Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 19:40, 18 August 2012
The Church of Santa Prisca is a New Spaincolonial monument is located in the city of Taxco de Alarcón, in the northern state of Guerrero, Mexico. This is a building built in the 1750s (more precisely, between 1751 and 1758), dedicated to the Catholic religion in that population whose main activity was -and remains- mining Plate.
The construction was ordered by the Catalan miner José de la Borda, one of the most prosperous of the region of Taxco in the 18th century. Although he had come to Taxco only about thirty-five years before the construction of the church of Santa Prisca, José de la Borda was one of the most important of the mineral, which is why the Archbishop of Mexico allowed the parish to build his full taste.
From 1758 to 1806, the temple was the tallest building in Mexico, but was surpassed by the Church of Our Lady of Carmen.
Construction
The construction of the church of Santa Prisca in Taxco lasted 15 years and was aimed at creating a space where the priest Manuel de la Borda, —son of José de la Borda, benefactor and founder of the parish— could officiate mass. The architectural design was provided by the French architect Diego Durán, and the Spanish Cayetano Sigüenza. The altars are work also of the Spanish Isidro Vicente and Luis de Balbás. In the place it say, including tour guides, that the temple was built in seven years. This is just a quaint legend, although that is yet to find the time and techniques used in its construction.
Description
The parish is located in a small ravine to the rest of the city of Taxco. It has a Latin cross plan, with an aisle chapel which serves as the altar of the Souls. It has Churrigueresque twin towers and a chapel decorated with Talavera tiles, typical of New Spanish architecture.
Santa Prisca has nine altars, worked in wood and covered with gold leaf. The style of the altar is one with the architectural, ie it is a sample of New Spanish Baroque mid-18th century. The altarpiece is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception as the patron saints of the city of Taxco: Santa Prisca and San Sebastian. In the chapels of the transept of the church is located two other important altarpieces, one dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe and the other to the Virgin of Rosary.
The focus of the construction are: the patron Santa Prisca, San Sebastian, the evangelists, the shells (symbolizing the baptism of Jesus), bay leaves (symbolizing the triumph of faith) and grapes, which represent the blood of Christ. Inside are paintings by Miguel Cabrera, called "the divine" Oaxacan painter born in the 17th century, José de la Borda who commissioned the paintings that decorate the building.
Appearance of Santa Prisca in Taxco
The story happened in 1751, the same year it was started the construction of the parish. One evening when José de la Borda was absent in Taxco because had moved for business to the city of Guanajuato, a storm broke loose. Then some thunder fell on what was ahead of the work. The craftsmen and masons who worked on the temple knelt to pray. Suddenly, Santa Prisca was seen in the heights, holding his hands to prevent lightning causing injury to people that was in place. Then gradually disappeared. A painting in the temple recalls the legend.
See Also
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