Mexico: Puebla and around, State of Puebla (November 2017)

(This banner shows a typical pattern of tiles covering house facades in Puebla and around.)

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The state of Puebla (capital: Puebla) is located east of Mexico City. With a population of about 2.5 millions the city of Puebla is the 5th largest of Mexico. In pre-Columbian times, the region was inhabited by multiple indigenous ethnicities. When Hernan Cortes entered the area in 1519, it was dominated by the Aztecs and many non-Aztec indigenous leaders sided with him to free themselves from this domination. The city of Puebla was founded in 1531 to secure the route between the port of Veracruz and Mexico City. On May 5 of 1862, it was the site of a battle where the Mexican army defeated French invaders sent by Napoleon III. Today the area is still home to a large indigenous population with deep traditions. It is also home to a number of high volcanos, including Pico de Orizaba (5636m), Popocatepetl (5426m), and Iztaccihuatl (5230m), the three highest summits in Mexico. Popocatepetl is currently active and unpredictable.

City of Puebla:

Cathedral of Puebla. Built between the mid-16th and the mid-17th centuries, it is the second largest in Mexico. Its two 69m-high bell towers (one of which has no bells) are the tallest in Mexico. During the day the cathedral looks massive and is not particularly stylish. But at night it is quite majestic, thanks to a well-designed illumination system.

In the Zocalo, the central plaza adjacent to the cathedral, on a Saturday evening.

Street vendor on the Zocalo demonstrating soap bubble devices.

Ubiquitous balloon vendors in central Puebla.

Harmonipan player on Calle Cinco de Mayo.

Palacio Municipal.

Facade of La Casa de los Munecos (House of the Dolls), which currently hosts the Art Museum of the Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla.

Biblioteca Palafoxiana (17th century), considered the oldest library in the Americas.

Beautiful polychrome wood statues of the 18th century exposed in the Casa de la Cultura.

Sculptures and statuettes from different pre-Columbian cultures of Mexico, aesthetically displayed in the excellent Museo Amparo.

Templo de Santo Domingo: retable and pulpit.

Built in the second half of the 17th century, the Capilla del Rosario is the best part of Templo de Santo Domingo. From the outside, it does not look special, but its interior is stunning, whether one loves or hates its excessive gilded plasterwork and ornamentation.

Templo de la Compania.

[I took these 2 photos in November 2018 during a short nightover while on my way to Cuetzalan. Note the new brown paintings outlining features of the facade.]

Iglesia de San Cristobal (17th century).

Iglesia de San Francisco.

Mercado el Parian.

Folkloric dancers.

Portions of El Mural de los Poblanos, in the restaurant of the same name.

Street murals.

The so-called Calle de los Dulces (actual name: 6 Oriente) holds numerous shops selling sweets and candies made from milk, marzipan, fruits, and sweet potatoes. The recipes were developed in the 18th century by Carmelite nuns of the Convent of Santa Clara located in this same street.

Atlixco:

The town of Atlixco (population: 125,000) is located 30km south-west of Puebla′s center and 15km south-east of Popocatepetl′s summit. It lies at the foot of Cerro de San Miguel, a conical hill standing in the middle of a large plain.

Left: ex-Convento de San Francisco on the slope of Cerro de San Miguel, with the Popocatepetl volcano in the background. Right: portal of Capilla de la Tercera Orden at the foot of the hill.

Other views of ex-Convento de San Francisco.

View over Atlixco from Cerro de San Miguel.

Volcanos Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl seen from Cerro San Miguel.

Cholula:

The city of Cholula, located 15km west of Puebla, is now virtually one of its suburbs. It was one of the rare places to resist the takeover of the Puebla area by Cortes, an act that led to the Massacre of Cholula on October 12, 1519. It holds the largest pyramid in Mexico (and perhaps in the world), Piramide Tepanapa, which now looks more like a hill than an actual pyramid.

Parroquia de San Pedro (17th-18th centuries) on the northern side of the Zocalo. It was badly damaged by the earthquake of September 19, 2017.

Main church of the ex-Convento de San Gabriel. The Santuario de Nuestra Senora de los Remedios erected on top of Piramide Tepanapa is visible at the bottom-right of the first photo below. (It was not accessible due to damages caused by the earthquake of September 2017.)

Some of the 49 domes of the Moorish-style Capilla Real (16th century), which is also part of the ex-Convento de San Gabriel.

View of Parroquia de San Pedro and Iztaccihuatl from the parvis of Capilla Real.

Murals in Cholula.

Erupting Popocatepetl, seen from Cholula.

Acatepec:

The village of Acatepec, located a short distance from Cholula, hosts a small spectacular church, Templo San Francisco (18th century).

Facade and bell tower of Templo San Francisco, covered with colorful glazed ceramic tiles.

Interior of Templo San Francisco, heavy on gilded plasterwork and ornamentation.

Six preachers embossed around the church′s pulpit.

Tonantzintla:

Tonantzintla is another village near Cholula with a spectacular church, Templo de Santa Maria. This place was originally dedicated to Tonantzin, the goddess of Fertility (linked to corn). After the Spanish conquest, this veneration was transferred to Saint Mary. The interior of the church is a profusion of plaster sculptures and ornaments of indigenous inspiration (including corn, guava, cacao...), with no space left empty. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take photos of this gorgeous interior.

Facade of Templo de Santa Maria. It gives a pale idea of what lies inside.

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