent tiled dome on south side.
© 2024 Richard D. Perry
images by the author and © Niccolo Brooker by permission
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