Sierra Gorda Part 10: Misión San Francisco de Tilaco (Atrium and Facade)

Carole stands at the atrium gate of Mission San Francisco de Tilaco. Through the gate, you can see the facade and bell tower of the church. The mission's cloister is attached to the right side of the church and is  partially visible through the bars of the gate. In this posting, I'll show you the atrium and the exterior of the church, including the facade, dome and tower. In the next posting, I'll cover the interior of the church and the cloister. 

This is the best preserved of the five missions in the Sierra Gorda. In the 1980s, officials of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) stumbled upon one of the missions while lost on the Sierra Gorda's back roads. While Tilaco's mission was in fairly good shape, the effects of war, vandalism, and abandonment had caused significant deterioration to the others. INAH decided to restore all of them to their former glory and this was finally completed in 2002. The following year, the five missions were collectively declared a World Heritage Site.

Overview

Google satellite route from Jalpan de Serra to Tilaco. Head east on Highway 120 until you reach the town of La Lagunita. Turn right at the corner with an optician's shop called Optica Quero Lentes. Follow this road approximately 25 km (16 mi) to Tilaco. This beautiful drive will take you through the mountains to a broad valley. Across it, you will see the steeple of the mission church in the distance. For directions to Jalpan de Serra from from the Lago de Chapala- Guadalajara area,  please refer to  Part 1 of this series. For an interactive Google map, click here.

A Franciscan friar named Juan Crespi directed the building of the mission. He is shown above, holding a cross, with three other friars standing reverently to his left. On his right are three indigenous men, burdened with heavy packs and eyeing Crespi with considerable skepticism. He was a close associate of Junipero Serra, the leader of the Sierra Gorda's Franciscans. Serra was the over-all supervisor when the five missions were built. While Crespi was the on-site director of construction at Tilaco from 1754 and 1762, local Pame craftsmen and laborers did the actual work 

Like Serra, Juan Crespi was born on the island of Majorca, Spain. Also like him, Crespi joined the Franciscan Order at age 17. Serra  taught philosophy at Majorica's Universidad de Palma and Crespi was one of his students. He decided to travel with Serra to Nueva España (Mexico) as a missionary and was with Serra's expedition to the Sierra Gorda in 1750. Crespi later joined Serra's 1770 expedition to take over the former Jesuit missions in Baja California and to establish new missions in Alta California. Crespi is famous for being one of the first explorers of the area around the current city of San Francisco.

Mission San Francisco viewed from across the valley. I took this shot with my telephoto, so the mission was a lot further away than it appears here. The town of Tilaco surrounds the church, but is almost invisible through all the trees. Unlike the other missions, which were built on flat ground, this one was constructed on the sloping foothills of a mountain. Its position provides a spectacular view of the valley below it and the surrounding mountains.

Both the dome of the church and its small cupola are octagonal. Eight round windows provide light to the interior of the church. The dome covers the center of the transept, which is the area just in front of the main altar where the nave and the transept cross. As you can see, the day was cloudy and constantly threatening to rain, so some of my photos are a bit darker than I would have liked.

The bell tower is topped by three highly decorated levels.The lowest level has openings for four large bells, which are rung by ropes like the one you can see hanging down. The second and third levels are hexagonal, so they could theoretically contain six bells each. However, there were no bells in the openings, at least that I could see. 

The first and second levels have niches for statues, but none were filled that I could see. The statues may have been stolen or destroyed during the Revolution or the Cristero War that followed soon after. The upright structures on each corner of the first two levels are called finials. The niches on the first level have spiraling  Solomonic columns , while those on the upper levels are straight. 

Atrium and Wells

The atrium is surrounded by a low, crenellated wall . There are three gates, one on either side and one in the front. The front gate seen above is the main one and it opens out to a small but attractive plaza under some trees. The small, domed structures at the two corners are called posas. While the Spanish word posa refers to a form of Spanish colonial religious architecture. In the distance, you can see the mountains from which I took my telephoto shot of the mission.

View of the atrial cross, a posa, and the main gate. Posas were constructed for use during ceremonial processions around the atrium and are among various Spanish colonial religious structures that are unique to this period. Atriums were particularly important in the early days of evangelization, when they were used for mass conversions because there were far too many native people to fit inside the early churches. In fact, they were more accustomed to worshiping that way. In pre-hispanic times, the common people had gathered for religious ceremonies in the open and only those of the elite class were allowed inside temples. 

View down the walkway that connects the two posas .  Statues of the Virgin or the saint to which a church is dedicated will often be paraded from place to place in an atrium. During the processions, stops are made at the posas so that rituals can be conducted. In the background, dark rain clouds gather over the mountains. Although a storm constantly threatened, eventually the day ended sunny.

Facade

Tilaco's facade is less elaborate than that of the Landa mission, but is still complex. While Landa (see Part 9) has thirteen niches with statues, this facade contains only five. Some of the statues and other decorative features are similar, but there are also some differences. For example, the ground-level statues on either side of the entrance above closely resemble those at Landa representing St. Peter and St. Paul. However, the Tilaco facade's three other statues are different than those appearing on the Landa facade.

The second level of the facade is the most complex . In the center is the choir window, surrounded by four cherubs. The two above hold open some drapes while the lower two are grasping branches of vegetation. Below the choir window is the coat-of-arms of the Franciscans, showing the crossed arms of St. Francis and Jesus. The hands are each nailed to a cross. Framing the choir window are two stipite columns, each supported at the bottom by a seated mermaid with upraised arms. Finally, there is a niche on either side containing statues. The next two photos will take a closer look at these niches.

The Virgin Mary occupies the left-hand niche . It is not clear which of the many versions of Mary this represents. She stands with both hands pressed against her right breast, with her face turned reverently upward. At her feet are three cherub heads. The columns on either side burst with vegetation. At their bottoms are two heads, probably male, wearing elaborate collars around their necks. In this close-up shot, you can see the screen installed to protect the sculptures from bird damage.

The right-hand niche contains a statue of Mary's husband, St. Joseph. He holds Jesus in his left hand. Statues of Joseph often show him with his son. Like any other baby would, this one appears to be clutching his father's beard. However, Joseph is dressed rather more elaborately than one would expect of a simple carpenter in ancient Palestine. The stipite columns on either side contain heads at their bottoms which are similar to those by Mary's niche. However, these are clearly male and wear hairstyles popular among men in the 18th century.

Decorations on the left side of the facade's top level. There are nearly identical decorations on the right side. In the upper left is a seated angel who supports part of the structure with his upturned right arm. Below where he sits, an eagle or hawk spreads its wings and looks to the right. A profusion of flowering vines covers much of the remaining space. 

The topmost niche contains a statue of St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Order. Cradled in his left hand is a skull, representing death. Francis often contemplated death because of his failing health. On the left side, an angel strums a guitar, while the one on the right plays a violin. Above St. Francis are two cherubs, while below is a head with a woman's face, framed by wings. On either side of the niche are Solomonic columns. 

This completes Part 10 of my Sierra Gorda series. In the next part, we will take a look at the Tilaco church's interior and the attached cloister where the friars lived and worked. I hope you enjoyed this posting. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below or email me directly. If you leave a question, please include your email address so that I may respond in a timely fashion.

See you later, Jim

 

Sierra Gorda Part 9: The Franciscan Mission in Landa de Matamoros

 

Church of the Mission, seen through the main entrance gate of its atrium . Mission de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción Purisima  (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception) is located in the town of Landa de Matamoros . This was the last of the five missions constructed by the Franciscan Order in the Sierra Gorda in the 18th century. The church is considered to be the most beautiful of the five missions and its elaborate facade will be the major focus of this posting. Built between 1760 and 1768, the on-site director was the  Franciscan friar  Miguel de la Campa. However, local Pame  tribesmen did the actual work. 

In this posting, we'll take a look at the decorations of the facade and steeple, as well as some of the interior features of the church. Since the native people were illiterate, the Spanish used statues, relief carvings, paintings, and various visual symbols to explain Biblical stories and Christian themes. Fra. Junipero Serra  was the overall superintendent of construction for the five missions. He decided to incorporate various pre-Hispanic indigenous symbols to encourage the native people to accept Catholic teachings. This strategy was one of the more benign aspects of the Spiritual Conquest, which did have its grimmer side.

Overview

The route from Jalpan de Serra to Landa de Matamoros . This is one of the easiest missions to find. Simply take Highway 120 west from Jalpan 21.9 km (13.6 mi) toward Xilitla . The drive takes about 1/2 hour. Shortly after entering Landa de Matamoros , you will see the two-story Hotel Misión on your left. Turn there onto  Calle Cinco de Mayo , a street that passes  in front of the hotel as it angles off to the left. Follow Cinco de Mayo three blocks until you see the Mission on the left side of the street. For instructions on getting to Jalpan de Serra from Lago de Chapala or the Guadalajara area, see Part 1 of this series.

A painting of Fra. Junipero Serra hangs inside the church . Junipero Serra was a Franciscan friar who was a major figure in the era of colonial evangelism. He is best remembered for his epic journey up through the rugged deserts of the Baja peninsula and into California. Serra founded 9 of the 21 Franciscan missions in California . However, prior to this journey, he spent almost a decade supervising the missions in the Sierra Gorda and overseeing the construction of their churches and cloisters.

Atrium, Cloister and Bell Tower

The Mission's church, cloister, and grassy atrium. The view is from the gate off Calle Cinco de Mayo . All five missions were built according to the same general plan. Each has a single bell tower on the left of its church and each church has an elaborate facade. Finally, each complex has a cloister (work and living area) to the right of the church. The entrance to the cloister is the large arched opening you can see above. Despite these overall similarities, each of the missions differs in their details. This is particularly the case with the facades.

In the center of the atrium is the atrial cross. Atriums are large open spaces in front of a church that are bounded by a low wall. This atrium has gates on each of its three sides.  The one you see on the upper right is the gate through which I took the first photo of this posting. Atriums are used for ceremonial gatherings and processions that are too large to be conducted inside a church. In the early days of evangelism, they were used for mass conversions of indigenous people. The atrial cross above is still used during various outdoor religious ceremonies. 

The bell tower has openings for numerous bells . The unusually narrow structure has two highly-decorated levels, with fourteen arched openings for bells. The lower level has eight openings capable of hanging two bells a piece. The upper level contains six openings which can handle one bell each. Separating the openings are  stipite columns in the Baroque style called Churrigueresque or Rocco. 

The bell tower of the Franciscan church in Ajijic where I live doesn't have as many bells as this but, when they are occasionally rung all together, they create a deafening cacophony. If all the openings above were filled with bells to the maximum of their capacity, and all were all rung simultaneously, I can barely imagine the uproar.

The Facade

The area around the front entrance of a church is called its facade . Mission Nuestra Señora de la Concepción Purisima de Landa is often described as having the most elaborate and beautiful church facade of the five missions. Its thirteen niches contain statues of the Virgin and various saints. Of these thirteen statues, I have only been able to identify two definitely and to tentatively identify three others. Consequently, I will focus on these, because to include all thirteen would be somewhat tedious

In addition to all the statues in the niches, the facade has relief carvings of two important Franciscan theologians. Along with these are more reliefs of cherubs, angels, mermaids, and a great deal of vegetation native to Mexico. To start we'll take a look at the niche just above the center of the entrance arch and then work our way up to the top of the facade. 

The niche above the entrance arch contains a statue of the Virgin Mary. Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception  is the version of Mary for whom the church is named. Above her, two winged cherubs hold open some curtains. To her left and right are two angels swinging incense burners. If you look closely, you can see the carvings that represent rising smoke. All around these figures are vines, flowers, and other local native plants. As usual with Churrigueresque architecture, all available space is filled with decorations. The screen that covers these sculptures is to protect them from pigeon damage.

Above and to the left of Mary's statue is a relief carving of John Duns Scotus. He sits at a cloth-covered table with this left hand on an open book and his right holding a quill pen. Across from him is a maiz (corn) plant with several ripe cobs. Duns Scotus ("Duns the Scot") was a Catholic theologian from Scotland. Among other things, he is famous for his defense of the Immaculate Conception. This idea asserts that not only was Jesus the product of a virgin birth, but that his mother Mary was herself immaculately conceived. However, none of this is described in the Bible nor are Mary's parents mentioned there.

John Duns Scotus (1265-1308) was a theologian, priest, and Franciscan friar.  He lectured at the universities of Oxford and Paris and is considered among the four top philosopher-theologians of Western Europe's High Middle Ages. The idea of ​​Mary's Immaculate Conception was a matter of dispute within the Church for centuries. Duns Scotus' defense of it was influential but, in later centuries, those who objected to his writings disparaged his followers as "dunces", which is the origin of the term. 

Above and to the right of Mary is a relief of  Maria de Jesús de Ágrada. She was the abbess of a Franciscan convent who was another avid advocate of the Immaculate Conception and a prolific writer on a variety of theological topics. Like Duns Scotus, she sits at a table with a book and quill pen and faces a corn plant. Corn originated in Mexico and the cobs which face both her and Duns Scotus were one of the indigenous themes encouraged by Junipero Serra to make the Church more relatable to native people. 

Maria de Jesús  was born in 1602 in Ágreda  in the province of  Soria , Spain. Pious as a child, she decided to enter a convent at age 12. About this time, her mother Catalina had a vision telling her to convert the family home into a convent for the Order of the Immaculate Conception (a branch of the Franciscans). Her family strongly objected, but her mother went ahead anyway. Catalina , her daughter Maria , and another sister all entered the Order together and launched the convent.  After her mother died, Maria was elected abbess (head) of the convent at age 25 and ran it for the next 38 years until her death in 1665. 

Although she was born 300 years after the death of Duns Scotus, the Immaculate Conception dispute was still going on. During her time as abbess, Maria published material advocating for the Immaculate Conception, as well as 14 other religious books. She also corresponded with Spain's King Phillip IV for 22 years. After the Inquisition banned some of her books, King Phillip protected her and allowed them to be published within his kingdom. Since her death, she has been proposed for sainthood numerous times and was elevated to the status of "Venerable". However, to date, sainthood has eluded her.

Above the statue of the Virgin is the choir window, flanked by important symbols. The choir window lights the choir loft, located above and behind the seating area of ​​the church. The two theologians just described are in the lower left and right corners. Next to the window are two large relief carvings of the Franciscan Coat of Arms (left) and. the Five Stigmata (right). Above them on either side are two cherubs. Each holds part of a rope, which dangles down the sides of the choir window.  The rope  represents the cord the friars used as a belt for their cassocks and symbolizes Franciscan simplicity.

The Franciscan Order's emblem is its Coat of Arms , composed of two human arms nailed to a cross by their hands. The robed arm represents St. Francis ( San Francisco ) and the bare arm represents Jesus. The Five Sigmata are the injuries inflicted on Jesus during his crucifixion. They include wounds to the hands and feet from nails and to the side by a Roman spear. Stigmatics are people who spontaneously bleed at places similar to those of Jesus' wounds and St. Francis was the first recorded stigmatic. However, around 80% of today's stigmatics are reported to be women.

The facade's top section has two statues and multiple relief carvings . At the very top is a niche containing the Archangel Michael, who stands with wings spread, brandishing a sword and trampling a dragon-like creature representing Satan. Just below is another niche with a figure who may be St. Lawrence ( San Lorenzo ). One of my sources mentions that St. Lawrence is one of the statues, but doesn't identify which one. My main clues are the palm frond in his right hand (representing martyrdom) and the grille he holds with his left. 

According to the legend, St. Lawrence  (225-258 AD) was a Christian deacon in Rome who was executed on the orders of Emperor Valerian. The method used was to roast him alive on a grill. During this process, he is reported to have cheerfully said "I'm well done on this side, turn me over." St. Lawrence is the patron saint of cooks, chefs, and comedians and his feast day is sometimes celebrated by holding barbecues. Modern scholars dispute the roasting account, claiming it is due to a mis-translation. They suggest that he was most likely beheaded. I think these folks are just killjoys. I prefer the old story! 

On either side of the St. Lawrence statue are two large plaques. The one on the right shows Jesus being beaten and whipped by Roman soldiers. On the left, two of his followers remove his body from the cross so that it can be taken to his tomb. On either side of these two plaques are stipite columns supported by mermaids with the features of indigenous women. This is another example of Junipero Serra  including elements in his church decorations that would appeal to native people.

Beautiful pillars support the arch over the entrance.  This left-side pillar and the one on the right,  as well as the arch they support, are all beautifully painted in a color scheme that is unique among the five missions. The base panels to the left and right of the two pillars contain intricate floral designs typical of the Churrigueresque style.

Statues in niches to the left of the entrance. Both the middle statue and the smaller one on its right have had their heads knocked off. This probably occurred during the Revolution (1910-17) or the Cristero War (1926-29) . Anti-Catholic feeling was high during both periods because of the perception that the Church was supportive of wealthy owners of haciendas and businesses and thus complicit in the oppression of the people. All three statues hold banners, which provides a clue to the identity of the one in the middle. Keep in mind that all my statue identifications are tentative except for the Virgin Mary and Archangel Michael.

St. John of Capistrano (1386-1456) was a Franciscan friar who preached throughout Europe at a time of great turmoil. The Black Plague killed as much as 1/3 of the population. Wars raged among the European dynasties. In 1453, the Muslim Turks conquered Constantinople, the capitol of Eastern Christianity. St. John helped lead a campaign (thus the banners) against the Turks and helped lift their siege of Belgrade. Warrior-priests were not uncommon during the Middle Ages or the Renaissance period which followed it. St. John of Capistrano died from an infection, shortly after the victory over the Turks. 

St. Peter stands in a niche directly above St. John of Capistrano . This niche is to the left of the Franciscan Coat of Arms. The statue holds a book with the left hand. Since his right hand is missing, it is impossible to tell whether he is making a gesture or holding an object with it.  St. Peter  was one of the Twelve Apostles and was a major leader in the earliest days of Christianity. According to Church tradition, he was the first Bishop (or Pope) of Rome and was martyred by Emperor Nero sometime between 64-68 AD. The statue stands across from another which may be St. Paul. The two are often shown together.

St. Paul stands in a niche across from St. Peter . His niche is to the right of the plaque with the Five Stigmata. His niche is framed by a pair of stipite columns, similar to that of St. Peter. St. Paul  stands with his hand resting on the hilt of a downward-pointing sword. The saint is often portrayed in this manner, which helped me to tentatively identify him. The weapon is not meant to be a literal sword, but represents the power of the spirit. In his letters to various early Christian groups, he often used the armor and weapons of Roman soldiers as metaphors for how the faithful should protect and arm themselves spiritually.

Interior of the Mission Church

The church has a single nave, ending in the apse containing the altar . Unlike the facade and bell tower , the nave is very simple and sparsely decorated. This is probably due to a 19th century redecoration in the more severe Neo-Classic style . Such changes are typical of what happened with many Mexican churches originally built in the florid Churrigueresque Baroque style of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception stands in a niche of the main altar.  A pair of cherubs hold a crown they are preparing to place on her head, while two additional cherubs flutter at her feet. The crown is meant to symbolize both Mary's divine queenship and the Virgin's purity. The two Greco-Roman columns supporting the arch over her head are expressions of the Neo-Classic style. The fresh flowers and banners are related to a religious fiesta that was taking place around the time of our visit. 

John the Baptist prepares to immerse Jesus in the River Jordan . This famous New Testament scene hangs in the small baptismal room near the entrance of the nave. In addition to the painting, the room contains the baptismal font, which is a stone bowl on a pedestal. The bowl contains water, which is considered central to life. According to Catholic belief, baptism absolves a person of original sin, all personal sin, and all punishments due to sin. With limited exceptions, a person must be baptized in order to be "saved", (go to heaven after death). 

According to the New Testament and other sources , John the Baptist was later impressed by King Herod Antipas because he criticized the King for divorcing his wife and then marrying his brother's ex-wife. The Bible says John was beheaded at the request of the King's new wife. However, Josephus, a contemporary Jewish historian says it was because Herod feared John's influence over the people of Galilee and that he might incite a rebellion. According to the story, John's head was presented on a platter to the King and his new wife.

Ceiling decoration in the nave . This shows the Archangel Michael ( Saint Michael ) in armor and wearing a Roman-style helmet, while holding a shield in his right hand and a cross in his left. His foot is on a creature who represents Satan. Archangel Michael is believed to lead the armies of heaven and to have cast Satan out so that he would no longer have the ear of God. Revered by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam,  Michael is believed to be the chief of all the angels and to stand at the right hand of God.

Francis of Assisi ( San Francisco ) was the founder of the Franciscan Order. He was especially devoted to Archangel Michael because he believed in Michael's great power as a protector against evil. Consequently, the Archangel's image is often found in Franciscan churches such as the ones attached to the Sierra Gorda missions.

This completes Part 9 of my Sierra Gorda series. I hope you have enjoyed it and, if so, you will leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below or email me directly. If you leave a question in the Comments, please include your email so that I may respond in a timely manner.

See you later, Jim