Oaxaca: San Juan Teposcolula

While the great priory of San Pedro & San Pablo was at the center of both the religious and political life of colonial Teposcolula, the settlement of San Juan was its commercial arm. Located close to ancient Mesoamerican trade routes and colonial camino real that ran through the province (now Rte 190), the original visita of San Juan Teposcolula soon became a substantial mission in its own right.

San Juan Teposcolula, the church and convento before restoration

Still surrounded by open land set apart from the modern settlement, the old mission of San Juan evokes an isolated colonial ambience. The stump of an atrial cross protrudes from its grassy, sunken atrium, which is bounded by remnant corner posas. 

A flight of stone steps leads up to the imposing stone church and its adjacent ruined convento, both erected atop what was, no doubt, a prehispanic platform.

the apse and espadaña

The church of San Juan Teposcolula began life in the 1560s as a simple but sturdy open chapel, whose fabric is preserved in the apse as evidence the lofty carved sanctuary arch inside. The square apse is braced by angled buttresses and has been capped with an impressive triple belfry. 

San Juan Teposcolula, the nave as restored (2018)  ©Niccolo Brooker

The windowless triple nave was probably added in the early 1600s—a date of 1620 is inscribed on the northeast corner—and is divided by massive arcades set on cylindrical rubblestone pillars and roofed by a beamed ceiling.

The carved sanctuary arch.  ©Niccolo Brooker

   

retablos of the Via Crucis (l)  and El Rosario (r)   ©Niccolo Brooker 

Gilded altarpieces in classic Oaxacan style, created in the 1670s by the regional sculptors Nicolás Gonzales and Alonso de Torres and in need of further restoration, face down the side aisles.

The main portal occupies the center of a broad church front of regular but unadorned stonework. Fluted half-columns and a worn, molded arch border the doorway, which is flanked by roundels carved with religious monograms.

   

Because of advancing deterioration of the church and especially the convento, in 2010 a project of restoration was initiated under the auspices of the Harp Helu Foundation among others.

the convento front as restored (2018)  ©Niccolo Brooker

Although still roofless, much of the convento structure has been restored, including several carved doorways and window openings, some bearing traces of mural painting.

text and pre restoration photography © 2019 Richard D. Perry

additional photography by Niccolo Brooker 

Oaxaca: Santiago Nejapilla

We continue our current series on Oaxacan churches by looking at another little known gem of early colonial architecture, the church of Santiago Nejapilla, located in the highland Mixteca Alta region.

This remarkable church is cast in the characteristic mold of Dominican buildings throughout Oaxaca, and is notable for the richness of its sculpted west portal, framed in the form of a triumphal arch - a classical motif especially favored by the Dominicans.

   Although one of the minor Dominican missions in Oaxaca— probably a visita of nearby Yanhuitlan since there seems to have been no convento attached—the substantial scale, quality of workmanship and richness of ornament at Santiago Nejapilla signify not only the importance that the Dominicans attached to even their lesser establishments but also the local pride so often demonstrated by the Indian congregations.

The village elders of Nejapilla  © Carolyn Brown

The Doorway

The grand main doorway is framed by powerful fluted jambs capped by dentilled capitals. A double coffered archway inset with cross-banded diamonds spans the doorway - another signature of regional Dominican architecture. Carved vines spring from urns on each side, arching above the doorway and spreading across the spandrels.

A vigorous relief of the Archangel Michael fills the keystone, with spread wings and cloak. Three enormous plumes rise from his helmet. This sculpture, dated 1696 by an inscription, may have replaced an earlier relief of St. James (Santiago,) the patron saint of the church.

As at nearby Tiltepec, Upper and lower shell niches with broad beaded frames flank the doorway. While the upper niches are plain, the lower pair is delicately carved with openwork doves in the inner arch, draped cross reliefs in the recess and projecting corbels or fonts at the foot. Intricate relief medallions featuring the Dominican cross separate the tiers of niches.

Dominican cross relief © Felipe Falcón

Above the doorway, running cornices - another common Dominican device - outline the entablature. Dentils and a twisted cord ornament the upper cornice and another vine snakes along the intervening frieze. Shell, anchor and cross reliefs appear over the keystone.

© Carolyn Brown

Fluted spiral columns flank the portal, extending through the entablature - one more Dominican feature - to the upper tier of the facade. This upper tier echoes the doorway level but is more austere, possibly a later addition. Its only sculptural ornament is in the surmounting frieze, which displays a row of winged, seated figures in flat relief.

The Exterior

Bold arched openings, many embellished with dentils and beading, punctuate the church: in the lateral porches, niches and nave windows. Assorted reliefs, floral, animal and figural, also adorn on the exterior. Deer, a jaguar, and a caped figure with the legend "Yo El Rey" (I the King) are carved into the wall of the apse.

The Interior

Inside the church, five arches, enriched with carved and painted moldings and reliefs, separate the bays and support the long barrel vault. Again, figure sculptures embellish several keystones, notably a spirited Archangel Raphael and a relief of Christ, both colorfully painted and dated 1700. Together with the facade relief of St. Michael, these sculptures probably mark a major refurbishment of the earlier church.

© Carolyn Brown

Other typical Dominican architectural features include the ribbed wheel vault with its carved floral bosses supporting the choir, and the round coffered vault that spans the narrow sanctuary.

© Carolyn Brown

The painted baptistry houses a picturesque stone font carved with painted angel reliefs.

text © 2019 Richard D. Perry

color images © Carolyn Brown by special permission

Oaxaca. San Bartolo Soyaltepec 3: The Documents

As at Yautepec restoration efforts at Soyaltepec unearthed forgotten colonial documents among the cofradia archives.

Page from the Graduale Sanctorale

Of the greatest interest were two rare 16th century illustrated books of liturgical chants entitled El Graduale Sanctorale and El Graduale Dominicale, originally printed from woodblocks in Mexico City.
    These were then carefully restored by ADABI * specialists in document conservation, and subsequently displayed in the city of Oaxaca before returning to Soyaltepec.

Dated title Page from the Graduale Sanctorale

*ADABI: Apoyo al Desarrollo de Archivos y Bibliotecas de México 

Source: Dirección de la Biblioteca de Investigación Juan de Córdova: 

text © 2019 Richard D Perry

images © Felipe Falcón, Fidel Ugarte Liévana, Gibrán Morales Carranza, & José Luis Cruz.
see our recent Oaxaca posts: Yautepec; Tixá; Yatzachi el Alto; San Juan Tabaá; Zoochila; 

Oaxaca. San Bartolo Soyaltepec 2: The Altarpieces.

 San Bartolo Soyaltepec, the nave

Several gilded altarpieces line the nave on either side, the majority unrestored.  Most date from the later 1700s.  One that has been recently restored is that of El Rosario on the north side. 

Rosario iconography:

1 La Anunciación   2 La Inmaculada Concepción   3 Los Desposorios de la Virgen

4 La presentación de Jesús en el templo  5 La Epifanía (Adoración de los Reyes Magos) 

6 La Visitación de la Virgen a Santa Isabel   7 La Virgen de los Dolores

(Jesús descendido de la cruz en el regazo de la Virgen)

8 Santa Ana   9 San Joaquín

Dated 1788 it is framed in classic Oaxacan baroque style with helical columns and pilasters densely carved with entwined foliage, and projecting cornices hung with spindles. Passages of foliated gold relief fill the intervening spaces.

   Apart from the two fine statues of San José and The Virgin of the Rosary in the center niches, the remaining images are all paintings, dedicated to episodes in the life of the Virgin.

Among the other retablos, that of San Miguel stands out with its original bescrolled caryatid supports.

Another colonial artifact inside the church is the 18th century table organ case, a reminder of the importance of music at Soyaltepec and throughout Oaxaca in colonial times.

Source: Dirección de la Biblioteca de Investigación Juan de Córdova: 

text © 2019 Richard D Perry

images © Felipe Falcón, Fidel Ugarte Liévana, Gibrán Morales Carranza, & José Luis Cruz.
see our recent Oaxaca posts: Yautepec; Tixá; Yatzachi el Alto; San Juan Tabaá; Zoochila; 

Oaxaca. San Bartolo Soyaltepec 1: The Church

Turning our attention again to Oaxacan churches of historical and artistic interest, we visit the Dominican church of San Bartolo Soyaltepec in the Mixteca Alta region, near the priory of Yanhuitlan.

Our first post (of three) looks at the church fabric itself, the focus of recent restoration work *. The present church dates from 1723, and its west front is typical of Dominican houses in that it presents a retablo style facade, in this case framed with two tiers of paired spiral columns—rare in Oaxaca—together with a bull's eye choir window. The intervening sculpture niches are currently empty of statuary. The facade has recently been restored to its original red color.

The facade shows little other sculptural ornament aside from an escutcheon in the crowning gable that features a painted relief of a sword—the traditional instrument of martyrdom for the patron Saint Bartholomew. 

  

tower cupola and vane;                                                embedded reliefs

A squat single tier north tower caps the church front. Reliefs embedded in the base of the tower include the Spanish Royal arms.

Entwined strapwork and densely carved stucco ornament distinguish the lateral entry.

The arcaded porteria beside the church has also been restored.

* funded by La Fundación Alfredo Harp Helú Oaxaca (FAHHO)

see our recent Oaxaca posts: Yautepec; Tixá; Yatzachi el Alto; San Juan Tabaá; Zoochila; 

                                                       text © 2019 Richard D. Perry

sources:Memoria #4. Biblioteca de Investigación Juan de Córdova

                                           images courtesy of Felipe Falcon, Fidel Ugarte Liévana, Gibrán Morales                                               Carranza and José Luis Cruz.

Missions of Michoacán. Zacapu: the hospital chapel

For our second post on Zacapu we turn to the former hospital chapel, now dedicated to Guadalupe, and its gem like colonial altarpiece.

The Hospital Chapel
On the north side of the vast paved plaza out front of the main church, now partly obscured by a modernistic structure and along a narrow walkway, we can still find the former hospital chapel of Zacapú.

Once dedicated to the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, the chapel is now dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe, whose yearly festival is noted for its energetic, swaying procession.

The facade retains its original doorway and choir window, with several embedded stone shell reliefs, one with the date of 1649.

The boxy interior is roofed by a traditional wooden beamed ceiling with arrocabe supports on either wall, and is enriched by a small but highly refined gilded retablo gleaming at the far end. 

The classic portrait of Guadalupe at center is flanked by statues of Sts Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Virgin Mary.

    

Fashioned in an idiosyncratic late baroque style, the retablo features elegant siren like caryatids carved in sinuous postures with twisted heads, which might fancifully seem to relate to the steps of some women in the Guadalupe procession, popularly called La Topa de Guaresitas.

  

text © 2019 Richard D. Perry

images courtesy of Niccolo Brooker and Felipe Falcón.

Visit our earlier pages on the missions of Michoacán: San Nicolas de Obispo;  Naranja de Tapia; Charapan; Tupataro; Quinceo; Zacán; Pomacuarán; Nurio;  Cocucho;  Ajuno; Santiago Charapan; San Sebastián Corupo; Tanaquillo; Santa Clara del Cobre; Tlalpujahua; Tzintzuntzan; Uruapan; Capácuaro;  Huiramangaro; Tarímbaro, Jarácuaro;  Ziracuaretiro;

Missions of Michoacán: Santa Ana Zacapu

This is the first of two posts on the colonial churches of Zacapu in central Michoacán.

In ancient times Zacapú was the site of a major shrine dedicated to the sun god Curicaueri, which overlooked a lake sacred to this greatest of the Tarascan deities. Although the lake subsequently degenerated into unhealthy marshland, the settlement remained populous into the 1500s.

 In 1540 Fray Jácobo Daciano, the aristocratic Danish friar and "Apostle of Michoacán" whose name is also associated with Tarécuato and Tzintzuntzan, founded the mission here, supposedly raising the first primitive thatched chapel with his own hands. A statue has been erected in his memory in the atrium, complete with his broad-brimmed pilgrim’s hat.
   By the end of the 16th century, Santa Ana Zacapú was counted among the leading Franciscan houses in Michoacán. The present church was erected during the 1570s, under the supervision of Fray Pedro de Pila, the distinguished builder of Tzintzuntzan.

The Church Front
Studded with bold shell reliefs, the imposing Plateresque facade recalls Tzintzuntzan and Erongarícuaro, although the Corinthian columns, paneled jambs and pedestals give it a more soberly classical appearance. Note the unusual angled shells flanking the doorway.

  

The atrium resembles a sculpture garden with its carved 17th century stone cross and a handsome sundial set on a column alongside the statue of Fray Jácobo. The curvacious clock gable and church tower are more recent additions and the interior has been entirely made over, retaining few obvious colonial features.

The Atrium Cross
Simply carved with minimal ornament, the cross employs a cross- within-a-cross motif, and is decorated with plain rosettes on the neck, shaft, and flared arms.  A crude skull and bones relief foots the shaft.

The Convento

Although much of the portería arcade has now been closed in, the adjacent convento has a raised exterior gallery in the regional manner. The tunnel-like entry vestibule bear fragmentary frescoes, possibly portraying the entry of the 12 Franciscans in 1524.

A narrow passage conducts us to the ample cloister, which is framed by sturdy Tuscan arcades with massive stone columns and slab capitals. Beneath low stone arches set on thick scrolled brackets, the cavernous corner niches still preserve vestiges of devotional murals.
Visit our earlier pages on the missions of Michoacán: San Nicolas de Obispo;  Naranja de Tapia; Charapan; Tupataro; Quinceo; Zacán; Pomacuarán; Nurio;  Cocucho;  Ajuno; Santiago Charapan; San Sebastián Corupo; Tanaquillo; Santa Clara del Cobre; Tlalpujahua; Tzintzuntzan; Uruapan; Capácuaro;  Huiramangaro; Tarímbaro, Jarácuaro;  Ziracuaretiro;

text and images © 1996 & 2019 Richard D. Perry