Day 5 Mon Feb 10
EARLIEST 16TH-CENTURY MONASTERIES on the SLOPES of POPOCATEPETL
15 parts in Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala and part of the evangelization and colonization of the northern territories of Mexico. They are good examples of the architectural style adopted by the first missionaries – Franciscans, Dominicans and Augustinians. Many have a military aspect, a very large atrium – usually rectangular with open chapels and “capillas posas” or atrium corner chapels to accommodate the first Indigenous converts, who were not used to entering large enclosed structures. The atrium functioned as the meeting point between the indigenous peoples and the missionary friars, with mass for the newly converted held outdoors. The church was usually simple in plan but of imposing size, with a single nave. Monastic buildings on the south surrounded a small cloister.
Located on the foothills of the Popocatépetl volcano, they were built at the very beginning of the evangelization period in the 16th century – eleven are in Morelos, three in Puebla, and the Cathedral of Tlaxcala added in 1021. The twelve in Morelos are promoted as the “Route of the Volcano”.
Architecture
These monasteries were built to be very solid with thick walls and had a very austere aspect and some looked like forts. These were for defensive purposes, as the monks were invading Mesoamerican lands to impose a new religion. For this reason, churches and monasteries of this type are called “fortress temples.”
Most of the monasteries have a large atrium in front of the church, an open chapel, four chapels in each corner of the atrium, and an atrium cross, Stations of the cross on the atrium walls, a roofed church, and the cloister area for the monks. Unlike churches built before and in the centuries after, the atrium played a critical role in these monasteries, built initially for evangelization. Each monastery had only a handful of monks but hundreds of indigenous converts to whom to say Mass. Part of the reason was to accommodate the large numbers but also because pre-Hispanic rites were performed outside. For evangelization, the atrium and its accompanying open chapel were built first. The atriums are surrounded by low walls, none over five meters high, to give a more intimate feel but keeping the area outside. The open chapels were almost always built on the side of the main church and facing the same direction, towards the atrium. Since most indigenous peoples could not read or write, the churches and open chapels were painted with Biblical scenes to evangelize through the images. The atrium walls often have markings for the Stations of the Cross and four chapels, one in each corner. These are called capillas posas. In the middle of the atrium, a large stone cross was placed. On the outside of these early churches, crosses almost always appear without the figure of Christ. The reason for this is that the friars did not want the natives to link the old practice of human sacrifice to the new religion and thus use it as justification for the continuation of the practice.
The large-roofed churches usually have a cloister area for the monks in the south. Most had murals, large gardens and fountains. rose windows common on French cathedrals, portals similar to those in Spain and even Islamic-style triangular altars. Several hidden elements such as certain numbers important to native beliefs can be found in the churches, such as the number of stairs and aspects of the decorative figures. It is unknown whether the friars tolerated these or whether they were added clandestinely.
Over 70% of the monasteries built in the 16th century are still in good condition.
History
The monasteries are part of the history of the early evangelization of Mexico. The Franciscans were invited to come first by Hernán Cortés, followed shortly thereafter by the Dominicans and the Augustinians. After establishing themselves in Mexico City and in the rest of the Valley of Mexico, they evangelized the area south and east of the volcano. The missionaries included Juan de Tecto, Juan de Ayora and Pedro de Gante, the last of whom learned Nahuatl to communicate with the indigenous peoples. The first of the monasteries were built by the Franciscans in 1524, who founded the monasteries of Huejotzingo, Cuernavaca, Calpan and Tochimilco. The Dominicans followed in 1526, founding those in Oaxtepec, Tepoztlan, Tetela del Volcán and Hueyapan. The Augustinians arrived in 1533 and founded the monasteries in Ocuituco, Totolapan, Yecapixtla, Tlayacapan, Atlatlauhcan and Zacualpan de Amilpas. Later, these same monasteries would send missionaries to other parts of New Spain, such as Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas and Guatemala.
Cornerstones for the towns, indigenous population settled or resettled around it. The monasteries also served as early hospitals, schools and storage facilities for food and water, with aqueducts often leading to them. The Augustinians not only evangelized: they established the first centers of schooling in European studies for the indigenous. The Dominicans gave greater priority to the economic development of the areas they evangelized, taking advantage of the fertility of the land. They were more prominent in the higher altitudes.
Route of the Volcano begins in Cuernavaca with the monastery church serving as the city’s cathedral. The route then moves east and somewhat north through Tepoztlán, Oaxtepec, Tlayacapan, Totolapan, Atlatlahuacan, Yecapixtla, Ocuituco, Tetela del Volcán and Hueyapan before ending in Zacualpan de Amilpas.
3a. The monastery of La Concepción, Zacualpán (south of the main road) was built by the Augustinians. Original gardens and homes, the baptistery has an arch and in its wall are the remains of a painted altarpiece. Its Rosario Chapel has other small Baroque altarpieces of great quality. There is a stone baptismal font made by indigenous hands and a series of chapels in the atrium which date to the 18th century.
4. The monastery of Santiago Apostol, Ocuituco dates from 1534 and is the first Augustinian monastery on the American mainland, with Fray Juan de Zumárraga celebrating its first mass in 1534. It served as not only an evangelization center but also a training center for monks. The monastery has a vault in the lower floor of the cloister which uses browns, whites and greens in its figures. 16th-century stone fountain, the oldest of all the monasteries of the World Heritage Site. This fountain is a replica of one found in the Alhambra in Córdoba. It features six sandstone lions facing the center, which were sculpted by indigenous craftsmen. Located on the outside of the cloister, there is another fountain that used to be known as the Fountain of the Mermaids (Fuente de las Sirenas), but it has badly deteriorated. Both provided the community with water which flowed to them from Popocatepetl.
Inside is plain white with many polychromes and a huge stone baptismal font.
5. The Augustinian monastery of San Juan Bautista, Yecapixtla has an atrium wall with 365 triangular sculptures, corner chapels and its center stone cross. The façade is one of the purest examples of Renaissance architecture. The vault on the lower floor of the cloister is at least 10 meters high and has remnants of mural paintings such as Stations of the Cross and some of the daily life of Augustinian friars. It contains a fountain from the 17th century.
The roof line and top of the stone walls are crenellated. The walls inside are painted yellow and orange, ceiling and chapel frescoes, The fountain was operating. The upper level serves as the home of the parish priest.
6. The monastery of San Mateo Apostol, Atlatlahuacán. Augustinians around 1570. The Stations of the Cross in the atrium are represented by small chapels on the exterior of the atrium wall. It has two roofed chapels in its atrium, one of which has a mural of the genealogical tree of Saint Augustine. The façade of the church is exceedingly tall, common in Augustinian constructions, extending about 50 meters in height. Fresco paintings covered most of the interior of the complex, with vaults that combine Moorish elements with those of the Italian Renaissance. Confession booths were constructed in an “s” pattern in the wall dividing the church from the cloister area. In the cloister, one of the principal attractions is one vault on the ground floor, decorated with a chain made with images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The inside is painted blue and long cloth banners hung from the ceiling. Faced frescoes covered the entire altar area.
6a. The monastery of San Guillermo Abad, Totolapán is Augustinian from 1553. Its cloister is small even though its walls and buttresses are very heavy. The corner chapels in the atrium are still intact and there are notable oil paintings and an old organ in the choir of the church. There is also an outstanding two-colour frieze in one of the rooms on the first floor of the cloister near the main façade of the church. This and other mural work in the inner passageways of the cloister have been recently restored. Stone arcades and pillars are decorated with small stones set with cement.
6b. The monastery of Tlayacapán (Ex Convento de San Juan Bautista de Tlayacapan) was constructed between 1554 and 1572 by the Augustinians. Suns and moons in the decoration of the church’s façade. The open chapel and cloister area has the best black-and-white mural work, pre-Hispanic and colonial pieces as well as some mummified remains from the 18th century. The preserved murals cover over 2,700m2 and depict figures and scenes such as the Dream of Saint Joseph, Catherine of Siena and the Presentation of Christ at the Temple.
The church was closed for renovations and a temporary church was set up outside under a tent. There are huge flying buttresses.
6c. The Dominican monastery of Santo Domingo, Oaxtepec. It has Gothic arches and the vault is decorated with floral motifs. There are two wood altarpieces from the 17th century. Pillars in the cloister have images of saints, and barrel vaults decorated with repeating motifs such as fleur-de-lis. The murals here have remnants of blue colouring, which is unusual but most have lost their colour entirely. Most of the murals which have disappeared completely have been destroyed by humidity, which is mostly due to the lack of maintenance of the roof’s drainage.
7. La Natividad de Nuestra Señora, Tepotzlán was built between 1550 and 1564 by five Dominican friars. The large atrium has a large stone cross, capillas posas are in ruins, the cloister contains friezes. One fresco with a xoloitzcuintle dog with a torch in its mouth and a border around the walls with squash flowers and roses, surrounded with precious stones, including a native one called “chalchihuite.” The plaza in front of the atrium of the monastery in Tepoztlán is crowded with a tianguis market.
CUERNAVACA
La Asunción in Cuernavaca (Cuernavaca Cathedral – Catedral de la Asunción de María) and part of the WHS. It was founded by the Franciscans and is the only one that has had significant changes. Because of the importance of the city and the church’s role as an ecclesiastical seat, the church and grounds were modified. The restoration of its murals in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
There are three churches here – an older church with a dramatic orange façade and gilt Baroque altar, the newer and much larger church (completely covered in faded frescoes on all the walls and ceiling), and a very small newer church.
Palace of Cortés. The location of the regional museum, the façade is wonderful red, black and cream rock. Three large rocks with petroglyphs are outside. A huge stone statue is outside with the label Morelos 1815-1946.
In the huge square outside was a large crowd promoting women’s issues.
I had delicious enchiladas at a more upscale restaurant.
ON Hotel de Cathedral. 507P. Very nice but poor wifi and no kettle.
Day 6 Tues Feb 11
The following were very close to the cathedral. I left the hotel at 09:30 to see the four before leaving Cuernavaca.
Robert Brady Museum. Wow, don’t miss this house, possibly the nicest house I have seen. Robert Brady was an American artist (1928-1986) who lived here for 20 years and collected 1,300 pieces of art. The house is at the corner of the cathedral and has two bedrooms, 3 baths, multiple sitting areas and great art. The yard is lovely with a swimming pool and Brady’s grave (along with his two dogs Yetl and Pili. 70P
Museo Morelense de Arte Popular (MMAPO). The main exhibit is by Raphael Gomez and his clay “scenes”. Free
Museo de Arte Indigena Contemporaneo. Closed on a Tuesday.
Ethnobotanical Garden. A lovely big garden with hundreds of small plots with good labelling (only in Spanish). I personally don’t believe any of this. Free
ARCHAEOLOGICAL MONUMENTS ZONE OF XOCHICALCAO WHS. Dating from 650-900 AD (after the fall of Teotihuacan), it was primarily a ceremonial site. It is built on a series of hills with ditches around them. Highlights are the Acropolis (ruler’s palace), Pyramid of the Feathered Serpents (bas reliefs on all 4 sides, three ball courts, the Observatory, and the Great Pyramid.
Highlights are the bas-reliefs carved on some of the buildings.
Visit the good museum first then walk or drive back to the site. All his been restored. The north ball court was the highlight for me. 100P, no reduction
Coatetelco archaeological site. Its boom years were from 500-150 BC. See a ball court, a small temple pyramid and several other structures around a central plaza. A small site with two platforms. Little to see. Free
Chalcatzingo archaeological site. It was known for its 3 groups of 31 bas-relief rock-carved Olmec art. At its height from 700-500 BC, about 1000 people. I didn’t see this.
I then drove to Tehuacan (about 4 hours) passing through Puebla. Most was on freeway with high tolls (~650P total).
ON Hotel Plaza Iberia, Tehuacan. A simple room around a large atrium.
Go to TEHUACAN-CUICATLAN VALLEY & VERACRUZ
