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Colonial Temples and Churches of Oaxaca

Oaxaca is often nicknamed "City of the Green Temples", by reference to its many religious buildings made from a green volcanic stone called "Cantera". More significantly, Oaxaca temples are the most lavish of Southern Mexico.

Many of these churches were built by Dominican monks. In the sixteen-century alone, the Dominicans built more than fifty temples, the majority of which still stand today. If Oaxaca's Cathedral and Santo Domingo temples are the better known, many other churches are worth the visit:

Guadalupe is one of the few churches not founded by the Dominicans.

The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe was founded in 1644 by the Bethlemite order. In 1650, it was dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. The church has a single nave with neo-gothic influences.

San Jeronimo Tlacochahuaya Church was founded by a Dominican Friar, Jordan de Santa Catalina, as a place for deep religious meditation. Reflecting that fact, its cells are lugubrious, low, and dark. Friar Juan de Cordoba spent 25 years in this Church, without ever going out. He wrote the first Zapotec language dictionary, and Indigenous people still consider him a saint.

The Basilica of Nuestro Senora de la Soledad, next to the Zocalo in Oaxaca, is another fine example of Baroque architecture. Built in the late 17th century, it is named after the patron saint of Oaxaca, Our Lady of Solitude, who is famed for her healing powers. Her statute stands on the main altar.

Next to the Basilica is a the small Museo Religioso de la Soledad, founded in 1951. It contains local handicrafts and religious artifacts dating from the 16th century.

Santo Domingo Temple: Seat of the Dominican Order in Oaxaca since the 16th century, the Temple and ex-convent of Santo Domingo form a stately and imposing complex of unique beauty and interest, with its dazzling display of baroque ornamentation, gilded plaster, towering columns and intricate paintings and reliefs all over its interior walls.

The Saint Augustine Church sports a baroque façade, built at the end of the 17th century. The central relief shows Saint Augustine with his cape extended to protect his order.

The Saint Joseph Church was built by the Jesuits in 1588, and was reconstructed in 1720 after being toppled by an earthquake. Its façade is a classic example of baroque design. In 1947, it was converted into Oaxaca's School of Fine Arts.

The temple of the Compania is of plateresc style.

The Temple of the Compania de Jesus was built by the order of the same name in the XVIth century, along with a college next door that still exists today.

The Church of Saint Matthew, built in 1669, was dedicated to the Apostle Matthew in 1700. Most noteworthy are its façade and bell tower. Its interior is shaped as a single nave covered by a long, vaulted ceiling.

The 18th century Saint Philip Neri Church has a Plateresque-style façade somewhat similar to a stone altarpiece. It contains several beautifully carved sculptures, and many popular paintings of religious icons.

La Merced Church was conceived to be a landmark, midway between Mexico City and Guatemala. It was built in 1646, but shows architectural features from different periods.

Saint Thomas Church in Xochimilco is of a simpler design, but was built over a Indigenous temple in the 16th century. Inside is a beautiful 16th century oil painting entitled "The Relatives of the Virgin".

The monastery of San Sebastián Etla is a very large stone structure, built by the Dominicans in only fourteen months. The cloister was consecrated in 1600.

The Church of Saint Cosme and Saint Damian was built in the second half of the 16th century, next to the hospital of San Cosme and San Damian. It has a single nave, covered by beams separated by small vaults.

POLL
Which is the favorite church ?
	The Cathedral
	Santo Domingo Temple
	Solitude Church
	Saint Catherine Convent

The Church of the Virgin of the Solitude, built in the 17th century, is dedicated to the patroness of the city. The façade of this building is another classic example of Mexican baroque. Inside its hallowed walls is a statute of Oaxaca's patron saint, the Virgen de la Soledad. The image is covered with a 2kg crown of solid gold, 600 diamonds and a very large pearl. There is a small building next to the church that contains a religious museum.

The Church of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves dates from 1579, but was completely rebuilt in 1770. In 1984, it was declared a historic monument. It has elements and characteristics of both the renaissance and baroque periods.

The Carmen Bajo Church was built for native Oaxacans. It is shaped as a cross, and contains paintings from the beginning of the 20th century.

The Church of the Virgin of the Assumption is maybe the most classic Dominican edifice. Built in Tlocolula toward the end of the 16th century and beginnings of the 17th century, the chapel contains beautiful wrought-iron works from the late 16th century.

The Holy Heart of Jesus Chapel was built by the Jesuits in 1576 as a center for religious studies. It sports a convex and irregular facade.

The Carmen Alto Church dates from the 16th century, and owes its name to the Carmelite order established in Oaxaca in 1696. Built in a neoclassic style, it houses the Virgin of el Carmen and many other images and religious paintings.

Main entrance to the former convent of Saint Catherine of Siena

The Convent of Saint Catherine of Siena was erected in the 16th century specifically for nuns of the Conceptionist order. In one of its gardens is a unique construction consisting of sets of gorgeous laundry basins, sheltered by a cupola around a central fountain. The Convent is now a hotel. Located approximately 14 kilometers from downtown Oaxaca, Cuilapan is a hauntingly beautiful, hulking ruin of a 16th century Dominican convent. The building was never completed, but a series of somptious arches and columns can be seen. The walls were made using the tombstones of Indian nobles. The chapel is still used for local services. The Open Air Chapel, also known as the Chapel of the Indians, has a splendid design with gothic and renaissance overtones, in a setting of breathtaking mountainous beauty.