Puebla. Izúcar de Matamoros,

Named for the militant saint Santiago Matamoros, this town’s best known colonial monument is the old Dominican convento of Santo Domingo.

The 18th century parish church, or Santuario of Santiago Apostol is another. Built in the later 1700s, it is ornamented and furnished in the prevailing barroco estípite style with Pueblan accents.

The first feature of note is the splendid western triple gateway, an eye-catching assemblage of angular columns, broken pediments and spiny pinnacles, interposed with now empty shell niches.

The church facade is divided by elongated pilasters, and distinguished by the fantastic bell tower, adorned with complex spiral columns and passages of zigzag poblano tilework.

The church interior was damaged during the 2017 earthquake when the cupola above the apse collapsed. The remaining colonial art works, fortunately undamaged, are two late baroque gilded altarpieces set in the shallow transepts of the Santuario.

Our Lady of Sorrows altarpiece

One is dedicated to our Lady of Sorrows and the other appears to be to St Christopher, whose mutilated statue stands prominently in the center niche.

Both retablos feature painted panels of female saints and martyrs framed by ornate estípite pilasters. and swirling rocaille relief.

As noted, the church sustained considerable damage in the earthquake of 2017. Work of reconstruction and restoration is under way.

text © 2021 Richard D. Perry

images courtesy of Niccolo Brooker, who brought this monument to our renewed attention, and online sources

Puebla. San Diego Huejotzingo

In a previous post we looked at two side altars in the chapel of San Diego Huejotzingo, Here we take a broader view of the chapel and its other features of interest.

We begin with the eclectic chapel front, which although refaced in faux brickwork, retains its generous Mannerist doorframe and in the gable ring a venerable, battered statue of Virgin and child, and above that, a worn statue of the titular saint.

A blind arcade on the north side of the church frames a large relief of St Francis, receiving the Stigmata?
But the church interior holds the finest pieces, notably the retablos and the spectacularly roofed sacristy.

   As noted, we have already described the side altars; here we look at the expansive main altarpiece—a worthy companion to its 16th century counterpart at San Miguel Huejotzingo. Framed with spiral columns, this 17th century retablo showcases canvases illustrating scenes from the life and miracles of San Diego de Alcalá; his statue looks out from the upper middle niche.

Death of St Joseph;             Coronation of the Virgin

Two large paintings of a later date flank the main altarpiece to either side. One depicts the coronation of the Virgin and the other what appears to be the Death of Joseph.

Aside from the previously mentioned side altars, another, fashioned in late baroque estípite style stands out: that devoted to the Immaculate Conception. The statue of the Virgin is flanked by portraits of her parents Sts Joachim and Anne.

In front of the main retablo stands the original well around which the chapel was built. There is also an early stone font ringed by the Franciscan cord and and Isabelline "cannonballs."

Another treasure here is the church sacristy, roofed by an elegant mudéjar style wooden artesonado paneled ceiling dotted with star shaped bosses.

text © 2021 Richard D. Perry

color images © Niccolo Brooker and 

José Ignacio Lanzagorta

The Altarpieces of Yucatan: Izamal

In our earlier series on the altarpieces of Yucatán * we neglected to include those at Izamal, one of the handful of major Franciscan monasteries in the peninsula.  We remedy this omission in this post.

Built by the controversial Bishop Landa in the 1550s, the great church and adjacent convento of Izamal are sited atop a vast former Maya pyramid, known as Papholchac (House of Heads and Lightning) 

   It was dedicated to the Virgin of Izamal, a miraculous image from Guatemala, and in colonial times became a major Marian shrine and center of pilgrimage in the region.

The Main Altarpiece

Like that at San Bernardino de Sisal, the grand main retablo at Izamal dates from later colonial times. Although evenly compartmented in conventional baroque style, it is framed by estípite columns typical of the later 1700s. 

   Constructed in two main tiers with a predella below and an elaborate gable above, the altarpiece has identical wings that cant forward on either side. 

In addition to the venerated figure of the Virgin in the principal niche, the other, classically framed niches showcase statues of Franciscan saints in the lower tier, and painted scenes from the life of the Virgin in the upper tier.

   Like that at the San Bernardino too, the altarpiece boasts the characteristically Yucatecan burgundy and gold color scheme.

text © 2002/2021 Richard D. Perry

photography by the author

for more on Yucatán consult our guidebooks

Yucatán. Concepción Chocholá

Like Opichen, this unusual looking mission is an accretion of 16th and
17th century elements, given some unity by its attractive
weathered  “rejoneado” stonework of limestone rubble and chips.
   The 16th century visita was one of several attached to the large
mission at Uman a few miles up the 'Camino Real' towards
Mérida.  

Originally it was a simple an open chapel with side chambers, which now forms the core of the sanctuary and adjacent sacristy of the church.
   At the beginning of the 17th century, the mission was
expanded and construction started on the church and monastery.
Now largely ruined, the monastery block to the north east of the church was a compact structure. 

   Although there were arcades flanking the building there does not appear to have been a full cloister. Instead, the central area was vaulted for use as a large room; possibly a school or refectory, The main arch
which supported the roof is still in place.

It is possible that the open chapel,with its great dome
was also enlarged at this time, the two tier
espadana with decorative finials added above it, although maybe original, may have been later.

The church seems to be typical early 17th century. The
single, barrel-vaulted nave, heavy construction and plain
masonry all point to this date, the nave braced by projecting buttresses

   The nave windows, on the north and south sides have curious polygonal openings in_moorish style although the windows themselves are square. (These too may be a later alteration.) 

The doorways are framed in simple Renaissance fashion with unusual carved capitals on the jambs, those on the west porch depicting what appear to be angels, one superimposed upon another, probably at different times.
   The facade itself is incomplete, having no towers or
'espadana', and simply following the outlines of the walls and
barrel vault. The central part containing the porch and choir
window is framed by a round arch set on giant pilasters
   Towers and an upper facade may have been planned but appear never to have been built. 

 The facade inscription is indecipherable, but a carved plaque on the first south buttress is dated 1615. 

 On the north side of the nave an unusual feature is the rounded
stairway tower of medieval aspect with its dome and slit
openings illuminating the caracol stairway within.
* Espita; Tixhualatún; Popolá; Cansahcab; Temax; Telchac;

text © 1984/2021 Richard D. Perry

images © the author

    

Yucatán. San Bartolome Opichen

We follow our series on eastern Yucatán* with a look at two early missions nearer to Mérida the colonial capital to the west.

   The rambling old mission of San Bartolomé at Opichen is an odd assemblage of incongruous elements.

The plan is that of a typical country mission, with a modest church attached to an earlier 'visita' chapel. 

At the east end, looms the high, domed sanctuary/with an unusual narrow bell tower rising above the north wall. This was undoubtedly the original open chapel of the mission, probably built towards the end of the 16th century. 
The nave was added to the west with substantial masonry walls, pierced with octagonal windows on the north side. 

The church has a steeply pitched gable indicating an original thatched roof, but is now covered with a tin roof set much lower than the original, revealing an inscribed plaque over the sanctuary, apparently dated 1830 (possibly 1630).
   There is no trace of the old open chapel arch however., only the ashlar frame of a small window cut into the wall below the plaque.
   This fact, together with the large chapel attached to the south side of the sanctuary with its carved doorway and upper belfry, suggests that the main nave was abandoned in the 19th century, with the sanctuary and side chapel modified to serve as the entire church. This is not uncommon in Yucatan, for example at Tinum and Piste and may indicate population movement or decline following independence.

decorative door jamb south side

Opichen is unusual for the appearance of fine masonry work incorporated into what was otherwise a modest village mission. In addition to the elegant carved inscription, there is a Doric colonnade of unknown purpose running east from the south east corner of the church.

Several beautifully carved capitals and pedestals with stone angels heads adorn the west porch, reminiscent of nearby Chocholá.
 These however, appear out-of-place, haphazardly added to the older fabric of the mission. The presence of these carving may even indicate a previous location.
   Parts of the church have been restored: re-pointed at the
corners with ashlar blocks which may have come from the nearby
Maya ruins at Oxkintok. 

   Nevertheless much of the mission remains in poor condition. The roof leaks, and vegetation grows from the cracks in the old chapel block
It is to be hoped that the ravages of time and neglect will be halted
before this curious monument falls into irreparable ruin.

* Espita; Tixhualatún; Popolá; Cansahcab; Temax; Telchac;

text © 1984/2021 Richard D.Perry

images © by the author

    

Yucatán. Espita

As an addendum to our recent series on the churches of eastern Yucatán, another worthwhile detour  is to Espita, "Leaping Water," a charming colonial town located 14 kms west of Calotmul along a straight but narrow road. 

Espita was a vital frontier outpost during the later colonial years and into the 19th century. Local lore has it that, when suddenly coming under attack during the Caste War, the town was heroically defended by a force that was finally reduced to only fifteen, including several women dressed as soldiers. 

The imposing parish church of San José was completed in the late 1700s—one of the last to be erected during the colonial era in Yucatán. Its soaring west front is a handsome example of the late secular style of church architecture in Yucatan. The long single nave is braced by numerous buttresses.

As at Peto, the porch and choir window are framed by a large recessed arch ornamented with floral reliefs and set on giant pilasters. The carved relief of an angel is set high in the surmounting pediment, which is capped by a triangular stone parapet pierced with diamonds and rosettes. 

The most unusual feature of the facade is the vertical bands of stucco relief, depicting lions and stars, that extend to almost its full height.

Multi-tiered bell towers are capped by shallow domes masked by open parapets like miniature triumphal arches. The tower cornices were formerly tipped with ornamental "pineapple" pinnacles on each stage, most are now missing. 

A large patio with surrounding rooms lies to the north east of the church, while a two story arcaded former camarín adjoins the apse.

text © 2021 Richard D. Perry

images by the author and from online sources.

Hidalgo. chapel of St Bernard of Clairvaux

 Our attention was recently drawn to this little hilltop chapel of unknown date dedicated to St Bernard of Clairvaux—an unusual dedication in Mexico.. 

Located in northern Hidalgo state, near Zacualtipan, on a windswept knoll accessed by a steep stairway, we have no details on its history.

The arcaded portal of the chapel is surmounted by an archaic carved relief of the saint, holding his crozier and gesturing in benediction — one of the very few representations of him that we are aware of in Mexican sculpture.

text © 2021 Richard D. Perry

photography by Niccolo Brooker who brought the chapel to our notice.