On the outskirts of the town of San Pablo Cholula, about 40 minutes from the City of Puebla, lies the Church of Santa Maria Tonantzintla. It is not to be missed and photography is verboten inside.
There are two parts to my story today. First, it is a mecca for several reasons. The church is rendered in an architectural style called Indigenous Baroque — a native interpretation of the famed Rosary Chapel (Capilla de Rosario) of Puebla’s Templo de Santo Domingo. Some also say it is an adaptation of Oaxaca’s famed Santo Domingo de Guzman church. In my opinion, Santo Domingo de Guzman is much tamer and Capilla de Rosario is a Spaniard’s dream. The Tonantzintla interior is so fantastically sculpted, carved and adorned in gold that it is difficult to take your eyes off it. It calls me back. That is my experience!
Exquisite Talavera and natural tile facade
Every square inch of wall and ceiling is covered in wood carved faces, none exactly like the other, some painted in cherubic white skin, others painted in darker native skin. Eyes and faces look down and follow you, it seems. It is difficult to believe that a spiritual deity is not omnipresent in this space.
The church proudly declares that it is not part of the archdiocese of Puebla and attends to its flock who follow the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico’s patron saint, independently. The interior is carefully guarded from negligent tourists who might take a photo with flash, therefore the rule is, No Cameras Allowed, at all. Zero. Nada. One can buy postcards of the interior ceiling, walls, and altar at a table by the entrance which does support the restoration. (Yes, I did that!)
When I visited for the first time in early March I was awestruck and took many photos of the exterior, stood at the entrance and tried to get as many clear interior shots as I could without luck. Then, in a data transfer, I lost all my Puebla photos. Perfect excuse for a return, YES?
Part Two: When I returned mid-week in late March with my sister, fortune called. We stumbled upon a mass in celebration of El Escapulario de La Virgen del Carmen. The church was packed. A gaggle of pre-teen girls adorned in white lacy wedding-style dresses and mantillas, each wearing a Maria embroidered hang-tag, assembled in the church yard. Not a Catholic, I thought it was a confirmation. I suppose it was, of sorts, the symbolic commitment of young women to Jesus and eternal life.
We entered and stood in the back with our cameras. There were many official church and family videographers and photographers, so I confess here that I took the chance to take a few interior shots from the hip myself.
For a spectacular cultural immersion photography adventure, join us for Day of the Dead Photography Expedition. It starts October 28, 2012.
Faces of Puebla, Mexico
We’ve landed in Puebla! After settling into one of my favorites, Hotel Real Santander, Room #2, 7 Oriente #13, (Tel: 222-246-3553), my traveling companion Hollie and I walked two blocks to the Zocalo to extract ATM money (best exchange rate, which today is 13.78 to the US dollar), and settled into the sidewalk cafe at The Italian Coffee Company to people watch. Our people watching idea turned into an hour-long interaction with street musicians, beggars, and women selling cheap necklaces, their faces more interesting than their wares, their stories about coming from the villages looking for pesos compelling.
Her rebozo was in tatters, but it did not seem to impact her pride and self-respect. A gentle woman, we hugged and I squeezed her hand.
Monet? The woman selling glass and seed bead necklaces came to us with a huge smile and two handfuls of adornment. We needed nothing. She kept saying Monet. Where’s the exhibition. Monay. Okay, finally we got it. Money. I bought a necklace and then gave it back to her!
This nun is Franciscan from a pueblo called La Resurrecion near the volcano La Malinche. She needed support for her convent and I provided.
The guitar player strummed one note to a plaintive song I could not understand but it didn’t matter. His face told stories of the centuries. His hands were an insight to his heart. He got 20 pesos, too.
After lunch at La Poblana cemitas restaurant (next to Hotel Real Santander) we hopped into a taxi. Destination: the church at Santa MariaTonantzintla. First stop, San Francisco Acatepec to see the Baroque church. More faces revealed themselves in deeply carved and guilded walls and ceilings, and within the Talavera tile.
This is Hollie’s first visit to Mexico (the border towns don’t count, she told me). As she sits next to me sipping rich, strong coffee and editing her photos, she dips a fresh tortilla chip into salsa and beans with the exclamation: These people know how to live! I think SO.
We are traveling on our way to the Oaxaca Photography Workshop: Market Towns and Artisan Villages.
Next workshop: October Day of the Dead Photography Expedition with Bill Bamberger.
Like this:
4 Comments
Posted in Cultural Commentary, Oaxaca Mexico art and culture, Photography, Travel & Tourism, Workshops and Retreats
Tagged blogsherpa, churches, Mexico, Oaxaca, photography, Puebla