Templo de Santo Domingo (Puebla)

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Templo de San Domingo Guzmán
and Capilla del Rosario (Puebla)

Capilla del Rosario Puebla.jpg

Patronage : Saint Dominic ,
Archangel Michael ,
Madonna of the Rosary
Address: Calle 5 de Mayo, Puebla, Mexico

Coordinates: 19 ° 2 ′ 49 ″  N , 98 ° 11 ′ 53 ″  W.

The Templo de San Domingo Guzmán (short: Iglesia or Templo de San Domingo ) is an important church in the Mexican city ​​of Puebla . It originally belonged to a Dominican monastery and is located on Calle 5 de Mayo in the historic center, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site .

The accompanying rosary chapel (Spanish: Capilla del Rosario ) is considered the greatest jewel of the Mexican Baroque and was once considered the eighth wonder of the world . Pope John Paul II called it the “ reliquary of America” during his visit in 1979 .

The church

The building complex of Santo Domingo with the Capilla del Rosario (left) and the former porteria (far right)

history

The first Dominican monks came to Puebla in 1534, at the request of the first bishop of the diocese of Tlaxcala , Fray Julián Garcés. In the same year they began building a simple church dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel .

From 1571 the new building of the current church began. The work was in the hands of the architect Francisco Becerra . In 1611 at least the shell with the facade was finished, but the work dragged on until 1659, as can be seen from an inscription near the entrance. In 1801 the tower was built in its current form.

description

One enters the forecourt of the church through a stucco-decorated portal , which is crowned by a figure of the Archangel Michael and a cross. In the atrium there are two chapels: the Capilla de los Mixtecos with a baroque portal and a lambris from Azulejos inside, and the chapel of the Order of Tertians ( de la Tercera Order ).

The nave of Santo Domingo

To the right of the main portal of the church, next to the tower, are the remains of the old monastery gate ( porteria ), whose arches are now bricked up (as of 2019). The walls between the windows on the first floor are richly decorated with stucco .

The mighty entrance portal of the church made of gray granite appears simple and ascetic. It is divided in the lowest register by eight smooth Tuscan columns , the frieze above shows alternating eight-pointed stars and roses; in the second register angular and plastic pilaster strips of an ionic order. Above the arched gate you can see a figure of the Archangel Michael, flanked by two dogs (symbols of the Dominicans), above a square window and at the top a marble relief figure of Saint Dominic.

The spacious nave corresponds formally to a Latin cross and is simple and ascetic in its basic features, it lives from the restrained color contrast of the whitewashed walls with the gray granite of the pillars and round arches . The vaulted ceiling is decorated with colored and partly gilded stucco ornaments. On the right and left, gray-granite round arches open to the side chapels , which are closed by bars. In the front right the pulpit made of white and black marble and with the emblem of the Dominicans.

The apse and the entire church is dominated by an enormous gilded high altar in classic early Baroque forms, the niches of which are populated on four floors by numerous colorful figures of saints. In the transepts there are richly carved and ornamented baroque altars in the Churriguera style.

The Capilla del Rosario

The shrine of the Madonna of the Rosary with a view of the dome of the Rosary Chapel

history

The Capilla del Rosario was built between 1650 and 1690 and was the first chapel in Mexico to be consecrated to the Virgin of the Rosary ( Nuestra Señora del Rosario ) as a sign of the Dominicans' great devotion to the rosary .

The worship of the rosary had grown significantly since the end of the 16th century. The first idea for the construction of the chapel came from Fray Juan de Cuenca. The work was led by Fray Agustín Hernández and Fray Diego de Gorozpe and was completed in 1690 after 40 years of construction. The chapel consecration celebrations began on April 16 of the same year and lasted nine days.

Between May 1967 and 1971 the chapel was restored with the support of Fundación Mary Street Jenkins and on the basis of old drawings .

description

The chapel is shaped like a Latin cross, but with very short transverse arms. The lowest wall area is covered with a frieze made of Talavera- Azulejos. The overwhelming impression of the interior is created by the walls and vaults, which are completely adorned with lavish ornaments made of gilded stucco and wood carvings on a white background. The stucco is based on a mass of flour, egg white and water with layers of 24-carat gold. Numerous angels and other symbolic figures, created by Fray Agustín Hernández , also appear in the ornate network of ornamental shapes, some of which are vegetable and some are abstract . The theme of the entire decoration is derived from symbols of the Christian religion and the mysteries of the rosary. At the top of the vault of the nave there are allegories of the three Christian virtues : faith , hope and (neighbor) love . Around it, in small ovals, you can see symbols of Mary such as roses , white lilies , irises , a fountain and the like. a.

The six paintings on the walls of the nave were painted by José Rodríguez Carnero (1649–1725) with depictions of the joyous mysteries of the Rosary ( Annunciation , Visitation , Birth of Jesus , Adoration of the Shepherds , Presentation in the Temple , Jesus among the scribes ).

The three large altarpieces that surround the tabernacle in the crossing also revolve thematically around the Virgin and Mother of God. In the left transept is the Assumption of the Virgin Mary , opposite in the right transept you can see the Coronation of Mary . The huge main altarpiece in the apse shows " Glory and Triumph of the Rosary ".

In front of it in the crossing is the large, splendid shrine (Mexican: " ciprés ") with the figure of the Rosary Madonna between columns made of marble from Tecali (a village near Puebla) on the lower floor, and above it St. Dominic is surrounded by twisted Solomonic columns of small statues of Dominican saints. On top of the openwork crown of the shrine, between dancing angels putti , stands the archangel Gabriel with a band of letters " Ave Maria ".

The four large angels in the pendentives of the dome also have scrolls on which Mary is greeted as “daughter of the father”, “mother of the son”, “wife of the holy spirit ” and “temple of the holy trinity ”.

Above, between the windows of the octagonal dome tambours, there are 16 figures of the female saints: Ursula , Águeda of Catania, Inés , Anastasia , Apollonia , Clara of Assisi , Gertrudis of Helfta, Lugarda , Rosalia of Palermo , Rosa of Viterbo , Teresa de Ávila , Tecla de Iconio , Barbara , Cecilia of Rome , Lucia of Syracuse and Catherine of Alexandria .

Above in the dome rotunda, between large winged heads of seraphim and vines, one sees eight allegorical figures of Divine Grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit : understanding, strength, piety, fear of God, knowledge, good advice and wisdom .

Above everything, in the center of the dome, the dove of the Holy Spirit hovers in the midst of a multi-rayed golden halo of light.

See also

Web links

Commons : Santo Domingo, Puebla  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
  • Miguel Ángel Herrada: "Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Guzmán y Capilla del Rosario" on the website of the municipality of Puebla (Ayuntamiento de Puebla), in the "web.archive.org" , viewed on May 12, 2019 (Spanish; main source for this Items)
  • Mónica Delgado Solano: "Capilla del Rosario (Puebla, México)", in: "Catholic.net" , viewed on May 12, 2019 (Spanish; main source for this article)
  • Luis Alberto Martínez Álvarez: "Capilla del Rosario", in the "web.archive.org" , viewed on May 12, 2019 (Spanish; main source for this article)
  • The "Capilla del Rosario" of Puebla on "viajaporpuebla.mx" , seen on May 12, 2019 (Spanish)
  • "Capilla del Rosario, un tesoro arquitectónico hecho de oro" on "cityexpress.com" , seen on May 12, 2019 (Spanish)

Individual notes

  1. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Miguel Ángel Herrada: "Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Guzmán y Capilla del Rosario" on the website of the municipality of Puebla (Ayuntamiento de Puebla), in the "web.archive. org ” , as seen on May 12, 2019
  2. a b c d e f g h i Luis Alberto Martínez Álvarez: The “Capilla del Rosario” in the “web.archive.org” , viewed on May 12, 2019
  3. a b c d e The “Capilla del Rosario” from Puebla on “viajaporpuebla.mx” , seen on May 12, 2019
  4. a b c d "Capilla del Rosario, un tesoro arquitectónico hecho de oro" on "cityexpress.com" , as seen on May 12, 2019
  5. a b c d e f g h Mónica Delgado Solano: "Capilla del Rosario (Puebla, México)", in: "Catholic.net" , viewed on May 12, 2019