Churches

It is said in Mexico, that for every day of the year there is a church in Puebla. Churches are an authentic and distinctive attraction for tourists coming to visit Puebla. The beautiful architecture, art and spiritual scene highlight the streets of the city and state. Check out this list of the main churches, worth visiting..

Capilla del Rosario (Rosary Chapel)

The majestic Chapel of the Rosary dates from the second half of the XVII century and is part of one of the greatest achievements of the baroque art of New Spain. The chapel is covered with 22 karat gold laminate covered stucco. Ever since its foundation it has been classified as one of the wonders of the world.

Cathedral

It was built in November of 1575 designed by Francisco Becerra and Juan of Cicogorondo. It is a true architectural jewel. Its towers of about 73.93 meters and considered as the highest in the country.

Iglesia de  San Francisco (San Francisco Church)

It is located in the “Barrio del Alto” the oldest area of the city of Puebla. In 1550 the construction began and it finished on the year 1767. It has a lovely Churrigueresque façade made of quarry stone, brick and tile. The uncorrupted body of the patron of chauffeurs and drivers, the blessed Sebastian de Aparicio lies in the Chapel of the Virgin of the Conquest.

Former Convent of Santa Monica The Religious Art Museum

It was built in the XVII century across the church named Iglesia de San Juan de Dios. The monastery survived the Laws of Reforma which decreed the secularization of all religious orders, and remained in secret for more than 70 years. Nowadays, it is a religious art museum which includes items from the convents of Santa Catalina, Capuchinas and Santa Monica, including paintings and sculptures of important artistic and historical value.

Iglesia de San Francisco Acatepec

It was built in the XVII century and is considered a masterpiece of Mexican baroque art. It is the maximum expression of the work of master builders and potters of Puebla, who masterfully covered the façade with handmade ceramic tile using maily fine Talavera. The interior is also worth of admiration. It has a fantastic gypsum decoration which is impressive both for its profusion and the brilliance of forms as well as for the expression of the images. This church is a flash of colour in the middle of the countryside.

Iglesia de Santa Maria Tonantzintla

Tonantzitla means “The place of our Dear little Mother”. Its construction began in the XVI century. The hands of the natives modeled the gypsum captured their own universe. They create in it a Mexican iconography made up of dark-skinned angles, niches with feather headdresses, tropical fruits (mangoes, hot peppers, coconuts, bananas, etc.) and corncobs above all. Although this iconography is not what dominated, it recreates the Christian world and shows the episodes of the Annunciation, the Conception, the Assumption and the Crowning of the Virgin.

Royal Chapel (Capilla Real)

It was built in 1540 next to the convent of San Gabriel as a place to evangelize the natives who gathered in its open-air portico. It was roofless until the end of the XVI century. The roof was rebuilt in 1601 and was a great wooden Mudejar. That roof did not last long and in the middle of the XVII century it was destroyed in order to rebuild the chapel with vaults and cupolas as that was the fashion during that time. Inside, the Royal Chapel has 49 cupolas and 7 naves.

Iglesia de los Remedios (Los Remedios Church)

It was built on the pyramid and was dedicated to Our Lady Los Remedios in 1594. After an earthquake it was built between 1864 and 1874 and remains as we can admire it today. It symbolizes the evangelization of the Spaniards over the native’s polytheism. From the portico one can see the four cardinal points, particularly the breathtaking view of the valley of Puebla which lies to the East.