San Jeronimo Tlacochahuaya, Mexico

The discovery of the American continent heralded a new age for the Spanish. Sure it was about gold, silver and riches but also about conversion. It seemed like a continuation of Old Testament prophecies. The local peoples would be baptised, taught Christianity and be saved. It would be a New Jerusalem. First the Franciscans in 1524, then the Dominicans in 1526 and the Augustinians in 1533 came to Mexico full of religious fervour.  Whatever one thinks about the means, their achievements were incredible and the heritage is fascinating - at least to me. Hundreds of monasteries and churches were built by the natives under Spanish supervision from the remote southern tropical lands of central America to the frontier north.

 This post was first made in 2018. Since then I have been inspired by Richard Perry's book Mexico's fortress monasteries" (Espadana Press, Santa Barbara, Ca 1992). He uncovers so many hidden gems, and it has been a revelation to me. 

Overall  the architecture is a fusion of late medieval Plateresque, Renaissance and Baroque with local native colouring. This would be a wonderful church to visit.I doubt that I will ever get there but the YouTube video below featuring the 18th century organ (1725-35) is a great substitute.  

Tlacochahuaya is 21 miles from Oaxaca and was traditionally founded by a Toltec warrior of that name. (It meant "he who fights by night"). The area was evangelised by the Dominicans   and a monastery was founded and built by local labour from 1558 as a retreat space of quiet,  dedicated to St Jerome, patron saint of hermits and penitents.  In the next century it was transformed to serve the local Zapotec communities. It has been fully restored and is now a great example of folk baroque architecture and decoration.

White gateways lead into a paved atrium surrounded by battlemented walls with domed posas at each corner (see above). Posas are fascinating and their original use is unclear. Maybe they were like meeting rooms for converts ; or maybe places to pause the Blessed Sacrament in a procession around the atrium. I need to look into this. On the north wall of the adjacent church there are Zapotec stone carved slabs. This is earthquake country so the bastions supporting the church towers are large and heavy. The pink stucco retable type  facade of the church is  Baroque style. The niches contain statues of a kneeling St Jerome straining to hear the Word from a trumpet, St Thomas Aquinas, St Augustine and St Francis.

The interior includes old colonial 

altarpieces, frescos and folk art. Red, blue, green and gold shine from  the walls, ceilings and dome murals. There are rosettes, angel heads with wings, urns, the four evangelists above the crossing. Is this Renaissance, Baroque, native American? A fusion I guess : a sight unknown to most English eyes.

Most of the altarpieces are  in 17th and early 18th century provincial Renaissance early Baroque style, with some some containing inset paintings in ornamental gilded frames. They include a painting from 1689 of the Virgin of Guadalupe by Joseph Nabarro, a well known local artist.  The 18th century organ  in the balcony with its beautiful ornamental coloured case was restored in 1991.