Exploring Colonial Mexico©
Exploring Colonial Mexico©
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As with its neighbors, Salamanca and Celaya, the heart of the city of Irapuato boasts a wide variety of historic buildings of the Spanish colonial era, an unexpected reward for the traveler willing to penetrate beyond the city's unprepossessing outskirts.
The most colorful of these colonial buildings is the 18th century church of San José, conspicuous for its ornate facade, currently painted dark red and sculpted in popular "Mexican Churrigueresque" style.
Capped by a high lobed gable, the soaring church front is divided by elaborate estípite pilasters into tiers of ornamental canopied niches containing baroque statues.
Of special interest among the statuary is the Calvary tableau in the upper facade, which features Christ on the cross wearing a loincloth with a flared bow. The crucifix is flanked by the mourning figures of the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist and surmounted by an alfiz style curtained canopy. John the Baptist stands above the scene at the apex of the gable, also framed by an elaborate colonnaded niche. A satisfying marriage of popular Mexican late baroque architecture and sculpture.
photographs © Niccoló Brooker
