Amacueca's 16th century church and convent, Part 2 of 2

Parroquia del Dulce Nombre de Jesus. The Parish Church of the Sweet Name of Jesus was originally erected in 1547, making it one of the oldest in Jalisco. The gray stone facade contains four time-worn statues of Franciscan saints, framed by spiraling Solomonic columns, fashioned in the Baroque style. The campanario (bell tower) and the clock are from the 19th century. A large paved atrium spreads out in front of the church.

Atriums served very practical purposes. For thousands of years, indigenous people had worshipped their gods in the open, usually in front of their temple-pyramids. Assembling inside a church to worship the new Christian deity was very alien to their experience. In addition, native populations were often too large to fit inside early churches. Consequently, open-air atriums were constructed so that native people could gather for mass conversions and other religious activities.

In this posting, I will focus on the long history Amacueca's Parroquia. The church dates back to the middle of the 16th century and contains a variety of architectural styles, including Moorish, Mexican Churrigueresque, and Neo-Classic. Inside, a large reredo stands behind the altar. It is unusually elaborate for a small church in a rather remote community. I will begin with some of the interesting features on the outside of the church.

Exterior features

The gate into the atrium is topped with a Moorish arch. Pointed arches like this are an echo of the architecture that developed in Spain during 700 years of Moorish domination. The Moors invaded from North Africa in 711 AD and were finally expelled by Christian Spaniards in 1492 AD. 

The Christian Reconquista (Re-Conquest) had been long and bitterly fought. Along the way, however, the Christians adopted many elements of Moorish culture including artistic styles. The Moorish surrender occurred just before Columbus set off on his Voyage of Discovery. As the Spanish settled in the New World, they brought the styles of art and architecture they had learned from the Moors.

View of the campanario from the rear. Hanging from it are five bells of various sizes. The three largest carry dates ranging from 1887 to 1954. The campanario was constructed later than the gray stone facade of the church, probably in the 19th century. Prior to that, the church and its convent would have employed other bells. Where they were hung and what became of them are unknown to me.

The bell on the side of the campanario is fixed to a headstock. The headstock, or yoke, is a wooden framework that pivots back and forth when a rope is pulled, causing the bell's clapper to strike the interior. The fact that this bell is fixed to a headstock of antique design strongly suggests that it is the earliest one, dated 1887. It is possible that the headstock is even older.

Three weights hang from the clock's mechanism.. I photographed these on my way down from the church roof. The mechanism inside a clocktower is known as a turret clock and this one is powered by weights. The first turret clock was constructed in the 11th century. Several centuries later, in 1370,  Henri de Vick installed the first weight-driven turret clock in the Palais du Roi (Palace of the King) in Paris. Amacueca's clock was installed in 1872 by Teodosio Diaz Flores, the parish priest. 

Statue of San Antonio de Padua, to the right of the main door. There are four statues of Franciscan saints in niches on the facade of the church. Two are on either side of the main door and two more on either side of the choir loft window above. 

A group of Franciscans, known as the Twelve Apostles of Mexico, were the first of the Religious Orders to land in the New World's mainland. They debarked in Vera Cruz in 1524, barely two years after the fall of the Aztec Empire. 

The arrival of the Franciscans marked the launch of the so-called Spiritual Conquest. This was the ideological twin of the Military Conquest. Franciscan friar Juan de Padilla reached Amacueca in 1535 and began evangelizing the natives. Franciscans would continue to control the religious affairs of the town for 164 years.

Antique hardware on the main entrance's old wooden door. I am always fascinated by the old locks and other hardware on historic buildings. This lock is fully functional and definitely not just for decoration. The iron key must be quite large and heavy, not the sort that you would casually slip in your pocket.

In 1547, another Franciscan named Simon de Bruselas (Simon of Brussels) began construction on the church/convent complex. These buildings became the center of the area's missionary activity. The project was probably accomplished using forced labor under the encomienda system. This system allowed Spaniards to demand free labor from indigenous people in return for protection and instruction in Christianity. This was a pretty good deal, as long as you were on the right end of it.

Interior of Church

Monolithic baptismal font. The term monolithic means the font was carved from a single piece of stone. My friend Richard Perry blogs about colonial Mexico and has written a number of excellent books that I have found useful in my blog research and as guides while traveling in Mexico. No information about this baptismal font was available elsewhere, so I consulted him. Richard was able to provide the following details:

"This is a fine old monolithic font, skillfully carved with Cristic and Marian acronyms like some others I have seen. The cord molding around the base suggests its Franciscan origin and it may well be the original mission font, which would date it to the late 1500s, most likely. I see that it has a projecting knob which indicates that it is/was portable, probably used in the convento or outside in the old atrium--another feature that supports its early date."

The reredo is surprisingly ornate for small rural church. Its Churrigueresque style follows a design popular in the city of Queretaro. The side panels were carved in the early 1800's, but the center panel was damaged in an earthquake in 1749 and was replaced at a more recent date.

The craftsmanship of the reredo is of a high order. In my previous posting, my photo showed the two top niches empty, because the statues were being restored. This shot, taken a year later, shows them in place. All the statues in the niches are Franciscan saints. The statue on the crucifix was carved from wood in the 16th century.

The word reredo comes from Latin, meaning "board behind". These large and intricately-carved wooden structures can be found behind altars. They generally have several niches containing religious statues or paintings. Reredos carved in the Churrigueresque style are decorated with  cherub heads and floral curlicues, in addition to the paintings and statues.

A statue of San Francisco stands in the bottom left niche. The niche is bracketed by two estipite columns, also Churrigueresque features. The tops of the columns contain unusual figures. According to Richard Perry, angels or archangels would normally occupy these positions. Instead, "these figures appear to be Franciscan friars, holding a variety of objects...some of which may indicate martyrdom or other identifying symbols of particular individuals."

San Francisco de Assisi (1181-1226), was one of the towering figures of the Medieval Church. Although he never became a priest, he founded no less than three Holy Orders. These include the Order of Friars Minor (the Franciscan Order for men), the Order of St. Clare (for women), and the Third Order of St. Francis (for lay people). He took his vows of poverty and simplicity very seriously and was so important and so venerated that Pope Gregory IX elevated him to sainthood less than two years after his death.

Cherub heads, also known as putti, sprout everywhere on the reredo. These represent yet another Churrigueresque feature. However, putti have a very long history as decorative elements. They appeared thousands of years before the Christian era and continued in popularity into the early 20th century. It is also typical of the Churrigueresqe style that, besides the numerous putti, almost every square inch of the reredo contains some decorative element.

Santa Clara de Assisi was another important Franciscan saint. Her niche is on the lower right, across from San Francisco. St. Clare (1194-1253) came from a wealthy noble family. She rejected her social position and became an early follower of Francis after hearing him preach in Assisi. Clare's devotion attracted a considerable following of women. Eventually they set themselves up in simple huts near the Church of San Damiano, which had been rebuilt by Francis from a ruined condition. 

Francis helped Clare formalize her group as the Order of Poor Ladies of San Damiano (changed to the Order of St. Clare after her death). Their strict rules included going barefoot, sleeping on the ground, observing complete silence, and remaining cloistered from the world. Clare followed Francis' example of poverty and simplicity so closely that some called her alter Franciscus (another Francis). Also like Francis, Clare was canonized only two years after her death. 

An old organ stands in the choir loft at the back of the church. "Peters & Co., Scranton Pa. USA" appears above the organ's keyboard. I have been unable to locate an organ manufacturer by that name currently operating in Scranton, Pa. I therefore assume the company has gone out of business. 

Until well into the 20th century, Mexico remained a largely agricultural society. Although there was some industrialization during the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz (1876-1911), large amounts of sophisticated manufactured goods still had to be imported from the US and Europe. The imports apparently included this organ.

The elaborate wooden pulpit contained several depictions of Apostles. I have not been able to determine the identity of this one. An estipite pilaster (false pillar) stands to the right of the Apostle. On this one, there is no angel or Franciscan friar on top. The pulpit is on the side wall, about 2/3 of the way to the altar. 

Pulpits have been similarly placed in most of the Catholic churches I have visited. I have always found this arrangement oddly awkward, since the congregation would have to turn toward the side to listen to anyone speaking from the pulpit. There is probably a reason for this, but I have yet to discover it.

The Franciscan Convent

View of the convent courtyard from the roof of the church. At the time we visited in 2014, the convent was under renovation. Over the centuries, the church and its convent have been rebuilt, renovated, or repaired numerous times. In 1568, the church was rebuilt after it was destroyed by an earthquake. The doorway to the sacristy carries the date 1718, indicating additional changes. 

In 1749, another quake seriously damaged these structures. The Neo-Classic style was becoming popular during the second half of the 18th century, so it is likely that the some of the church's Neo-Classic features were added during the repairs. Quake damage, natural fires, and war destruction have wreaked havoc on Mexico's colonial architecture. Amacueca has definitely not escaped this history.

Ground-level view of the convent's courtyard. The replacement of the tiles was only about halfway complete at this time but the rest of the renovation appeared to be finished. The large square courtyard is surrounded by a walkway covered by arcades. The rooms behind the walkway served as dormitories, dining rooms, a kitchen, rooms for work and storage, and administrative offices. 

The whole structure is called a cloister and, as with most other convents, it is attached to the side a church. Because of the enclosed aspect of these religious buildings, the term "cloistered" has come to mean "cut off or removed from the world". 

Arcade along one side of the cloister. Although these walls separated the Franciscan friars from outsiders, the friars were by no means cut off from the world. The Franciscans traveled widely in their efforts to convert the native population. Although they had a head start, the Franciscans were not the only evangelical Order who devoted themselves to this task. The Dominicans arrived in 1525, the Augustinians in 1533, and the Jesuits in 1571. Other, smaller Orders came later. 

Considerable competition resulted, sometimes over practical "turf" issues, but at other times disputes were ideological. For example, the Franciscans initially opposed recognizing the Virgin of Guadalupe as a genuine apparition of the Virgin Mary. They thought the reported encounter was just a scam to enable the natives to worship Tonantzin, the pre-hispanic Earth Mother. The Dominicans and Augustinians disagreed because their support of the Virgin of Guadalupe drastically increased their conversion rates. Practicality prevailed and the Franciscans lost the argument.

A circular stove stands in the middle of the convent's kitchen. The stove was fired by wood placed in the square holes on the sides. They correspond to other square holes in the top where pots and kettles would be placed for cooking. I have seen a number of old stoves like this in the ruins of haciendas.

The convent has not functioned as such since 1799. In that year, changes in Church politics required the Franciscans to give up their control over Amacueca's religious affairs and allow the secular clergy to take over. In truth, the exciting days of mass conversions and battles against "devil worship" by the native people were long over. The times were changing. Only eleven years later, the War of Independence from Spain would begin. 

This ends Part 2 of my Amacueca series and completes the series itself. I hope you have enjoyed it. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below or email me directly. If you use the Comments section for a question, please include your email address so that I can respond.

Hasta luego, Jim

 

Amacueca Part 1 of 2: Hillside colonial pueblo overlooking the scenic Sayula Valley

Informal vegetable market under one of the plaza's arcades. This is exactly the sort of activity envisioned by Spain's King Phillip II when he promulgated his 1573 decree on New World urban planning. He directed that arcades should be constructed around plazas so that sellers and buyers could be protected from the elements. Consequently, arcades similar to this one can be found throughout Mexico.

In this two-part series, we will visit Amacueca, a small town founded in the mid-16th century. Part 1 will focus on the central area, including the plaza, the main church, and a museum devoted to natural history and archeology. Part 2 will cover Parroquia del Dulce Nombre de Jesus, a church dating back to the 16th century. 

Overview

How to find Amacueca. Take the Carretera west from Ajijic to Joctopec. Just before entering Jocotopec, take the bypass to Highway #15. Turn right (north) on #15 and follow it to the Guadalajara-Colima toll road (#54D). Head south on #54D toward Colima for about 50km (32mi). Exit #54D at the sign for Tapalpa/Atoyac and head west toward Tapalpa. The road will cross Laguna Sayula, which is generally dry from the winter thru early summer. 

When you reach Highway #417, turn left (south) at the sign directing you toward Tapalpa. Follow #417 approximately 6.4km (4mi). Look for a sign indicating a right turn to Amacueca. After a couple of hundred meters, you will see bus benches on either side of the road. Turn right there and follow that road into town until you reach the main plaza and Parroquia del Dulce Nombre de Jesus. Here is a link to the Google map above.

Amacueca from the air, looking northeast. The pueblo was built on the slopes of the great escarpment that rises up to the Tapalpa Plateau. Just left of center in the photo, you can see the plaza and the bell tower of the Parroquia. In front of the bell tower is a large, open rectangular area called an atrium. This was a standard feature of most early colonial churches, particularly those built by the Franciscan Order.

Amacueca is the principal town of the Municipio de Amacueca (equivalent to US county). The Municipio covers an area of 131.79 sq.km. (50.88 sq.mi.). Its altitude is 1,431m (4,695ft), which gives the town a moderate climate year-round. From its position on the slopes of the great escarpment that rises up to the Tapalpa Plateau, the views of both the mountains and Valle de Sayula are spectacular. 

View of Valle de Sayula and its lake. A light-colored strip crosses the middle of the valley. This is Laguna de Sayula during the season when it is dry. The peak in the background is Nevado de Colima, an extinct volcano that I climbed in November of 2008. The peak rises to 4220m (14,240ft), making it a very challenging hike even for the experienced.  

The Spanish arrived in the area in 1522 and the fertility of Valle de Sayula made it one of the first places they settled. Salt was another major attraction. It has been gathered from around the edges of the shallow lake for thousands of years, and still is. In pre-hispanic times, salt was valued highly for food preservation and as a trade good.  

In 1480 AD, Tangaxuan II of the Tarascan Empire decided to seize the Sayula Valley's salt collection areas. To accomplish this, he sent an army 321km (200mi) from his kingdom in Michoacan across the rugged Sierra del Tigre range. Valle de Sayula's local kingdoms fought back in the Guerra de Salitre (Salt War). In 1510, forces led by a local ruler named Colimotl finally expelled the Tarascans. The modern city and state of Colima are named after him.

Plaza de Amacueca

A kiosco stands in the middle of the main plaza. Kioscos serve a variety of purposes. They are used as bandstands for concerts and other performances. Speakers at political events sometimes stand on them to address crowds. Kioscos are often lavishly decorated during fiestas such as Christmas or the Day of the Dead. In between such events, children use them as a playground. 

Although kioscos are ubiquitous features of Mexico's plazas, they are a fairly recent addition. Most appeared during the last part of the 19th century. Many were given as good-will gifts to Mexican cities and towns by the Emperor Maximillian during the French occupation of 1862-1867. The popularity of these structures long outlasted the brief reign of Maximillian and his wife. 

View from the plaza's garden toward the arcade. A decorative iron lamp post stands to the left side. Mexicans take great pride in their plaza gardens, even in the smallest pueblos. Plazas like this form cool, lush refuges from the surrounding hustle and bustle. Iron benches stand along the edge of the plaza. Although empty at the moment, benches in plazas are usually filled with people chatting, studying their smart phones, snoozing or simply enjoying the day.

The name Amacueca is from the Nahuatl language, also spoken by the Aztecs. Several translations include "Hollow round", "Place far from the lagoon", and "Place of the Amates". In 1522, a Spanish expedition under Alonso de Ávalos and Juan Álvarez Chico arrived and claimed the area for the Spanish King. Ávalos was one of several lieutenants of Hernán Cortéz who were dispatched in every direction after the fall of the Aztec Empire. Amacueca became part of the new Province of Ávalos. 

View of the portales lining the west side of the plaza. The arcade and the buildings behind it are from the colonial period. They would have been among the first of the structures erected after the plaza was laid out. The buildings served many purposes over the centuries. Some of them would have been the mansions of wealthy Spaniards. A merchant would have used the first floor as a shop or a storage room for merchandise, while he and his family lived upstairs.

Amacueca played an early role in the War of Independence from Spain. In 1810, insurgent leader Padre Miguel Hidalgo sent Jose Antonio Torres to the area. While here, he recruited men from Amacueca into his army. In 1811, the brothers Francisco and Gordiano Guzmán captured the town of Atoyac (located on the opposite side of the lake) with the help of a company of indigenous spearmen from Amacueca.

Colonial era doors hark back to a distant time. When they were originally installed, these probably opened into a merchant's shop. The security bars, added much later, turned them into large windows. Unlike the boringly utilitarian doors and windows of modern buildings, those constructed in an earlier era nearly always contain decorative elements that reflect the taste of the owner.

In 1927, one of Amacueca's native sons had the distinction of serving as Governor of Jalisco--but for only 58 days! The brief tenure of David Benitez Vasquez resulted from his backing of the wrong side in a post-Revolution power struggle. He supported Francisco Serrano against Álvaro Óbregon, who had both been revolutionary generals. During the run-up to the 1928 presidential election, Serrano was assassinated, reputedly on the orders of Óbregon. Shortly after, David Benitez Vasquez was ousted as Jalisco's Governor.

Parroquia del Dulce Nombre de Jesus

The church and its adjacent convent are among of the oldest structures in town. As is often the case around Mexico, this church has been destroyed and rebuilt several times over the centuries, usually due to earthquakes. The earliest version was built in the mid-16th century. The gray stone facade seen above was constructed in the 18th century. Other parts of the church have been remodeled several times since. 

Carole walks down the central aisle toward the altar. The nave ends in a curved area called an apse, which surrounds the altar. The wall behind the altar is filled with a sumptuous retablo. Its exuberantly florid Churrigueresque style was an expression of the Baroque style popular in the 17th and early 18th centuries. 

In the mid-18th century, the Neo-Classic style arose as a reaction to the emotionalism of Baroque. The spare, staid columns and largely blank sidewalls of the church reflect the sober Neo-Classic rationalism that prevailed when the church was remodeled.

To call this retablo "richly decorated" would be an understatement. The floor-to-ceiling explosion of statues, cherub heads and floral curlicues is both mesmerizing and a bit overwhelming. Three niches on either side were created to contain the statues of Franciscan saints but, in the photo above, the top two are empty. 

When I took this shot in 2013, the retablo was being cleaned and restored. Part 2 of this series will contain much more detail on the retablo, including photos that I took a year later when all the niches were filled with statues.

Museum of Natural Sciences of the Sayula Basin

The skeleton of a mastodon found in the area is displayed in the Natural History room. It is one of three sections in the museum. The other two rooms contain artifacts and information relating to Archeology and Evolution. Mammut americanum was one of the most widespread ancestors of the modern elephant. Before it became extinct about 7000 BC, it ranged from Alaska to as far south as Honduras.

The Museum of the Natural History of the Sayula Basin was founded November 22, 2001. The museum is located near the plaza at #2 Calle Pedro Moreno, between Calle Parroquia and Calle Guadalupe Yanez. Its hours are Monday through Friday from 9am to 3pm. When we visited, there was no entrance fee, but that may have changed over the years. The charge would be very modest, in any case.

Russet Crowned Motmot (Motmotus mexicanus). The Natural History section also contained a wide variety of native and migratory birds. I was assisted in their identification by Tom Holeman and John Keeling of the Lake Chapala Birders. 

The Russet Crowned Motmot is a permanent resident of the forested areas in northwestern Mexico and central Guatemala. It is very sedentary and returns to the same nesting area each year. The bird feeds on small prey such as grasshoppers, snakes, and lizards, as well as fruit. The Motmot darts out to catch prey, then returns to its perch. 

Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja). Of the six species of spoonbills in the world, the Roseate Spoonbill is the only one found in the Americas. Its range is from the Southeastern US down to Mexico and parts of Central and South America. Their appearance has been compared to creatures in a Dr. Seuss book. 

As they get older, these Spoonbills lose feathers on the top of their heads, a bit like human balding. They forage while wading in shallow water and, like pink flamingos, get their coloration from the crustaceans and other aquatic invertebrates they eat.

Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway). While it has been called the "Mexican Eagle", the Crested Caracara is actually a falcon. In fact, it is the only falcon that builds a nest for its young. This bird likes open landscapes like those in Valle de Sayula. 

The Caracara can often be found atop the tallest available tree or other high perch, when it is not gliding along low to the ground, looking for prey. The bird sometimes acts like a vulture, walking on the ground and feeding on carcasses. However, it also eats live food such as insects, fish, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and other birds. 

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis). The Cattle Egret is short and thick-necked. It gets its name from close proximity to cattle in their pastures. This bird feeds on small insects stirred up as cattle move around in the grass. Sometimes it will perch on the back of a cow to feast on the ticks it finds there. Cattle Egrets originated in Africa but managed to reach South America in 1877. From there they spread north over Mexico, the Caribbean, and the southern half of the US. 

This completes Part 1 of my two-part Amacueca 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 section, please include your email address so that I may respond in a timely fashion.

Hasta luego, Jim