Santiago Teotongo, a small church, on the Route of the Dominicans

After lunch in Tamazulapa, our caravan took a country road north to a much smaller village: Santiago Teotongo.

 

The open courtyard and façade of the church of

Santiago Teotongo.

 

Looking at it from outside, Santiago Teotongo is austere as Tamazulapan is regal. But recently, the Church has been subject to a major overhaul in its interior. Estela and I had the opportunity to talk face-to-face with carpenters, as well as a series of artisans applying gold leaf to the restored wooden retablos or altarpieces. 

The iron cross of the atrium in

Santiago Teotongo

The façade of Santiago Teotongo is

discrete and austere in comparison

to its interior.

 

As in the case of many missionary towns in la

Nueva España, the mission is disproportionately

 larger than the town. As you can see, the town

here is very small in comparison with the

church. 

 

In the past, the buildings around the church were

part of a Dominican religious community.

 

The mayor of Teotongo, in repre-

sentation of his community, invites

us to enter into the Church.