Private Cultural Tour of Cholula and Puebla from Mexico City

It is not known exactly when the pyramid began to be built but archaeologists believe that it was in 300 BC or the beginning of the Christian era. It is estimated that its completion took between 500 and 1000 years.

The construction of the temple of Chiconaquiahuitl (god of the nine rains) was carried out over several generations. It began in the second century before our era, and ended with the fall of Teotihuacán, which was the last pre-Hispanic culture that printed its seal on the great basement (900 AD-1100 AD), before the Arrival of the Spaniards. One of the constructive practices of the Mesoamericans was the remodeling of old buildings, remodeling that had the objective of expanding and maintaining the original constructions, so the long construction period of this temple must be understood in that context.

Santa María Tonantzintla is a small municipality in San Andrés Cholula, 10 minutes from the capital of the state of Puebla, Mexico. The main attraction is its church considered the maximum expression of the indigenous baroque. In the Mexica culture Tonantzin was a goddess identified with the Earth. The word Tonantzintla comes from Nahuatl and means place of our mother. With the arrival of the Spaniards, the name of Santa María was added, in honor of the Virgin Mary.

The Cathedral Basilica of Puebla, as the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is known according to its Marian dedication, is the episcopal seat of the Archdiocese of Puebla (Mexico). It is one of the most important buildings in the historic center declared a world heritage site. It has the prerogative of being the first sumptuous temple that under good designs was made in America, consecrated in 1649 it was ahead of the Metropolitan of Mexico that was dedicated in 1653. It was founded by Felipe II of Spain.1

The current Herrerian-style cathedral was built between the 16th and 17th centuries, and replaced the previous one that existed in what is now the atrium. From the beginning of its construction in 1575 to its consecration, 74 years elapsed which are located during the period of three kings of Spain, Felipe II, Felipe III and Felipe IV. Setbacks throughout those years allowed numerous modifications to the original trace. By 1624 the works were suspended in their entirety until the arrival of Bishop Juan de Palafox y Mendoza in July 1640, who resumed the works with determined enthusiasm. The new reforms gave a greater elevation to the central nave above the processional ones, allowing the passage of natural light and giving it an appearance of a pyramidal structure. It was consecrated by Bishop Juan de Palafox y Mendoza on April 18, 1649 without having been totally finished.

The cult of the Virgin of the Rosary was promoted by the order of Dominican preachers, who dedicated a chapel to her devotion in each of their convents. In Mexico it was not the 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 temple in Puebla, which is also dedicated to the archangel San Miguel, however the chapel of the Rosario was conceived until 1650 and consecrated in 1690.

This type of construction is a reflection of the economic scope of the church in those years and the ambition and sumptuousness with which its temples were planned and erected.

The plant is arranged in the shape of a Latin cross, with short arms and head. The nave is divided into three sections and its vault is barrel-shaped with lunettes in the same way as the arms of the transept, it has a narrow dome with a drum and on this some windows and on the other half, whose purpose is to illuminate the sumptuous cypress just below.

The interior of the chapel is majestic, where the architectural structures have been covered in every corner that is observed with golden stucco reliefs, in order to exalt the religious feeling.