Tapalpa Plateau Part 2 of 6 : The 16th century Capilla la Purisima

 

Capilla la Purísima is the oldest church in Tapalpa. The 16th century Capilla (Chapel) is located directly behind the 20th century Templo de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Temple of Our Lady of Guadalupe), seen in the upper right of this photo. The rear of the Capilla can be reached through an alley to the right of the Templo, or by way of a gate located on Calle Ing. Luis Enrique Bracamontes between Calles Matamoros and Miguel Hidalgo. 

Parts of the original Capilla have been modified over the centuries with features of the 18th century Neo-Classic style. Some of these can be seen above in the 14 pilasters (non-load bearing columns) across the front and the finials on either side of the arch at the top of the facade. In spite of these changes, the Capilla retains much of the simplicity typical of its Franciscan founders.

Information about this Capilla is very sparse, but I will provide what I have been able to glean, along with information about the Franciscan Order. Two of its friars, Fray Martín de Coruña (also known as Martín de Jesus) and Fray Juan de Padilla, began evangelizing in the area of Tapalpa in 1531. For information about the pre-hispanic history of this area, please check out my posting on Tapalpa from a visit in 2010.

 

Hernán Cortéz greeting the Apostolic Twelve. In 1524, only two years after the fall of the Aztec Empire, a group of twelve Franciscan friars arrived in Nueva España. Among them was Fray Martín de Coruña. The Franciscans had been requested by Hernán Cortéz, the conqueror of the Aztecs. A man of high political intelligence, Cortéz recognized that the indigenous people could not be controlled for long at the point of a sword. A "spiritual conquest" was required to keep them submissive, so he asked the Franciscan Order for help.

The Apostolic Twelve quickly spread out, following in the paths of various conquistadors, including Alonso de Ávalos. In 1523, Avalos was sent by Cortéz to explore what is now southern Jalisco. He established the huge Provincia de Ávalos, which stretched from the South Shore of Lake Chapala down to Sayula and to the west of Tapalpa as far as Chiquilistlán. It was a rich area, with an exploitable population and full of minerals. Click here for a Google map of this area. (Mural above from the Franciscan convento at Ozumba)

A broad atrium spreads out in front of the Capilla's facade. The atrium was an important feature of these early churches because the local indigenous community was often much too large to conduct ceremonies in the chapel itself. Extending forward on either side of the atrium are single-story wings that typically would have been used for classrooms, work spaces, administrative offices, and living quarters for the friars. 

Fray Martín de Coruña began his evangelization in 1525, among the Puréchepa of Michoacan. During this time he wrote the Relación de Michoacan about their ceremonies, rites, population and government. After a few years, he turned his attention north to the Provincia de Ávalos, arriving at Tapalpa in 1531. He was accompanied by Fray Juan de Padilla and together they established a mission and built the first version of its Capilla. Later, Coruña  returned to Michoacan, where he died at Pátzcuaro in 1558.

Fray Juan de Padilla (1500-1542), co-founder of Tapalpa's mission. After an early career as a soldier, Francisco Juan de Padilla became a Franciscan friar and arrived in Nueva España in 1528, four years after the Apostolic Twelve. From 1529-31, Padilla served as army chaplain under Nuño de Guzman as that corrupt and savage conquistador tortured, murdered and enslaved his way across Michoacan, northwestern Jalisco and southern Sinaloa. (Photo from Legends of Kansas)

Guzman's activities were so atrocious that colonial authorities in Mexico City had him arrested and sent back in chains to Spain. Most sources gloss over this period of Padilla's life but some Catholic sources assert that he tried to moderate Guzman's abuses. Even if true, he was spectacularly unsuccessful. Padilla returned from the expedition in 1531 and spent most of the next 9 years establishing missions in the Provincia de Ávalos, including the one in Tapalpa.

An open corridor leads to the Capilla's rear. Along the right side is an entrance to the interior, the only access we had since the door of the facade was locked. The Capilla and its associated buildings were constructed with materials that include stone foundations, adobe brick walls covered with white plaster, and roofs covered with red terra cotta tiles. Features like door frames and pilasters are made either from wood or cantera, a soft, easily-worked volcanic rock.

In 1540, Padilla joined Francisco Coronado's famous expedition in search of the mythical Seven Cities of Cibola. Padilla and several other Franciscans accompanied the expedition through northern Mexico and into today's New Mexico. From there they marched through Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, finally halting at the village of a people called the Quivira. These proved to be simple hunter-gatherers living in the vast emptiness of Kansas' plains. 

Discouraged, Coronado returned to Nueva España. However, Padilla and a handful of others stopped off in New Mexico in order to go back and evangelize the Quivira. This required a 1000-mile trek on foot, but Padilla and the others were not daunted and they were well-received by the Quivira. However, in 1544 Padilla decided to branch out to other villages. This angered the Quivera, who attacked the small group. To save the others, Padilla sacrificed himself, becoming the first Catholic martyr within the current borders of the United States. 

Rear of the Capilla and its campanario (bell tower). This is the view from the alley leading back from the Templo de Guadalupe. The corridor seen in the previous photo is just to the right of the Capilla. Some of the architectural features in this photo are of the 18th century Neo-Classic style, including the campanario and the pilasters along the wall. This back wall appears truncated, so I suspect that the Capilla once extended further back into the alley than it does currently.

The original mission buildings would have been much more rustic than the current Capilla. Early Franciscan missions were typically simple mud brick structures with thatched roofs. Rather than performing the physical work of construction themselves, the two friars would have directed indigenous workers recruited through the forced labor system called the encomienda. Between 1550 and 1555, the original buildings were replaced by the Capilla and its associated structures.  

The nave of La Purisima. Although internet sources say the Capilla is closed, it is clearly being used by some of the faithful at Tapalpa. The chapel's interior was very clean and the Neo-Classic altar is full of fresh flowers. The structure is a single rectangular nave, with a ceiling covered by wood beams. The pews could probably seat a congregation of three dozen or so. Capilla la Purisima is probably used only for special events, like small weddings or baptisms. 

The baptismal font is decorated in the 17th century Baroque style. However, I wanted more detail, so I sent the photo to Richard Perry, who is an expert on the religious architecture of the Spanish colonial period. He responded as follows:

"While this font has many traditional features: a shell like basin carved with foliage and winged angels, its clarity and sharp lines suggest a more recent origin, possibly based on an older model located somewhere in the vicinity. My two cents, Richard"

Rear of nave and the choir loft. Placing the choir behind and above the sanctuary was an innovation of the Baroque period of the 17th century. At that time, the men-and-boys-only choirs of previous centuries began to be replaced by mixed choirs of men and women. Such choirs grew out of the operatic music that became popular during this time. 

Up to the Baroque period, choirs had performed within the sanctuary area. However, mixed choirs created a problem because women were traditionally not allowed in the sanctuary during liturgical services. To solve the problem, choir lofts were created. 

Most of our group, standing in the atrium. From left to right are Lori, Jim, Julie and Lori's husband Jerry. A fifth member, Bette was off exploring another area and missed being included. The main gate to the Capilla compound is behind Lori. It faces out onto Calle Ing. Luis Enrique Bracamontes. 

These folks are part of the "hard core" of my Hacienda Hunters group. The were willing and eager to come out to explore the Tapalpa Plateau with me on a blustery day with bouts of chilly rain, just as they have braved scorching heat and other daunting conditions over the years. 

This completes Part 2 of my Tapalpa Plateau series. 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 leave a question, please include your email address so that I can respond in a timely manner.

Hasta luego, Jim