Capilla del Rosario Puebla Diciembre 2015

The Chapel of the Virgen del Rosario is the

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

attached to the Church of Santo Domingo in the city of

Puebla Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. Work of the 17th century, summit of the

New Spanish Baroque New Spanish Baroque, also known as Mexican Baroque, refers to Baroque art in the Viceroyalty of New Spain. During this period, artists of New Spain experimented with expressive, contrasting, and realistic creative approaches, making art that be ...

, was described in its time as the

Eighth Wonder of the World Eighth Wonder of the World is an unofficial title sometimes given to new buildings, structures, projects, designs or even people that are deemed to be comparable to the seven Wonders of the World. Candidates for the Eighth Wonder of the World ...

by Friar Diego de Gorozpe, in a print of 1690, regarded like this for a long time in

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Am ...

, as well as ''La Casa de Oro'' (The Golden House) and ''

Domus Aurea The Domus Aurea (Latin, "Golden House") was a vast landscaped complex built by the Emperor Nero largely on the Oppian Hill in the heart of ancient Rome after the great fire in 64 AD had destroyed a large part of the city.Roth (1993) It repla ...

''. It is one of the most prominent examples of the

and one of the greatest artistic-religious achievements in Mexico. It is a chapel full of symbolisms, where each element represents something related to the

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

beliefs. It is located on pedestrian avenue 5 de Mayo number 407. The building is part of the Historic Center of Puebla City, which was added to the

UNESCO World Heritage List A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

in 1987.

History

Decoration details in Santo domingo (Puebla)

The order of the

Our Lady of the Rosary Our Lady of the Rosary, also known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, is a Marian title. The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, formerly known as Feast of Our Lady of Victory and Feast of the Holy Rosary is celebrated on 7 October in the General Roma ...

was promoted by the

, who dedicated in each of their convents a chapel to their devotion. In Mexico it was no exception when the first religious of the order arrived in 1526, but it was not until the year of 1531 when they began the construction of their first important church in Puebla, which is also dedicated to the

Archangel Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

however the Chapel of the Rosario was conceived until 1650 and completed and consecrated on 16 April 1690. It was the first in Mexico dedicated to the Our Lady of the Rosary. Its construction served a double purpose: to worship the Virgin and teach the faithful the prayer of the

Holy Rosary Holy Rosary may refer to: * Rosary, a set of prayer beads used in a traditional Roman Catholic devotion * The Holy Rosary, a prayer based on the rosary See also * Holy Rosary Academy (disambiguation), one of several Roman Catholic schools with ...

. It was conceived by the Dominican Friar

Juan de Cuenca ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish language, Spanish and Manx language, Manx versions of ''John (given name), John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronoun ...

, who in 1650 began its construction, but given the magnitude of the work, until 1690 it was completed by two other Dominicans Friar Agustín Hernández and Friar Diego de Gorozpe, who they dedicated the ''distinguished bishop of the Puebla of the Council of His Majesty''

Manuel Fernández de Santa Cruz Manuel Fernández de Santa Cruz y Sahagún (18 January 1637, Palencia (Spain) – 1 February 1699, Puebla (Mexico)) was a religious writer and Roman Catholic prelate who served as Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Guadalajara, Bishop of Guadalajar ...

, and celebrating its consecration on April 16, 1690, to coincide with the date on which the City of Puebla de los Ángeles was founded. The celebration lasted 8 days (La Octava), pronouncing in each of them a sermon, processions, masses and events turning it into a great stage of joy. The determined impulse to the teaching of the

and the favorite devotion to the Virgin of Our Lady of the Rosary, which was given to them in the 17th century, explains the complexity of the great work, which as soon as it was finished and qualified as the ''Eighth Wonder of the World''. In 1971 a team of restaurateurs sponsored by the Mary Street Jenkins Foundation did a restoration work in the Chapel.

Architecture

2013-12-26 Puebla Rosenkranzkapelle 01 anagoria

This type of construction reflects the economic reach of the Church in those years and the ambition and sumptuousness with which its churches were planned and erected. The plan is arranged in the shape of a

Latin cross A Latin cross or ''crux immissa'' is a type of cross in which the vertical beam sticks above the crossbeam, with the three upper arms either equally long or with the vertical topmost arm shorter than the two horizontal arms, and always with a mu ...

, with short sections and ''testero''. The

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

is divided into three sections and its vault is barrel with

lunette A lunette (French ''lunette'', "little moon") is a half-moon shaped architectural space, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be segmental, and the arch may be an arc take ...

s in the same way as the sections of the crossing, it has a narrow

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

with

tholobate In architecture, a tholobate (from el, θολοβάτης, tholobates, dome pedestal) or drum is the upright part of a building on which a dome is raised. It is generally in the shape of a cylinder or a polygonal prism. In the earlier Byzanti ...

and on this some windows and others in the semicircular dome, whose purpose is to give illumination to the sumptuous ciprés just down. The interior of the chapel is majestic, where the architectural structures have been covered in every corner that is observed with reliefs in

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...

, in order to exalt the religious feeling. Capilla del Rosario Puebla

The lateral walls of the nave are symmetrically covered by large canvases by the painter José Rodríguez Carnero (1649-1725), with themes alluding to the Joys of the Virgin, the paintings are in the

Chiaroscuro Chiaroscuro ( , ; ), in art, is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to achi ...

style that contrast with the bright and clear adorn the crossing, by the same author. The lower part of the paintings is adorned with a lambrin of

azulejo ''Azulejo'' (, ; from the Arabic ''al- zillīj'', ) is a form of Spanish and Portuguese painted tin-glazed ceramic tilework. ''Azulejos'' are found on the interior and exterior of churches, palaces, ordinary houses, schools, and nowadays, resta ...

s from

Talavera pottery Talavera pottery (Spanish: Talavera poblana) is a Mexican and Spanish pottery tradition from Talavera de la Reina, in Spain. The Mexican pottery is a type of majolica (faience) or tin-glazed earthenware, with a white base glaze typical of the ty ...

. On the crossing there are other paintings with themes related also to the life of the Virgin, as well as another large one that crowns the

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...

of the chapel and is dedicated to the Glorification and Triumph of the Rosary. The reliefs that cover the walls,

pilaster In classical architecture Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or sometimes even more specifically, from the ...

s and vaults have motifs not only of the plant, animal or angelic order but also of the symbolic-religious order. The Chapel is decorated with overgilded

plasterwork Plasterwork is construction or ornamentation done with plaster, such as a layer of plaster on an interior or exterior wall structure, or plaster Molding (decorative), decorative moldings on ceilings or walls. This is also sometimes called parge ...

, prepared with a ''base of flour with egg white and water'' (?) and covered with 24 carat gold leaves, like many Baroque decorations of the Pueblan capital. On the

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

stands the throne of the Virgin, with a

baldachin A baldachin, or baldaquin (from it, baldacchino), is a canopy of state typically placed over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, particularly over h ...

carved by the Spanish master Lucas Pinto.

Portal

The access

portal Portal often refers to: * Portal (architecture), an opening in a wall of a building, gate or fortification, or the extremities (ends) of a tunnel Portal may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * ''Portal'' (series), two video games ...

is in the left crossing of the church, and its austere Baroque design contrasts with the wealth of the interior. It has a cushioned rounded arches, as well as the decorated and the

jamb A jamb (from French ''jambe'', "leg"), in architecture, is the side-post or lining of a doorway or other aperture. The jambs of a window outside the frame are called “reveals.” Small shafts to doors and windows with caps and bases are know ...

s, slightly trumpet-shaped and framed by tuscan pilasters and

corinthian columns The Corinthian order (Greek: Κορινθιακός ρυθμός, Latin: ''Ordo Corinthius'') is the last developed of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order w ...

. Finish the arch something similar to a balcony with a window between pilasters.

Interior

The chapel is characterized by being of

plan with short

sections Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sig ...

and ''testeros''. It is a dazzling example of the 17th century New Spanish Baroque style, and a stage for faith and fantasy, where each element has a precise meaning. In the vault the representations of the three theological virtues are immersed in the foliage:

Faith Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". Religious people often ...

Hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large. As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish ...

and

Charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...

. We find sixty angels placed around the circumference that forms the dome and the main vault, each in a different expression, some are only heads and/or others are full-body images. A detail to highlight is that in the area dedicated to the

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

and the

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

, we find angels that seem to be playing musical instruments and singing songs.

Dome

* (a) In the dome, the

Divine Grace Divine grace is a theological term present in many religions. It has been defined as the divine influence which operates in humans to regenerate and sanctify, to inspire virtuous impulses, and to impart strength to endure trial and resist temptati ...

(Gratia Divina) carries in its hands the palm leaf that symbolizes

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

dom, and the

laurel Laurel may refer to: Plants * Lauraceae, the laurel family * Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel People * Laurel (given name), people with the given name * Laurel (surname), people with the surname * Laurel (mus ...

branch of victory. Grace, without which there is no valid virtue, represents the origin of everything divine on earth; it is accompanied with the gifts of the

Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...

: * (b)

Understanding Understanding is a psychological process related to an abstract or physical object, such as a person, situation, or message whereby one is able to use concepts to model that object. Understanding is a relation between the knower and an object o ...

''(Spiritus Intellectus)'' * (c) Fortitude ''(Spiritus Fortitudinis)'' * (d)

Piety Piety is a virtue which may include religious devotion or spirituality. A common element in most conceptions of piety is a duty of respect. In a religious context piety may be expressed through pious activities or devotions, which may vary among ...

''(Spiritus Pietatis)'' * (e)

Fear of God Fear of God may refer to fear itself, but more often to a sense of awe, and submission to, a deity. People subscribing to popular monotheistic religions for instance, might fear Hell and divine judgment, or submit to God's omnipotence. Christian ...

''(Spiritus Timoris)'' * (f)

Knowledge Knowledge can be defined as awareness of facts or as practical skills, and may also refer to familiarity with objects or situations. Knowledge of facts, also called propositional knowledge, is often defined as true belief that is distinc ...

''(Spiritus Scientiae)'' * (g)

Counsel A counsel or a counsellor at law is a person who gives advice and deals with various issues, particularly in legal matters. It is a title often used interchangeably with the title of ''lawyer''. The word ''counsel'' can also mean advice given ...

''(Spiritus Consilii)'' and * (h)

Wisdom Wisdom, sapience, or sagacity is the ability to contemplate and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense and insight. Wisdom is associated with attributes such as unbiased judgment, compassion, experiential self-knowledge, ...

''(Spirit Sapientiae)'', qualities represented by female figures. Through these symbols one learns that having faith, hope and charity, being in grace and receiving the essential gifts, one can reach the supreme wisdom, represented by the dove of the

, which in the dome is shown wrapped between clouds and rays. In the dome there are also 16 saints:

Saint Ursula Saint Ursula (Latin for 'little female bear', german: link=no, Heilige Ursula) is a legendary Romano-British Christian saint who died on 21 October 383. Her feast day in the pre-1970 General Roman Calendar is 21 October. There is little infor ...

(i),

Agatha of Sicily Agatha of Sicily () is a Christian saint. Her feast is on 5 February. Agatha was born in Catania, part of the Roman Province of Sicily, and was martyred . She is one of several virgin martyrs who are commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mas ...

(j),

Agnes of Rome Agnes of Rome () is a virgin martyr, venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as the Anglican Communion and Lutheranism, Lutheran Churches. St. Agn ...

(k), Saint Anastasia (l),

Saint Apollonia Saint Apollonia ( el, Αγία Απολλωνία, cop, Ϯⲁⲅⲓⲁ Ⲁⲡⲟⲗⲗⲟⲛⲓⲁ) was one of a group of virgin martyrs who suffered in Alexandria during a local uprising against the Christians prior to the persecution of Decius ...

(m),

Clare of Assisi Clare of Assisi (born Chiara Offreduccio and sometimes spelled Clara, Clair, Claire, Sinclair; 16 July 1194 – 11 August 1253) was an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Francis of Assisi. She founded the Order of Poor Ladie ...

(n),

Gertrude the Great Gertrude the Great, OSB (or Saint Gertrude of Helfta; it, Santa Gertrude, german: Gertrud die Große von Helfta, la, Sancta Gertrudis; January 6, 1256 – November 17, 1302) was a German Benedictine nun and mystic. She is recognized as a saint ...

(o),

Lutgardis Lutgardis of Aywières ( nl, Sint-Ludgardis; 1182 – 16 June 1246; also spelled Lutgarde) is a saint from the medieval Low Countries. She was born in Tongeren, known as Tongres in French (which is why she is also called Lutgardis of Tongres or ...

(p),

Saint Rosalia Rosalia (1130–1166), also called La Santuzza or "''The Little Saint''", and in Sicilian as "Rusulia", is the patron saint of Palermo in Italy, Camargo, Chihuahua, and three towns in Venezuela: El Hatillo, Zuata, and El Playon. She is es ...

(q),

Rose of Viterbo Rose of Viterbo, T.O.S.F. ( it, Rosa da Viterbo; c. 1233 – 6 March 1251), was a young woman born in Viterbo, then a contested commune of the Papal States. She spent her brief life as a recluse, who was outspoken in her support of the papacy. O ...

(r),

Teresa of Ávila Teresa of Ávila, OCD (born Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada; 28 March 15154 or 15 October 1582), also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, was a Spanish Carmelite nun and prominent Spanish mystic and religious reformer. Active during th ...

(s),

Thecla Thecla ( grc, Θέκλα, ) was a saint of the early Christian Church, and a reported follower of Paul the Apostle. The earliest record of her life comes from the ancient apocryphal ''Acts of Paul and Thecla''. Church tradition The ''Acts of ...

(t),

Saint Barbara Saint Barbara ( grc, Ἁγία Βαρβάρα; cop, Ϯⲁⲅⲓⲁ Ⲃⲁⲣⲃⲁⲣⲁ; ; ), known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an Early Christianity, early Christian Lebanese and Greek saint and martyr. Acc ...

(u),

Saint Cecilia Saint Cecilia ( la, Sancta Caecilia), also spelled Cecelia, was a Roman virgin martyr and is venerated in Catholic, Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox, Anglican Communion, Anglican, and some Lutheran churches, such as the Church of Sweden. She b ...

(v),

Saint Lucy Lucia of Syracuse (283–304), also called Saint Lucia ( la, Sancta Lucia) better known as Saint Lucy, was a Roman Christian martyr who died during the Diocletianic Persecution. She is venerated as a saint in the Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ...

(w) y

Catherine of Alexandria Catherine of Alexandria (also spelled Katherine); grc-gre, ἡ Ἁγία Αἰκατερίνη ἡ Μεγαλομάρτυς ; ar, سانت كاترين; la, Catharina Alexandrina). is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, wh ...

(x).

Paintings

On the sides of the nave six large canvases by the painter José Rodríguez Carnero are displayed, which allude to the Joys of the Virgin:

the Assumption The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution ''Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows: We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by Go ...

, the Visitation and

the Nativity The nativity of Jesus, nativity of Christ, birth of Jesus or birth of Christ is described in the biblical gospels of Luke and Matthew. The two accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judaea, his mother Mary was engaged to a man ...

. In front of them on the left side of the nave: the Adoration, the presentation in the Temple and Jesus among the doctors, scenes that represent the key moments in the human and earthly life of Mary. The lower part of the walls is covered with a superb lambrin of

s, in whose upper strip protruding heads of

cherub A cherub (; plural cherubim; he, כְּרוּב ''kərūḇ'', pl. ''kərūḇīm'', likely borrowed from a derived form of akk, 𒅗𒊏𒁍 ''karabu'' "to bless" such as ''karibu'', "one who blesses", a name for the lamassu) is one of the u ...

im alternated with the Dominican coat of arms.

Crossing

Although their sections are very short they present the same lush decoration on the nave. On the left side you can see a painting of the

Assumption of Mary The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution ''Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows: We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by Go ...

next to

estofado file:Estofado - Berruguete - San Benito.jpg, 240px, Detail from the altarpiece of the church of de San Benito el Real (Valladolid)c. 1530 Estofado () is an artistic technique that imitates the appearance of gold brocade. The term comes from the Ita ...

carvings of

John the Apostle John the Apostle ( grc, Ἰωάννης; la, Ioannes ; Ge'ez: ዮሐንስ;) or Saint John the Beloved was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Generally listed as the youngest apostle, he was the son of Zebedee a ...

and

Matthew the Apostle Matthew the Apostle,, shortened to ''Matti'' (whence ar, مَتَّى, Mattā), meaning "Gift of YHWH"; arc, , Mattai; grc-koi, Μαθθαῖος, ''Maththaîos'' or , ''Matthaîos''; cop, ⲙⲁⲧⲑⲉⲟⲥ, Mattheos; la, Matthaeus a ...

; above surrounded by flowers and foliage,

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

and

Saint Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers of ...

. On the right section a painting with the

Coronation of Mary The Coronation of the Virgin or Coronation of Mary is a subject in Christian art, especially popular in Italy in the 13th to 15th centuries, but continuing in popularity until the 18th century and beyond. Christ, sometimes accompanied by God th ...

and the figures of

Mark the Evangelist Mark the Evangelist ( la, Marcus; grc-gre, Μᾶρκος, Mârkos; arc, ܡܪܩܘܣ, translit=Marqōs; Ge'ez: ማርቆስ; ), also known as Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Acco ...

and

Luke the Evangelist Luke the Evangelist (Latin: '' Lucas''; grc, Λουκᾶς, '' Loukâs''; he, לוקאס, ''Lūqās''; arc, /ܠܘܩܐ לוקא, ''Lūqā’; Ge'ez: ሉቃስ'') is one of the Four Evangelists—the four traditionally ascribed authors of t ...

are displayed; in the closing next to the window, one can see

Joachim Joachim (; ''Yəhōyāqīm'', "he whom Yahweh has set up"; ; ) was, according to Christian tradition, the husband of Saint Anne and the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The story of Joachim and Anne first appears in the Biblical apocryphal ...

and

Saint Anne According to Christian apocryphal and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the canonical gospels. In writing, Anne's name and that of her husband Joachim come o ...

. The tribute to the four evangelists is because they were the first to speak of the Virgin, whose family appears here surrounded by angels (praises), flowers ( offerings), birds (music) and pelicans (the symbol of Christ).

Apse

In it is a huge painting dedicated to the Glorification and Triumph of the

Rosary The Rosary (; la, , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), also known as the Dominican Rosary, or simply the Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or b ...

, in which you can see the Virgin crowned with roses. Together with the paintings of the crossing, it constitutes a descriptive triptych of the celestial life of Mary, who after climbing to the Heavens and being crowned appears on earth to distribute the Rosary.

Altar

This place is reminiscent of the interrelation between religious architecture and its symbolisms: the square that forms on the crossing represents the

earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

, the octagonal base of the dome recreates the rebirth after death, and its perfect curvature represents the Celestial Vault, paradise symbol.

Ciprés

The ciprés under the drum dome that protects the

is made up of twelve

Corinthian columns The Corinthian order (Greek: Κορινθιακός ρυθμός, Latin: ''Ordo Corinthius'') is the last developed of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order w ...

at the base made of marble from

Tecali de Herrera Tecali de Herrera is a town and municipality in Puebla state, southeastern Mexico. Town The town of Tecali de Herrera is located about southeast of the city of Puebla. It is center of onyx artisan objects production in Mexico.

, representing the

apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...

s. In the first body some Dominican saints are appreciated, and in the second twelve beautiful

solomonic column The Solomonic column, also called Barley-sugar column, is a helical column, characterized by a spiraling twisting shaft like a corkscrew. It is not associated with a specific classical order, although most examples have Corinthian or Composite cap ...

s covered with roses and

lilies ''Lilium'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. M ...

that frame

Saint Dominic Saint Dominic ( es, Santo Domingo; 8 August 1170 – 6 August 1221), also known as Dominic de Guzmán (), was a Castilian Catholic priest, mystic, the founder of the Dominican Order and is the patron saint of astronomers and natural scientis ...

. The saints embedded in the roof niches hold flower clusters, four decorative

ribs The rib cage, as an enclosure that comprises the ribs, vertebral column and sternum in the thorax of most vertebrates, protects vital organs such as the heart, lungs and great vessels. The sternum, together known as the thoracic cage, is a semi- ...

are embraced by plants and are arranged in the form of a vine. Also, there are mouldings with high reliefs of plants typical of the region, as if it were intended to remind us of the fertility and benefits of this land. There is even a small one that iconically represents the king star. In the top on the

roof lantern A roof lantern is a daylighting architectural element. Architectural lanterns are part of a larger roof and provide natural light into the space or room below. In contemporary use it is an architectural skylight structure. A lantern roof wil ...

, is

Archangel Gabriel In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብር� ...

, a figure that tops this great Baroque work signed by Lucas Pinto.

Chorus

You can see here a relief in which there is a group of children with musical instruments, accompanied by angels and under the direction of

God the Father God the Father is a title given to God in Christianity. In mainstream trinitarian Christianity, God the Father is regarded as the first person of the Trinity, followed by the second person, God the Son Jesus Christ, and the third person, God t ...

Gallery

File:Capilla del Rosario, Puebla. Manuel Toissant 1924 Paintings.jpg, Interior. Photo of 1924 by Manuel Toissant File:Capilla del Rosario, Puebla. Manuel Toissant 1924 Detail.jpg, Interior. Photo of 1924 by Manuel Toissant File:Capilla del Rosario, Puebla. Manuel Toissant 1924 Altarpiece.jpg, Ciprés. Photo of 1924 by Manuel Toissant File:Capilla del Rosario 04.jpg, Exterior File:Capilla del Rosario 02.jpg, Talavera azulejos in the wall File:Capilla del Rosario 07.jpg, Faces,

yeseria Stucco decoration in Islamic architecture refers to carved or molded stucco and plaster. The terms "stucco" and "plaster" are used almost interchangeably in this context to denote most types of stucco or plaster decoration with slightly varying c ...

s and

s File:Capilla del Rosario 16.jpg File:Capilla del Rosario 37.jpg, Cherubim playing musical instruments File:Capilla del Rosario 17.jpg, The Virgin of Rosary, main church's image File:2013-12-26 Puebla Rosenkranzkapelle Jesus Glassarg anagoria.JPG, Señor del Santo Entierro (Lord of the Holy Entombment) File:2013-12-26 Puebla Rosenkranzkapelle Weihwasser nicht salzen anagoria.JPG

Notes

References

External links

{{Coord, 19, 2, 47.5, N, 98, 11, 54, W, type:landmark, display=title Roman Catholic churches in Puebla (city) 1531 establishments in New Spain Roman Catholic churches completed in 1690 Chapels in Mexico Historic centre of Puebla Baroque church buildings in Puebla Tourist attractions in Puebla Dominican churches in Mexico Azulejos in buildings in Mexico 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Mexico