Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, Cholula
The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (Curch of Our Lady of Remedies) Is a Mexican church that was built on Quetzalcoatl´s pyramid in Cholula, Puebla. The Basilica was constructed with brada stone and decorated with "laminilla" of gold of 24 kilates.In the inside It has an altar based in the neoclassic style, I´ts construction began in May, 1574 and ended in August, 1575, being Blessed on March 25, 1629. This archeological structure is shaped by several pyramids superposed for 6 centuries.
History
No name more graphical than " The Remedies " to explain the history of this Sanctuary. The defeat suffered by Hernán Cortés, in the battle of "the Sad Night", put in hurried escape of the survivors up to the They suffered the loss of notable hostages such as some children of Moctezuma.
The conquerors became strong in the Indian temples until they could go out of Otumba. The legend tells that one of the soldiers of Cortez, Gonzalo Rodriguez de Villafuerte, was bringing one of these little images, also call castrenses, which were jabbering on to the touches of the horse, and he hid it between the aloes in o rden ton produce a vote of gratefulness.
The leyend tells that during the battle, a sweet little girl was throwing dirt to the eyes of the attacking aborigens favoring the Castilian victory.
Archeological Structure
The Spanish noticed the existence on that mound, that the aim to finish with a work of so many centuries was superior to them that they decided to build the church in the year of 1594.
On top of the Tlachihualtepetl (Gran pyramid) is located the Church of Our Lady of Remedies, whose worship is associate - like its predecessors prehispanic - with the propitiation of the rain.<references>Audio:[1] “El Tlachihualtépetl, el cerro de la Virgen”, periodicodigital.com, 19 june, 2008
This archeological structure is shaped by several pyramids superposed for 6 centuries; in a basement of 450 meters in each side and 65 meters of high place; twice major that that of Teotihuacan's Sun, and 4 times bigger in volume than that of Keops in Egypt.<references>Audio: [2] by Moya-Sanchez, Alicia “Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios en Cholula", flickr.com, 2009
In the early 30´s the knowledge about the Great Pyramid was scarce, so it was decided to undertake exploration. The Work began in 1931 under the direction of the architect Ignacio Marquina. After 25 years of exploration, eight kilometres of tunnels where perforated, which facilitated the discovery of the seven superposed pyramids. (In the second one the mural of the butterflies was discover and in an attached building they found the mural of the Drinkers, with more hundred anthropomorphous figures that escenifican a ceremony in honor to Octli, the god of "pulque".)
Decoration
The Basilica was constructed with brada stone and decorated with "laminilla" of gold of 24 kilates.
In the inside It has an altar based in the neoclassic style, as the rest of its decoration.
In 1595, the painter Alfonso de Villasana elaborated the pictures that are located in the walls of the Basilica where the history describes of laVirgende the Remedies, being in 1628 when the Ayuntamientode ended to add to the temple the cruise, the vaults and the dome.
Image of Our lady of Remedies
The image that shelters this Sanctuary has 27 cm of height and is carved and stewed. It will generate to the first processions of the city of Mexico going out with great pomp of the church of the Holy Veracruz and ending in Naucalpan's temple, without there were absent religious, political, civil, military and cultural groups. There was no balcony that was not producing any atribution to the the Virgin of the Remedies.
The image of Or Lady of the Remedies arrived to Mexican lands in 1519 with Juan Rodríguez de Villafuerte, who brought it from Vasconia, Spain, as protector for his trip of conquest. It was in Veracruz where he presided at the first mass that was done in Mexico, on April 21 de1519. The same year, for Hernán Cortés's mandate, was venerated by the conquerors in the "Templo Mayor" of the Great Tenochtitlan.
In 1520, when the Spanish commanded by Hernán Cortés are defeated by the Aztecs, they go out fleeing and in his(her,your) stran away by Naucalpan, the captain Juan Rodríguez de Villafuerte concealed the image of Our Lady of the Remedies in the highest part of Otocampulco's hill. Twenty years later, the Indigenous found her under an aloe and from this moment the virgin was venerated in the house of the chief of San JuanTotoltepec. Until a hermitage reconstructed the the Image, the name of Our Lady of the Remedies was change to Our Lady of Victory (alternative name to "Remedies").<references>Audio:[ http://www.basilicaremedios.parroquia.org/HISTORIA.php] “A Little of our Story”, basilicaremedios.
Symbolism
Since 1594, it is dedicated to our Lady of Remedies, which symbolize the Christianization of indigenous by Spaniards. It is dedicated since 1594 to the Or Lady of Remedies, who symbolizes the Christianization of the indigenous people by the Spanish.
From its porch you can appreciate a spectacular sight of the four cardinal points, especially of the Valley of Puebla, that is towards the east.<references>Audio: [3] by Nieva López, Jorge. “Iglesia de los Remedios y Volcán Popocatepetl, Cholula Puebla”, pa-puebla.com, 2009
See Also