San Gabriel Cholula

Here we see the religious center of the city of Cholula, featuring the holy church (santa iglesia, in Spanish), chapel, and large atrium with three entrances. The church is elaborate with its two principal towers, one featuring a bell and the other with three turrets. To one side, and lower down, we see another bell incorporated into a façade. The “cabila” (capilla, chapel) has two bell towers of its own. One of these bell towers appears to have a sundial. Additionally, the chapel has five arches that appear to be open, suggesting the “open chapel,” which was an American innovation for the Catholic church in the colonies, responding as it did to indigenous outdoor ceremonialism. People could gather in the atrium and the clergy could address them from the open chapel. Additional open archways appear on the other side of the main church. The atrium appears to have two levels, with steps between them. The outer edge of the atrium has cut-stone or adobe brick walls. The entrances to the atrium are marked off with a special architectural feature. The main church has a circular window frame, but the window itself is square, so might not be a rose window. Crosses adorn the highest points of the main church and several of the towers. [SW]