Stone Retablos: San José Chiapa

For our initial post of 2015, and as an introduction to our new series on Mexican stone retablos, we look at one of the most distinctive and unusual Pueblan churches, that of San José Chiapa, located northeast of the city of Puebla close to the state of Tlaxcala in the shadow of the volcano Malitzín.
   In addition to an intriguing back story, San José Chiapa boasts dramatic architecture and rare works of art including its luminous main altarpiece. 
But first the history:

portrait of Juan de Palafox y Mendoza. 1728  (©John Carter Brown Library)

San José Chiapa enjoys a special association with the flamboyant and controversial Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, a 17th century bishop of Puebla and briefly the archbishop and viceroy of New Spain, whose sumptuous library remains one of Puebla’s prime attractions.  
   Among the many political and ecclesiastical issues in which he was embroiled, his conflict with the Jesuits in Puebla was the most bitter. His attempt to secularize the holdings of the religious orders and secure their traditional tithes, thus increasing Crown and episcopal revenues, was firmly resisted by the Jesuits, prompting a protracted series of lawsuits, papal proclamations and political maneuvering.
   Things reached a point in 1647, when, under threat of arrest by the incoming viceroy and fearing subsequent local unrest, Palafox fled the city of Puebla to take refuge in the remote highland village of San José Chiapa with its rustic local chapel.
   Although Palafox ultimately failed in his bid to humble the Jesuits, the state of Puebla and the community of San José Chiapa did not forget him. 
   A century later, in the mid 1700s, the then bishop of Puebla, Francisco Fabián y Fuero, built the present church to honor Palafox. It was completed in 1769—as it happened, only two years after the expulsion of the Jesuits from Mexico.
  This history is reflected in the design and iconography of the striking church front as well as the unique main altarpiece inside. 

Although the eclectic front of San José Chiapa features a soberly classical, grey stone entry like many churches in the city of Puebla, by contrast the rest of the broad front follows the colorful baroque style of other poblano facades. 
   Its most prominent decorative elements are the brilliantly whitewashed estípite pilasters to either side of the porch, set dramatically against a painted, brick red background and incorporating painted relief medallions.

The Palafox y Mendoza crest

The three principal escutcheons emphasize the special connection with Bishop Palafox. The two flanking the entry are emblazoned with heraldic shields like those in the 1728 portrait (above). 
   On the right are the arms of the noble Palafox y Mendoza family of Aragon, and to the left, the Palafox episcopal seal—a heart with a crucifix inscribed with his motto "The Crucifix is My Love" framed by a tasseled galero hat.

The Palafox episcopal seal

The Spanish imperial arms

The third escutcheon, in the overhead gable, displays the Spanish Royal arms with the quartered lions and castles of Leon and Castile at center, surrounded by other symbols and framed by the chain of the aristocratic Order of the Golden Fleece—intended as a tribute to Bishop Palafox' devoted support of royal authority.  
   Since most Spanish royal insignia have been erased from Mexican buildings since Independence, this remains one of the few still in place.

Slender neoclassical bell towers with tiled cupolas complete the picture. Of special interest are the forged iron crosses atop the cupolas, which bear the archiepiscopal insignia of the miter, crozier and patriarchal cross.

The Retablo Mayor

Inside the church, the imposing main altarpiece is one among a rare handful of Mexican retablos carved in stone* instead of the customary wood. 

   In addition, the chosen stone is tecali, or Mexican alabaster, a colorfully striated, translucent marble that is quarried in Puebla in a variety of tints—here a warm silvery/green.

   Probably dating from the late 1760s, the altarpiece features twisted, salamónica columns and several stone statues of saints, including the Virgin Mary swaying against the window. 

   The centerpiece of the retablo is the Crucifixion with the Two Marys—no doubt a reference to Bishop Palafox' motto—an amazing work of art especially considering the difficulty in working this kind of stone.

Updates: 
Recently, after centuries of petitioning, Bishop Palafox has been beatified, the first stage in eventual canonization, testimony to his continued relevance and veneration among poblanos.  
  As we shall see, Palafox was also involved in another seminal stone altarpiece in Puebla.

* Other late colonial stone retablos in Mexico include those in the cathedrals of Puebla (Los Reyes) and Chihuahua, The Santuario de Guadalupe in Aguascalientes, El Carmen in San Luis Potosí, San Pablo El Viejo in Mexico City and Huentitán near Guadalajara, several of which we plan to describe in future posts.

text © 2015 Richard D. Perry.  images by Niccolò Brooker and Benjamin Arredondo.

additional source material: La Capilla de San José Chiapa by Francisco de La Maza 

México,  Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, 1960.

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The Chapels of Ixtla: La Capilla de Los Angeles

La Capilla de Los Angeles before restoration

Like many of the Ixtla chapels, the Capilla de Los Angeles fell into disuse and disrepair after the Mexican Revolution, and until recent times it was neglected and virtually abandoned.

   With the Proyecto San Miguel Ixtla however, the chapel has been partially rehabilitated and awaits full restoration.

In keeping with most area chapels, the Capilla de Los Angeles is modest in scale and design, although like the others, considerable attention was devoted to an imposing stone entry.

Despite its current battered condition, the portal is quite stylishly carved, with coffered jambs, an inscribed and foliated archway, and a pedimented alfiz sheltering a remnant stone crucifix.

The interior, although as yet unrestored, is like the others painted with a curtained altar and colorful angels holding crosses and Instruments of the Passion. Hoped for restoration may reveal more murals beneath the grime. 

archangel with cross on the nave wall

This brings to a close our series on the chapels of Ixtla, in Guanajuato.  In future posts we hope to look at related groups of Otomí chapels in neighboring Querétaro and Hidalgo.

text © 2014 Richard D. Perry.  images by Niccolò Brooker and others

The Chapels of Ixtla: La Capilla Segunda de Najar

La Capilla Segunda de Najar

This modest former capilla familiar follows the pattern of the other Ixtla area chapels.  Although lacking towers or an imposing dome the chapel boasts a handsome, rounded doorway framed by ornamental jambs carved with a grutesco design of stylized vines and bunches of grapes. 

door jamb with grutesco carving

The doorsill is also carved in the style of Ojo Zarco, featuring prancing lions and vines with spiky foliage. 

door sill with prancing lions

Like the other capillas too, the chapel interior is painted with floral ornament in a style related to the doorjambs, as well as with figures of animals and archangels. The murals are currently in poor condition and await restoration.

Capilla Segunda de Najar, venados

text © 2014 Richard D. Perry.  images courtesy of Niccolò Brooker and Diana Roberts.

video by Sergio Serrano

The Chapels of Ixtla: La Pintada

La Pintada

Although small, this refurbished Ixtla chapel claims the most interesting of the painted interiors in the area. Despite its size, the capilla has a two stage bell tower and a cut stone doorway.

To date the most extensively restored, as its name indicates the painted interior at La Pintada is by far the most extensive and iconographically complex of the Ixtla capillas. 
   Thought to date from the late 1700s, the murals are rendered in a colorful and lively style, illustrating a variety of biblical scenes along with the sun and moon, musical angels, curtained altars and temples, with friezes of mystical animals. 

 

 

Beyond its attractive folkloric style and the vividly portrayed figures and objects, a complicated narrative unfolds with themes that appear related to traditional Otomí history, cosmogony and world view.

Episodes from the Passion of Christ are intermingled with battle scenes featuring Otomí and Chichimec warriors, the former in war apparel and the latter largely naked except for feathered headdresses. Spanish troops, helmeted and mounted, also appear.

Some warriors carry musical instruments, crosses and banners in addition to native weapons, emphasizing the ritual aspect of the confrontation—a theme more fully developed in the monastery of Ixmiquilpan. 

Although many details remain obscure, scholars speculate that the murals link Christ's ordeal to the struggle between the two indigenous groups and, by extension, the Spanish colonizers.

text © 2014 Richard D. Perry.   images by Benjamin Arredondo and others.

The Chapels of Ixtla: San Isidro

the chapel before clearing (1960s)

San Isidro

The once abandoned outlying Ixtla capilla of San Isidro is under restoration for its proposed new role as a community museum.  

the chapel front before restoration began (2010)

The chapel after exterior restoration and landscaping

Like El Templo del Barrio (Ojo Zarco), the chapel is a substantial domed building, although lacking a tower or belfry. The handsome stone doorway is plain save for reliefs of the sun and moon, windblown rosettes and a winged angel head.

The interior was lavishly decorated with colorful murals, now also under restoration. Among the highlights are folkloric portraits of the Four Evangelists holding their gospels on the pendentives beneath the painted octagonal dome.

The painted dome

St John the Evangelist

St Mark

the restored chapel and atrium cross.

Like the Templo (previous post) San Isidro boasts an old carved stone cross facing the chapel front and set on a pyramidal pedestal raised on a high, square base. 
   The cross is simply ornamented in Jalisco style, with a streamlined, cross-within-a-cross pattern and petal finials. A second, smaller carved stone cross rests inside the church. 

text © 2014 Richard D. Perry.  images by Niccolò Brooker, Diana Roberts and others.

The Chapels of Ixtla: La Capilla de Ojo Zarco

El Señor de Ojo Zarco

San Miguel Ixtla is best known for its annual Easter pilgrimage and celebration in honor of El Señor de Ojo Zarco (Our Lord of the Blue Eyes) a venerable cristo de caña, or lightweight crucifix, now lodged in the parish church.

La Capilla de Ojo Zarco

Originally the home of the eponymous crucifix, this is the largest of the Ixtla chapels. Also referred to as El Templo del Barrio, it is built on a raised platform of possible prehispanic origin.

Approached by a flight of stone steps, the restored chapel boasts a rare, triple tiered tower and features an simple arched entry, decorated with foliar reliefs. 

Archangels with sweet faces and flowing robes guard the doorway on either jamb.

 

One unusual feature is the sculpted stone sill, a likely transplant, carved with angel heads and writhing relief foliage in early colonial style.

 

The spacious interior is covered with polychrome murals, although in very poor condition. These include the ample dome and drum with shell motifs and scrolled decoration.

A special feature of the chapel is its handsome carved cross, facing the church atop a massive, two tier octagonal base. The cross springs from a domed, ribbed pedestal in the form of a squash or barrel cactus, as we saw at Nonoalco.
   The cross-within-a-cross design frames numerous small Passion reliefs that include the face of Christ at the axis emitting rays of the Tres Potencias. 
   Five miniature Wounds are crowded on the upper shaft, while the Sun and Moon appear on the arms. Several other Passion objects appear, including the Thirty Pieces of Silver in columns along the lateral facets.

text © 2014 Richard D. Perry.  images by Niccolò Brooker, Diana Roberts and others.

video by Sergio Serrano

The Chapels of Ixtla: Introduction

Former Mexican president Felipe Calderón at the inauguration

 of a restored Otomí chapel near Tolimán, Qro.

The Chapels of Ixtla

From ancient times, even before the arrival of the Spaniards, the indigenous Otomí and Pamé peoples of central Mexico followed a tradition of building and maintaining so-called oratorios familiares or shrines dedicated to family or clan deities. 
   After the Spanish conquest and the evangelization of the area by Catholic priests and friars, many of these capillas became shrines to Christian saints. Although many were abandoned following the disruption of the conquest and evangelization, some of the larger structures have survived as barrio chapels in the Otomí communities of Hidalgo, Guanajuato and Querétaro, north of the Mexican capital.
   Dating from as early as the 17^th century, although most are later, these capillas are typically small in scale and modestly ornamented, although several can boast carved doorways, domes or bell towers, with vaulted and often extensively painted interiors.

San Miguel Ixtla, parish church

The subject of this series of posts is a particular group of chapels in the environs of San Miguel Ixtla, a border community between the states of Guanajuato and Querétaro.  There are more than 30 chapels in the vicinity, the many of them family capillas, some abandoned and others still in use.  
   Since the late 1990s a major conservation project, Proyecto San Miguel Ixtla, conducted by INAH and other agencies along with community involvement, has been ongoing to document, conserve and even restore some of the more important chapels.
   In this series we focus on five of these: La Capilla de Ojo Zarco (aka El Templo del Barrio); San Isidro, the largest of the chapels, and the painted chapel of La Pintada. We also look at two smaller ones, those of La Capilla de Los Angeles and La Capilla Segunda de Najar.
   Some of the capillas retain carved stone crosses within their precincts, both of colonial origin and of more recent vintage.

text © 2014 Richard D. Perry

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