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San Cristóbal de las Casas MEX - Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Guzmán 03

Santo Domingo de Guzman: Located on Avenue 20 de Noviembre. This is one of the city’s most beautiful and emblematic buildings. The first stone for the church was placed in 1547 by Francisco Marroquin, Bishop of Guatemala. It seems that the current church dates from the 17th century, but elements predating this were undoubtedly used for its construction. The exterior has been modified - apparently the façade was between two structures of which the southernmost is gone and there remain only some traces of it on the church wall. The façade is exquisitely decorated and on it a great Dominican coat-of-arms stands out. The mortared decoration, which covers the entire façade, deserves special attention. The motifs are unusual and make this façade one of the most ornate from Mexican and Central American colonial art. To find these motifs requires a minutely precise observation: There are anagrams, little angels, sirens and personages between lions. The Dominican House of Antigua, no longer standing, may have been its model. The pulpit is of remarkable beauty. Its structure rises upon a pedestal profusely carved in the likeness of a sumptuous golden challis. It is one of Mexico's best. Inside you’ll see motifs of indigenous design. Sure to grab your attention are a pair of two-headed eagles that flank the sculpture of Santo Domingo. Open daily from 08:00 to 19:00.

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Uploaded on July 13, 2022
Taken on November 17, 2012