Exploring Colonial Mexico ©
Exploring Colonial Mexico ©
Hidden Gems of Oaxaca
Santiago Zoochila "Slippery Sands" Located about 30 kms east of Calpulalpan in the Sierra de Juarez, at the end of a scenic but twisting mountain road subject to subsidence, rock falls and washouts, this remote and aptly named Zapotec village occupies a precipitous hillside site commanding spectacular, forested mountain vistas.
The church front is typically Oaxacan: whitewashed and minimally adorned with a folk baroque gable set between red domed towers. Inside, the broad nave is covered by a pitched, dark wooden roof with carved and painted crossbeams and translucent ceiling panels that provide the only illumination.
A spectacular carved and painted triumphal arch frames the magnificent main altarpiece, an exceptional work of art to find in such a distant hill village. Bordered by an extravagantly flared outer shell lined with oval cartouches and lateral niches, the retablo appears to be in good condition. Brightly gilded columns, intricately carved with spiralling vines, articulate the structure which retains a full complement of colonial paintings and statuary. Angels in the form of graceful caryatids flank the ornate center niche.
The vault of the apse is decorated with a equally superb late colonial mural, depicting the stoning of St. Stephen and the Conversion of Paul on the road to Damascus.
At least six other retablos line the nave. Also mostly gilded, they range from simple to complex in a variety of styles: some classically Oaxacan with twisted, foliated columns, and at least one ornate Churrigueresque example with elaborate estípites. Another retablo showcases a dramatic painting of The Virgin of Mercy with Souls in Purgatory, surrounded by flying putti. The church also boasts a fine painted wooden pulpit.
Zoochila, church front
Zoochila, nave
Zoochila, main retablo and sanctuary arch
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