EARLIEST 16TH-CENTURY MONASTERIES on the SLOPES of POPOCATEPETL
15 parts in Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala and part of the evangelisation and colonisation 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 have usually on the south a cloister area for the monks. 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. A number of 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 these were tolerated by the friars 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 economic development of the areas they evangelized, taking advantage of the fertility of the land. They were more prominent in the higher altitudes.
In Puebla, there are three: San Francisco de Asís in San Andrés Calpan, San Miguel Arcángel in Huejotzingo and Asunción de Nuestra Señora in Tochimilco.
Huejotzingo is the oldest of the fifteen, constructed in 1524. The atrium has four corner chapels which are some of the most elaborate of their type from colonial Mexico. There are finely crafted from sandstone. The main altarpiece is from the 16th century with only three in Mexico as old as it. The atrium cross has a detailed crown of thorns. The remains of the aqueduct can be found on one of the atrium walls.
Calpan was subdued by Cortés personally in 1522 and the Franciscans arrived here to build the San Andrés Apostol monastery complex in 1548. Chapel. The chapels, built of pink sandstone in the corners of the atrium, are noted for their finely sculpted reliefs. The first chapel is located on the side of the cloister and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The second to Saint Francis of Assisi, the third to the Archangel Michael and the last to John the Baptist, following the pattern of the first two. These make these chapels unique in Mexico and are the reason this monastery was included.
From east to west from Puebla to Cuernavaca:
1. *The Asunción de Nuestra Señora monastery in Tochimilco receives water from the volcano via a long aqueduct which brings the liquid directly into the building as well as to a 16th-century fountain in the plaza of the town. The inner walls of the atrium have niches for each of the Stations of the Cross. This monastery was affected by an earthquake in 1999, damaging walls and vaults, but this damage has since been repaired during restoration work which was carried out between 2001 and 2003. The monastery hosts temporary exhibits such as the Cartografía Novohispana de Tochimilco, sponsored by the INAH, with maps on loan from the Archivo de Indias in Seville, Spain.
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.
2. The monastery of Santo Domingo de Guzmán in Hueyapán – highest altitude, cold and closest to the volcano. Dominicans, cloister was built of adobe and wood with a tile roof instead of stone. It disintegrated relatively quickly due to the elements and was abandoned. It remains mostly closed to this day. Only the atrium area is open to visitors and this closes by 1 pm each day. The austere façade of the main church survives and it has a notable Baroque niche. It is also possible to see a number of its remaining murals.
3. *The monastery of San Juan Bautista in Tetela del Volcán. Dominicans in the first half of the 16th century and was even visited by Hernán Cortés. It is at a high altitude near the volcano surrounded by pine forest with a cold climate. The exterior has arcades. One unique architectural element is the Moorish-style wood-beam roofing in the sacristy. There is a crafts market held here each Wednesday. The atrium has a series of frescos of very high quality, painted by a local indigenous artist in the 16th century. They were restored in 2008.
3a. The monastery of La Concepción in 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 in 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 used 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.
5. *The Augustinian monastery of San Juan Bautista in Yecapixtla has an atrium wall with 365 triangular sculptures, corner chapels and its center stone cross. The façade is 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 painting such as Stations of the Cross and some of the daily life of Augustinian friars. It contains a fountain from the 17th century.
6. *The monastery of San Mateo Apostol in 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 upper level serves as the home of the parish priest.
6a. The monastery of San Guillermo Abad in 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.
6c. The Dominican monastery of Santo Domingo in 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 coloring, which is unusual but most have lost their color 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 in 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.
8. 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.
MEXICO – MEXICO STATE (Toluca) and Morelos (Cuernavaca)
CUERNAVACA
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Cuernavaca: Palace of Cortés
Art Museums
Cuernavaca: Museo de Arte Indigena Contemporaneo
Cuernavaca: Museo Morelense de Arte Popular (MMAPO)
House and Biographical Museums: Cuernavaca: Robert Brady Museum
Botanical Gardens: Cuernavaca: Ethnobotanical Garden
World Heritage Sites: Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalco
Cities of the Americas
CUAUTLA
JIUTEPEC
TOLUCA/IXTLAHUACA
History, Culture, National and City Museums: Toluca: Museo de la Inquisicion
Vestiges of the Past: Toluca: Calixtlahuaca
Art Museums
Toluca: Fine Arts Museum
Toluca: Museo de la Acuarela
Religious Temples: Toluca: Toluca Cathedral
Botanical Gardens: Toluca: Cosmovitral Botanical Garden
Zoos: Toluca: Zoologico de Zacango
Museums – Various: Toluca: Museo del Alfeñique
Villages and Small Towns
EL ORO DE HIDALGO
MALINALCO
METEPEC
Art Museums: Metepec: Museum of Clay
Religious Temples: Metepec: Calvario
Markets: Metepec: Crafts market
TEPOTZOTLAN
Religious Temples: Tepotzotlan: Templo de San Francisco Javier
VALLE DE BRAVO
Airports: Mexico City Felipe Angeles (NLU), Toluca (TLC)
Railway, Metro, Funiculars, Cable Cars: Mexicable
History, Culture, National and City Museums
Ecatepec: Casa de Morelos
Tlalnepantla: Museo Hacienda de Santa Mónica
Vestiges of the Past
Acozac Archaeological Site
Chalcatzingo
Coatetelco archaeological site
Hidalgo /Mexico state – Tepeyahualco: Father Tembleque Aqueduct
Malinalco Archaeological zone
San Miguel Ixtapan archaeological site
Xochicalco: Xochicalco Archaeological Site
House and Biographical Museums: Anenecuilco: Museo y Casa de Emiliano Zapata
Architectural Delights
Naucalpan: Nautilus House
Tultitlán: Bacardi Buildings
Religious Monuments: Tlalnepantla de Baz: Statue of Christ of Tlalnepantla (Cristo Rey del Jardines del Recuerdo)
Natural History and Earth Museums: Ecatepec: Natural History Museum
Monuments: Chimalhuacan: Guerrero Chimali
World of Nature
Bosencheve NP
Cumbres del Ajusco NP
El Tepozteco NP
Nevado de Toluca NP
Caves, Sinkholes and Saltmines: Grutas de Cacahuamilpa Caverns
Lakes: Lake Avandaro
Well-being: Thermal Spa: Agua Hedionda
Aviation Museums: Santa Lucia base: Mexican AirForce Museum
Museums – Various: Texcoco: National Museum of Agriculture
