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The Colorful Retablos of Yucatán

Miracle at Maxcanú

Looking down from his niche in the center of the restored retablo mayor, the Archangel Michael - patron saint of the church - must marvel at the changes recently wrought at Maxcanú.

Founded by the Franciscans in this former stronghold of the Canul Maya, southwest of Mérida, the modest 16th century mission church at Maxcanú was rebuilt in grand style in the early 1700s. Although certainly an impressive building with its dramatic facade profile, capacious nave and deep side bays, by the late 1900s, owing to vandalism and long years of neglect this historic structure had seriously deteriorated, with cracked walls and leaking vaults. Its interior furnishings, notably the superb colonial retablos were filthy and at the point of collapse because of rot and insect damage.

In this desperate situation, between 1999 and 2001 long overdue stabilization and repair of the church fabric went forward, undertaken by the Centro de Restauración: INAH Yucatan, under the direction of Fernando Garcés Fierros. When this work was completed, attention turned to the works of art inside the church, especially the altarpieces.

On September 29, 2003 - the feast day of St. Michael - work began, this time under the aegis of the active Yucatan branch of Adopte una obra de arte.

Now, after 250 years these exquisite baroque altarpieces have been restored to their original glory.

 

The Retablo Mayor

Restoration of the magnificent main altarpiece was a daunting task. This enormous 18th century Churrigueresque style retablo rises in four tiers to fill the lofty apse, each tier divided by estipite pilasters encrusted, like all the intervening spaces, with dense filigree ornament.

The retablo was first stripped of its maroon overpainting and its original gilding restored. Then the floral relief decoration which covers the altarpiece - a signature feature of many Yucatan retablos - was repaired and regilded.

Statuary fills most of the niches except for a rare, early colonial painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

see before restoration

 

The Side Altarpieces

The finely crafted lateral altars at Maxcanu illustrate the various stages of the Mexican baroque in Yucatan. As with the main retablo, both side altars display the lacy floral relief decoration common to many 18th century Yucatecan altarpieces.

< The 18th century retablo on the south side, originally dedicated to St. Judas Thaddeus, now housing an ebullient statue of St. Michael,was in the greatest need of attention and the first to be tackled.

Its structure was strengthened and rotted sections replaced with new, decay resistant red cedar, and the classic Yucatecan colors of red, blue and gold recreated. The retablo features the spiral columns of the Solomonic style, although the fluted neoclassical columns in the lower part may be a 19th century addition.

These frame four large paintings, executed in an colorful folk style, which have also recently restored.

see before restoration

 


 

The altarpiece on the north side is dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe, framed in the Mexican Churrigueresque style with estípite pilasters and dripping with lambrequins.

The original red,blue and gold ornament, formerly almost erased, gleams once more.

The Virgin occupies the center niche, with San Roque standing in the upper curtained niche.

The four painted panels follow the style of the south retablo, although rather more static in composition. >

see before restoration

 

Two other altarpieces along the nave (not shown), dedicated to St. Lawrence and The Three Kings respectively, have also been restored under the sponsorship of Adopte una obra de arte , as well as several colonial paintings and sculptures in the church.

 

 

Another restored folk treasure in the church is the unusual 18th century pulpit.

The vase-like body of the pulpit, prominently ringed by moldings, bears portraits of the Four Evangelists in ornate baroque frames.

On the base, outsize reliefs of the Evangelists' symbols emerge from sculpted clouds.

see before restoration