See Monastery of Santiago Apostol, Ocuituco, Mexico (UNESCO site)

Add to My List Check Off

The monastery of Santiago Apostolin Ocuituco dates from 1534 and is the first Augutinian monastery on the American mainland, with Fray Juan de Zumarraga celebrating its first mass in 1534. It not only served as an evangelization center, but as a training center for monks. The monastery has a vault in the lower floor of the cloister which used browns, whites and greens in its figures. The chapel for pilgrims is closed, unlike the other monasteries, but the rest of the complex is open to visitors. There were some modifications to the buildings since it was built but one well-preserved element is its 16th century stone fountain, the oldest of all the monasteries of the World Heritage Site. This fountain is a replica of one found in the Alhambra in Cordoba. It features six sandstone lions facing the center, which were sculpted by indigenous craftsmen. There is another fountain, located on the outside of the cloister that used to be known as the Fountain of the Mermaids (Fuente de las Sirenas), but it has badly deteriorated. Both provided water to the community, which flowed to them from Popocatepetl.

Write a Review

No Ratings Yet

Flag as inappropriate ›