Sierra Gorda Part 3: The interior of the church at Misón Jalpan

The interior style of Misión Jalpan de Santiago is different than its facade. The church facade is New Mexican Baroque, sometimes called mestizo Baroque. In contrast, the interior is Neo-Classic, a style that came into favor in the late 18th century and continued into the 20th. The church is part of a Franciscan mission that was founded in 1744. The Franciscan friar Junipero Serra arrived in Jalpan in 1750 and directed the construction of this church, a project that lasted from 1751 to 1758.

In the last posting, I showed you the exterior of the church, including many details of the complex facade. This time, we'll take a peek inside at the architecture and decor, including some side chapels, statues, and the cloister area. If you'd like to check out a Google map showing how to reach the Magic Pueblo of Jalpan de Serra, see Part 1 of this series. If you'd like to see where the four other Franciscan mission churches are located in the Sierra Gorda, see Part 2.

The Nave and Main Altar

View from the church entrance into the nave toward the main altar. The single nave, which is the main room of the church, was redone in the Neo-Classic style. This happened sometime after 1770, when the Franciscan Order was required to turn the mission facilities over to the secular clergy. Simply put, the difference between Baroque and Neo-Classic is the difference between an emotional approach to art and architecture and one that is more intellectual. 

As a result of this change in styles during the late 18th and 19th centuries, many churches that were originally constructed as Baroque were gutted on the inside and remodeled with Neo-Classic features. However, as with this church, the exteriors usually retained their original Baroque appearance, unless the remodeling was the result of significant damage from disasters such as fires or earthquakes.

The apse containing the main altar clearly shows the Neo-Classic style. It is framed on the outside by two pilasters with two classical pillars on the inside. All four have Ionic capitals. These are features that often appear in Neo-Classic architecture. The inner columns border a painting of the Virgen de Guadalupe and a crucifix. On either side of these, between the pilasters and columns, are statues of San Joaquin (left) and Santa Ana (right), the parents of Mary, mother of Jesus. Under the crucifix is the reliquary and at the very top of the retablo, under the small arch, is a statue of God in front of a sunburst.  

The placement of the Virgen de Guadalupe  in the center of the retablo is another reminder, along with her statue on the facade, of her pervasive influence in Mexico. Her image appeared on a banner used by the insurgent forces fighting against the Spanish during the Independence War (1810-21). It was carried again by various factions during the Revolution (1910-17). She is considered the patrona (patroness) of the whole Mexican Nation, particularly its poor and indigenous people. I have visited hundreds of churches in Mexico and have nearly always found a painting or statue of her, often draped with the national flag.

The reliquary is guarded by two angels. A reliquary is a container for sacred relics, such as the ashes or bones of a saint or pieces of clothing that may have come into contact with a holy person. Reliquaries are usually found on or near an altar. The term comes from the 12th century word "relik". Reliquaries have been used since the earliest centuries of the Christian era. In the 5th century, a reliquary was usually stored within a stone container for its protection. Over the centuries, many reliquaries were created as objects of religious art and were proudly displayed, as this one is. 

Some relics are no doubt genuine, at least in that they come from the person to which they are attributed. However, trafficking in spurious relics is a very ancient custom. Thousands of pilgrims travel long distances in hopes that a visit to a relic will result in holy intervention in their problems. During the Middle Ages, the funds that church officials collected during these visits could be so substantial that famous relics were sometimes stolen from one church for use by another. This occurred often enough that there was actually a term for it: furta sacra ("holy theft").

The Transept

The church dome stands over the place where the transept crosses the nave. The ceiling inside a dome is richly decorated. What appears to be the design of a flower in the center is actually a large chandelier, viewed from directly below. The octagonal dome is supported by four arches. Where they meet the dome are four triangular spaces which contain scenes from the legend about the Virgen de Guadalupe's first appearance in 1531.

Chapel at the end of one of the transept's two arms. The transept's arms form two rooms at right angles to the nave, with altars at their ends and pews for seating. A statue of Jesus stands in the niche behind the altar above. Another statue of Jesus hanging from a cross stands on the right. There are actually two altars in this room, which is somewhat unusual. The second is on the wall to the right of the crucifix. 

The second altar in the transept. The figure of Jesus on the cross is quite detailed anatomically and drips with painted blood. I haven't been able to identify the figure in the niche behind this altar, but it doesn't appear to be Jesus. Below the statue is a painting of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de Soriano (Our Lady of Sorrows of Soriano). She is the patrona of the city of Querétaro.

Chaple of the Holy Child of Mezclita

A large doorway on the side of the nave opens into another chapel. This one is devoted to the Santo Niño de Mezclita (Holy Child of Mezclita).  This small statue of Jesus as a baby is associated with various miracles and draws pilgrims from around the Sierra Gorda and elsewhere. Throughout the year, people visit the chapel and leave notes asking for help with various problems or thanking the Santo Niño for good outcomes from previous requests. For the story of how the statue passed through various hands before ending up at the Jalpan mission, see Part 2 of this series.

Santo Niño de Mezclita was sculpted by Andrés Zavala in the early 20th century. The statue is displayed in various sumptuous gowns, which are changed according to the occasion. The annual fiesta devoted to the Santo Niño is attended by thousands of people. Pilgrimages begin on December 28 from pueblos all over the Sierra Gorda. The pilgrims arrive in Jalpan on January 5 for the fiesta, which officially begins on the 6th. 

The night of the 5th, thousands of people sleep in the open on the atrium in front of the church, despite the rain and cold typical of that time of year. In the morning, they are roused by bells and cohetes (explosive rockets). During the day, the statue is paraded through town in a procession that finally ends back at the church, where the Santo Niño is placed back in its niche.

Other Statues

Statue of Jesus, with various items tucked in his belt. He wears a crown of thorns and his face has a ghastly pallor, as if he has been dead and has just risen. The items in his belt appear to include rolled up notes, probably asking for help. When visiting Mexico's Catholic churches, I am often struck by the apparent secondary position that Jesus occupies. He is often tucked in a side chapel or, in this case, off in a corner, Usually, the central figure is one of the versions of the Virgin Mary or one of the many saints. 

As a person raised in the Protestant faith (although non-practicing today), this has always puzzled me. In the Presbyterian church I attended with my parents, Jesus was always the central figure, and usually the only one. Catholicism, by contrast, is hugely populated with holy figures and Jesus sometimes seems almost an afterthought.

Statue of San Junipero Serra, the Franciscan friar who built this church. He also oversaw the construction of the four other mission churches in the Sierra Gorda, although the actual work was done by Christianized indigenous Pame, directed by resident friars. The mission itself was founded by Pedro Perez de Mezquia on April 21, 1744. In the years between 1744 and 1750, five other friars presided over the mission, changing almost yearly. 

It was a turbulent period with much conflict between the native people and Spanish settlers. Junipero Serra arrived in 1750 and immediately began work to build this church. He also settled many of the issues between the Pame people and the Spaniards and recovered much of the land the colonists had stolen from the natives. Junipero Serra remained here until 1758, the longest serving friar in the Jalpan mission's history. 

The Cloister

The cornice over the entrance to the cloister has more Baroque decorations. The Virgin is guarded by two broad-winged angels and vines with red flowers curl off in both directions. A cloister in a mission like this had several functions. It was the residence of the friars, as well as the place where their meals were prepared and eaten. In terms of work, it provided space for offices and a chapter house where the friars could meet to discuss mission business. The cloister also included storage space for the mission's provisions. Its covered walkways provided an area for exercise and recreation, especially in bad weather. 

The cloister's courtyard contains a fountain and gardens. Even within a bustling town like Jalpan, this area still has an aura of cool tranquility. This would have been a place where friars could engage in study, contemplation, and prayer. However, much of the work of the friars involved evangelization and religious education. This would have taken place during visits to sometimes distant native villages, involving circuitous journeys through the surrounding valleys and mountains of the Sierra Gorda.

Wooden benches line the walls of the arcade that surrounds the courtyard. In colonial times, benches like these would have been made by native carpenters. Because of the isolation of the missions, self-sufficiency would have been the rule. Only those few items that could not be made at the mission itself, or in local villages, would have been brought in over the long arduous trails from Querétaro.  

This completes Part 3 of my series on the Sierra Gorda. I hope you have enjoyed it. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below. If you leave a question, please include your email address so that I may respond in a timely manner.

Hasta luego, Jim

 

Sierra Gorda Part 2: The baroque exterior of Misión Jalpan's church

 

 Jalpan's Franciscan mission church, viewed over its atrium wall. This was the first of five churches constructed between 1750-60, under the direction of Junipero Serra. He was a Franciscan friar who arrived in Jalpan in 1750. The five churches are each attached to a former Franciscan mission in various valleys scattered throughout the Sierra Gorda. The overall design of each of the churches is quite similar. This indicates that they may have all been constructed by the same team of builders, indigenous Pame under the supervision of Franciscan friars.

For example, each has a single bell tower on the left side and each has an elaborate facade. The facades all have niches resembling retablos found behind church altars. All the facades were done in the New Spanish Baroque style, sometimes called the mestizo Baroque. Finally, all the churches overlook large atriums with atrial crosses in their centers. However, each also has many unique features, particularly in the decorations found on the facades and in the interiors. 

In this posting, we'll take a look at the exterior of Jalpan's church. In my next posting, we'll walk through the interior. For a map showing how to get to Jalpan from the Lake Chapala/Guadalajara area, please go to Part 1 of this series.

Overview

Map of the Sierra Gorda area showing the locations of the five missions. Jalpan is located just below and to the left of center.  Landa, the pueblo with the 2nd mission, is about 20 km (12.4 mi) east of Jalpan on Hwy 120. About 10.7 km (7 mi) further along on Hwy 120, you reach the pueblo of La Lagunita. Turn rigth there on the road to Tilaco, where the the 3rd mission is located. 

After visiting Tilaco, head back to La Laguinta and turn right on Hwy 120. Travel about 5 km (3 mi) to a Pemex gas station where you make a left on Hwy190. The pueblo of Tancoyol, site of the 4th mission, is 23.6 km (14.6 mi) from the intersection with the Pemex. To reach the Misión San Miguel Concá, take Hwy 69 from Jalpan northwest about 40 km (25 mi). Turn left at the highway sign for Concá. Take your time on these short journeys because the countryside along the way is gorgeous.

Santuario del Santo Niño de la Mezclita (exterior)

The formal name of the church is Sanctuario del Santo Niño de Mezclita.  In the photo above, you see the complexity of the facade. The church was built to serve the Misión Santiago Jalpan. In addition to the church, the mission complex includes an atrium, a cloister, and a chapel annex attached to the church's right side. This facade is designed to imitate a retablo, which is a large structure often found behind an altar. Like a retablo, the facade has niches for statues. There are two on either side of the facade and each of these is framed by a pair of large pilasters (decorative columns). Two smaller statues stand in niches beside the door. 

The facade was created using stucco and stone work. The pilasters are of an ocher color, while the rest is yellow. As is typical with the Baroque style, virtually every square inch is decorated, mostly by carvings of plants and animals native to the Sierra Gorda region. At the top of the facade is a large niche containing a clock. However, this niche originally contained a statue of the Virgin. According to one story, the statue was confiscated by a passing general and later replaced by the clock. 

The dome covers the area inside the church directly in front of the altar. It has an octagonal shape with a small cupola on top. Mexican colonial churches were generally constructed as a cruciform (in the shape of a cross). The long, rectangular central room, called the nave, has an entrance at one end and the main altar at the other. It is crossed by an area called the transept, which has an altar at each end. The dome covers the area inside the church where the transept and nave intersect. It has windows on each of the octagonal sides to provide light to illuminate the designs and paintings on the inside of the dome.

Sanctuario del Santo Niño de Mezclita gets its name from a small statue of the Santo Niño (Holy Child) that was created at the beginnng of the 20th century. It passed through several hands and eventually became the property of Antonio Velasquez who lived in the pueblo of Mezclita, to the south of Jalpan de Serra. He donated the statue to the Parroquia de Santiago de Jalpan de Serra. After the church had been secularize (taken away from the Franciscans) in 1770, it became the parroquia (parish church) of Jalpan.  In the years following the donation of the statue, miracles were attributed to the Santo Niño. 

The campanario, or bell tower, has two levels and several bells. The lower level has openings for eight bells, but some of them have been filled in. The upper has the capacity for six bells, but none can be seen in this photo. Today, many churches use recordings of bells that are broadcast with loudspeakers. However, the bell shown above is still rung by pullng on the hand ropes draped down the side of the church. The openings for the bells are framed by Solomonic columns, another feature of the Baroque style.

The use of bells to call people to worship was established early in the Christian era. At first, handheld bells were employed but, around 400 AD, Bishop Paulinus of Campania introduced the idea of hanging  bells in churches. The Spanish word for bell is campana and the bell towers in Mexican churches are called campanarios. 

By 750 AD, church bells were common and priests were ordered to ring them at particular times. A set of rules for the use of bells was established by 1000 AD. Over the centuries church bells were used to sound the time of day, as well as to announce religious events, deaths, attacks by enemies, fires and other impending disasters. 

Two visitors walk hand-in-hand through the main entrance. On either side of the door are small statues standing in niches with pointed moorish arches. On the left is San Pedro (St. Peter) and to the right is San Pablo (St. Paul). San Pedro was one of the Twelve Apostles and became the first Bishop of Rome. San Pablo came a bit later. He was one of the most important Apostles, although he was not one of the original twelve. San Pablo is purported to be the author of 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament. 

The arch above the door is scalloped like a shell. This is a reference to a legend about Santiago (St. James), another of the original Twelve Apostles and the saint to whom the mission is dedicated. One version of the legend is that, after Santiago was martyred in Jerusalem in 44 AD, his body was returned to Spain where he had been evangelizing. The ship was caught in a storm off the Spanish coast and Santiago's body was lost overboard. When it washed up on the shore, the body was miraculously intact but covered with the scallop shells. Pilgrims still wear scallop shells when visiting his shrine in Compostela, Spain.

The niche on the lower left of the facade contains a statue of Santo Domingo. I found this a bit odd, since St. Dominic was the founder of the Dominican Order, one of the rivals of the Franciscans. Notice the incredibly complex floral carvings that surround the statue and its pilasters. In addition to copying native flora, local fauna was sometimes used as well. These included jaguars and rabbits, which had been sacred to the indigenous people far back into pre-hispanic times. This was a deliberate strategy of Junipero Serra, who wanted to appeal to the natives by using their symbols in Christian contexts.

Santo Domingo was born in 1170 in Caleruega, Spain. His parents were well-to-do and his maternal uncle was an archbishop. He was named after St. Dominic of Silos and was well-educated in religious schools, becoming a priest at age 24. In 1208, he had a vision of the Virgin Mary in which she gave him a rosary. As a result, he became responsible for the spread of the use of the rosary. Dominic founded the Dominican Order in 1216 as a way of addressing the spiritual needs of the 13th century's growing cities. He died at the age of 51 and was canonized in 1267. 

A statue of San Francisco stands in a niche on the lower right side. Like the niches for San Pedro and San Pablo, those containing Santo Domingo and San Francisco also were designed with moorish pointed arches. The Muslim Moors, who invaded Spain in 711 AD and were not driven out until 1492, had a profound influence on Spanish Christian culture, particularly its architecture. After Christopher Columbus discovered the New World the same year as the final defeat of the Spanish Moors, their cultural influences were brought to Nueva España.

The Baroque artistic style, which flourished in the 17th and early 18th centuries, was very different from what preceded and followed it. Rather than appealing to the intellect, Baroque appealed to the emotions. It also was used with great theatricality to convey messages of power. Perhaps this is why I often feel attracted but also overwhelmed when confronted with something like these Franciscan facades. Baroque is very warm and florid, as opposed the the Neo-Classic style, which I find somewhat cold and severe.

On the upper left of the facade is a statue of the Virgen de Guadalupe. Above her head is a smaller version of the scalloped arch over the church door. The Virgen de Guadalupe was the first apparition of the Virgin in the New World. The person who interacted with her was a Christianized Aztec named Juan Diego. He encountered her in the ruins of a temple of the earth goddess Tonantzin. This apparition of the Virgin was dark skinned like a native and spoke to Juan Diego in Nahuatl, the Aztec language. 

All this made the encounter very controversial. The Franciscans asserted that it was a scam to allow the natives to continue to worship pagan gods. However, the Virgen de Guadalupe became enormously popular and her veneration spread like wildfire. The Franciscans remained bitterly opposed to recognizing her as legitimate, but the Dominicans and Augustinians supported her, because of the great increase in converts. The controversy raged for a hundred years before she was fully accepted by the Church. The issue had obviously been settled by the time Junipero Serra built this church.

Nuestra Señora del Pilar stands in a niche on the facade's upper right side. There are a great many stories about miraculous appearances by the Virgin Mary. Nuestra Señora del Pilar is unique because she was the first of these apparitions that occurred over the next couple of millennia. In addition, it supposedly happened in Spain while Mary was still alive and thousands of miles away in Jerusalem. The statue above shows the Virgin wearing a crown while standing on a pillar and holding the infant Jesus. This is an excellent example of how Baroque architecture was used for story-telling. 

This incident is said to have occurred at Zaragoza, Spain, in 40 AD. Santiago was evangelizing there at the time, but was having little success and was very discouraged. While he was praying on the bank of the Ebro river, Mary suddenly appeared, standing on a pillar and accompanied by thousands of angels. She came to console and encourage him and, thus inspired, Santiago continued his work until he was later called back to Jerusalem and martyred. 

Detail of one of the pilasters on the facade. Baroque designs typically are heavily populated not only with plants and animals, but also with human faces and the figures of cherubs. On the pilaster, the oval space in the center contains a semi-nude figure holding a staff and draped with a cloth. Above this figure is the head and upper torso of another human figure. Plants appear to grow out of his shoulders and head. Leafy plants seem to writhe all about, covering every inch of space. With Baroque designs, the more closely you look, the more intricate the design become. 

Pilasters are decorative architectural features that imitate load-bearing columns, although they sometimes bear part of the load. They date back to Classical Greek and Roman architecture, but fell out of fashion for about a thousand years until the style was revived during the Renaissance. Highly decorated pilasters are a feature of Baroque architecture.

This completes Part 2 of my Sierra Gorda series. In Part 3, we will view the interior of Sanctuario del Santo Niño de Mezclita.  I hope you have enjoyed this posting. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below. If you leave a question, please include your email address so that I may respond in a timely manner.

Hasta luego, Jim

 

Sierra Gorda Part 1: The Magic Pueblo of Jalpan de Serra

Padre Junipero Serra oversaw the construction of Jalpan's church. The word Jalpan comes from the Nahuatl language and means "place over sand". Serra was added in 1976 in honor of Padre Junipero Serra. He was a Franciscan friar who made a series of extraordinary 18th century journeys to evangelize the natives and to build missions among them in Nueva España (Mexico). He reformed some existing missions and built others in the Sierra Gorda region. Later, he led expeditions to the Baja Peninsula and up into California, founding missions as he went. Junipero Serra was canonized by Pope Francis in 2015. 

This posting begins a multi-part series on the Sierra Gorda ("Fat Mountains"), a remote region in the northern part of the state of Querétaro that is seldom visited by foreigners. However, there is much to see, including beautiful countryside, gorgeous Franciscan missions, and ancient Huasteca ruins. Our trip to the area also included stops in Querétaro, where we visited its Museo Regional and the Magic Pueblo of Peña de Bernal. 

Overview

There are several possible routes to Jalpan de Sierra. We chose this one because it kept us on high speed autopistas (toll roads) for most of the journey. Total driving time is a little over 8 hours, so we decided to stop  for the night in Querétaro to break up the trip. This had several advantages. 

First, this enabled us to visit the Querétaro's Museo Regional, which has an extensive collection of pre-hispanic and colonial artifacts from the area. Second, the leg of the journey from there to Jalpan would take us through some very scenic mountains and we wanted to see them in daylight. Finally, driving at night, after a whole day on the road, could lead to an accident. Such an unfortunate event would be very problematic in this remote area. For a Google interactive map of our route, click here.

The mountains of the Sierra Gorda looked fairly gentle as we approached. What we didn't know was that the whole area beyond this initial range is full of steep mountains, interspersed with numerous deep valleys. The Sierra Gorda isn't just a single range, but a jumble of peaks that continue on and on until you finally drop down into the low country along the Gulf Coast. The soil in the foreground is probably very fertile, because of the volcanic nature of some of the mountains in the area.

The environment on the western side of the range is a very dry high desert. This is caused by a "rain shadow", which occurs when the clouds from the Gulf of Mexico hit the eastern part of the mountains. There, they drop their load of rain, leaving the western side parched. In the photo above, I was looking west, back toward the narrow, two-lane blacktop road that we had just traveled.

The Sierra Gorda is part of the Sierra Madre Oriente, a huge chain of mountains that run from northeastern Mexico to the southwest. Much of the area is Huasteca Karst. This easily-eroded limestone creates sotános (pit caves) and other unusual formations. In addition to the sotános, there are caverns that extend for hundreds of meters. The elevations in these mountains range from 300m to 3,100m (984ft to 10,170ft).

Toward the east, you can see the road we will follow to Jalpan. It cuts across the base of the volcanic knob on the left. This shot should give you a feel for the wild remoteness of this area. To travel on foot or by horse along difficult, rocky, mountain trails would be arduous and slow. But that is how the early Spanish soldiers, friars, and colonists traveled during the colonial era and early 19th century. It is easy to understand why the non-indigenous population remained very low for centuries.

In the rain shadow of the west side, the conditions are dry and the vegetation includes a variety of cacti and scrub brush. East of the shadow, forests prevail with conifers and oaks in the high elevations and deciduous forest lower down and semi-jungle in the lowest areas. Animals abound, but several species are endangered due to human activity. These include the jaguar, puma, black bear, green parrot, Veracruz partridge, and Humboldt butterfly. Droughts due to climate change have increased the danger to plant and animal life.

When you cross the edge of the rain shadow, the view changes. Suddenly, coming around a bend in the road, you leave the high desert and a heavily forested vista spreads out into the distance. As you drop down to lower elevations, the vegetation becomes a semi-jungle. From the cool dryness of the high desert, you move into a humid, almost tropical climate. This surprised me, because I had expected that such a mountainous area would be cooler and dryer. As it turned out, Jalpan's altitude is 760m (2,490ft), about half that of Ajijic, where I live.

The climate varies widely in the Sierra Gorda and, like most of Mexico, depends upon elevation. The cold season comes in December and January with an average temperature of 13C (55F). The hottest average temperatures (24C or 75F) occur in April and May. However, once again, the actual temperatures and level of humidity depend upon your altitude and whether you are in or out of the rain shadow.

Jardín Principal

Jalpan's plaza is called the Jardín Principal. Facing it is the church of the former Franciscan mission, built by Junipero Serra and called Sanctuario del Santo Niño de la Mezclita (Sanctuary of the Holy Child of Mezclita). How it got that name is an interesting story that I'll tell in a subsequent posting. In front of the church entrance is a broad open area bounded by a wall with three gates. The one above is the main gate. The enclosed space is called an atrium and in its center is an atrial cross. Church atriums are used for outdoor ceremonies and processions. In colonial times mass conversions of native people were conducted there.

Jalpan de Serra is the cabecera municipal (county seat) of the municipio (county) with the same name. It was an indigenous Pame village in pre-hispanic times. In 1521, after the fall of the Aztecs, Hernán Cortéz was granted an ecomienda (the right to demand tribute and free labor) for the area around Jalpan. When another conquistador, Nuñez de Guzman, passed through the general area a few years later, he claimed the Sierra Gorda as part of the colonial province he was seeking to form. However, the difficult terrain and fierce resistance by the native population inhibited settlement for decades. 

As with most Mexican plazas, the center of Jardín Principal has a kiosco.  The structure is used for concerts, public speaking, and seasonal events. This version was built in 2005, but kioscos began appearing in Mexican plazas during the colonial period. Plazas in Mexico are nearly all of the same design, and Jalpan is no exception. A plaza forms the center of town, with a church, government offices, and commercial establishments surrounding it. The grid of streets extend out from this central point. The pattern was established by a decree of Spanish King Phillip II (1527-98).

Augustinian friars arrived in the Sierra Gorda in 1537. For a number of years, they attempted to evangelize the native Pames, but had little success. After a Spaniard named Francisco Barrón was granted an encomienda over Jalpan and its tributary pueblos in 1538, Spanish settlers and mineral prospectors began to arrive. In 1542, fierce nomadic warriors known as the Chichimecas began to attack. These tribes were extremely hostile to any incursions within their territories and the Spanish arrival was rightly seen as a threat by them. 

Two young women leaning on the railing are transfixed by their smartphones. The scene on this kiosco would be immediately understood by people all over the world. While the designs of Mexican kioscos share a general similarity, each one is different in its details. The cast iron pillars and wrought iron railings on this one lend a certain lacy delicacy to the structure. Kioscos provide spaces that are slightly above, but still a part of, the general scene in the plaza.

Chichimeca is a generic name covering a number of different nomadic tribes in north-central Mexico. The tribesmen had a long history of conflict with settled people, dating back at least to the Classic pre-hispanic period. In the Sierra Gorda, these people include the Pames and the Jonaz. The Pames were the least agressive, but they were provoked to violence in 1542 when Spanish settlers abused them and seized their land. In 1550, the Chichimeca War erupted throughout north-central Mexico and continued for the next 40 years. The warriors knew their ground and were extremely skilled at raiding and ambushes. 

Hotel Misión Jalpan

Our hotel faced the Jardín on its north side. Hotel Misión Jalpan is modern, comfortable, and moderately priced. There was no parking lot, but street parking was plentiful and safe. While there are rooms with balcony views of the plaza, we chose one that faced onto the hotel's patio. This is our usual practice, since street-facing hotel rooms can sometimes be noisy. The beige building in the next bloc is the Museo Historico de la Sierra Gorda. It was originally built as a fort to protect the mission and later became a prison before it was turned into a museum. I will take you through the museum in a subsequent posting.

The Spanish consistently underestimated the Chichimeca and overestimated their ability to defeat them. Between 1552-1555, the Chichimeca attacked Jalpan several times and destroyed the original temple and its fields. Attacks such as these led the Viceroy, Martin Enrique Almanza, to decree a "war of fire and blood" and that war captives to be enslaved. This was inflamatory and caused the Pames and Huastecos to form an alliance against the Spanish under a man called Lohomabe. Continued attacks forced the Spanish to build a fort in Jalpan in 1577 and to establish presidios (military posts) throughout the Pame territory. 

View of the pool and the mountains from the arcade outside our room. We chose this hotel because its central location in Jalpan de Serra made it easy to do self-guided walking tours. In addition, Jalpan itself is centrally located at the center of a web of roads that extend out into adjacent valleys. These valleys contain the four other missions we wanted to visit, as well as an ancient Huasteca ruin. Thus, both the hotel and the town were ideal "base camps" for exploration.

The Chichimeca War officially ended 1590, when Church authorities finally intervened. In fact, the war was draining the Spanish treasury and the policy of "fire and blood" was only alienating the native people without producing anything resembling victory. The Church proposed a policy called "purchase for peace" whereby the Spanish would provide goods, food, tools, and land to the Chichimeca, in return for an end to hostilities. An agreement was negotiated and, by 1590, the general war had ended. However, fighting continued sporadically in the Sierra Gorda region until 1598.

The hotel's garden was cool and lush. It was a perfect place to enjoy breakfast or even just a late-morning cup of coffee. Just inside the arch behind the fountain is the main dining room where we took most of our dinners. While there are other restaurants in town, the food and service in the hotel's restaurant was superior to most of them, as well as being very convenient.

Although silver caravans had been passing near the Sierra Gorda from Zacatecas for decades, silver was not discovered in the area around Jalpan until 1599. Soon, mines were developed, along with haciendas de beneficio to refine the ore, and haciendas de agricola y ganado (grain and livestock) to supply them. All this led to an influx of Spanish settlers. In 1609 Augustinian friars, who had fled during the Chichimeca War, returned and resumed their evangelization. In 1614, the first parroquia (parish) was established in the Jalpan area by the secular (non-evangelical) clergy.

Ramblin' round the Pueblo Magico

An arch forms the entrance to an andador, or walking street. The name of the andador is Petra de Mallorca, which is the birthplace of Junipero Serra. Petra is a small town, roughly in the center of the Isla de Mallorca, which lies off the Mediterranean coast of Spain. It was there that Junipero Serra grew up, was educated, and became a Franciscan friar. However, he very much wanted to devote his life to evangelism in Nueva España and, after some difficulties, he arrived in Mexico City in 1749. A year later, he arrived in Jalpan to begin. 

By 1609,  mining activity began to intrude into Jonaz territory. Because of the shortage of labor, mine owners often sent out parties of Spaniards to raid native villages for slaves to work the mines. Such abuses caused a revolt by the Jonaz, beginning in 1615. Similar outbreaks continued for decades. Finally, in 1670, a military expedition led by Gerónimo de Labra was sent to pacify the area. The Augustinians and Dominican Orders also took a hand in pacification. Between 1682-86 many new Augustinian missions were established throughout the Sierra Gorda. In 1687, Dominican friars began building their own missions.

 

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A little further down Andador Petra Mallorca, a bougainvillea arbor arches over the walkway. It seems to be a good place to stroll, take a rest, or consult your smartphone, as the young man on the right seems to be doing. Various shops selling clothing and other items line the left side of the andador. In the foreground, a pair of decorative lamps will provide light for evening strollers.

In 1695, the Augustinians began to rebuild some of their missions that had been destroyed by the Jonaz uprisings of 1615-70. A few years later, between 1702-04, a fort and temple were constructed  at the pueblo of San José del Llano. Although the Dominican friar Luis de Guzmán secured a short period of peace with the Jonaz, a new conflict broke out in 1712. This lasted, on and off, for another 23 years. Capitán José de Escandón finally won a decisive victory over the Jonaz at the Battle of Media Luna (Half Moon) in 1735. While the missions and settlers could at last feel safe, no record exists of how the Jonaz felt.

A narrow walkway extends out until finally reaching a stairway. The Centro area of Jalpan, which contains the Jardín Principal and church, sits on a bluff. Below it, a river bisects the town. One of the streets leading from the Jardín ends at the beginning of this walkway. From the metal stairway at the end, pedestrians can descend to the lower town. The walkway also provides a good view of the river and the mountains beyond.

In 1741, six years after his victory at Media Luna, José de Escandón was named Capitán General of the whole Sierra Gorda. That same year a group of Franciscan friars was sent from their headquarters in Mexico City to investigate the possibility of establishing new Franciscan missions in the Sierra Gorda. A report supporting this was published in 1743. The following year, five Franciscan missions were founded at Jalpan, Concá, Tilaco, Tancoyol, and Landa. After Junipero Serra arrived in 1750, he set about supervising the construction of Franciscan churches and convent buildings in those five towns. 

One of the streets from the Jardín leads down a hill toward the river and lower town. The dark clouds gathering overhead suggest an on-coming rainstorm. We visited in the summer, which is the rainy season, so this was not unexpected. Fortunately, the rain in Central Mexico tends to be sporadic and often falls late at night. Accordingly, it didn't tend to interfere with any excursions we had planned. Also, rainy nights tend to be cool, which makes for good sleeping weather.

The presence of the Franciscans in the Sierra Gorda was destined to be short-lived. In 1770, only 20 years after Junipero Serra began building the gorgeous churches we see today, the Franciscan missions were secularized. Secular clergy operate in a parish structure and report to a bishop appointed to govern a geographic area. The friars are responsible to their various Orders and work anywhere the Order is allowed to function. Secularization meant that the Franciscan missions and their churches were turned over to the secular clergy and its bureaucratic structure. So, in 1770, the Franciscans departed the Sierra Gorda area.

Three young girls amuse themselves as they watch the world go by. Balconies are ubiquitous in Jalpan. As you can see above, they are great places to hang out. Two of the girls are wearing their school uniforms. These are required by public as well as private schools. The wearing of uniforms tends to reduce friction over social/economic differences. However, for poor families, paying for them can present financial problems. Some expats where I live have noticed this and help pay for uniforms and school supplies for the children of the local people who work for them. 

This completes Part 1 of my Sierra Gorda series. I hope you have enjoyed Part 1 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