The Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán in Oaxaca
Santo Domingo de Guzman Church
Located next to the Santo Domingo Ex-Convent and Cultural Center in the City of Oaxaca, Mexico, is the spectacular Santo Domingo de Guzmán Church.
The exterior faces a large esplanade planted with row upon row of an unusual desert succulents, around and through which area run wide walkways. It is located on the corner of Alcalá and Cinco de Mayo Streets in Oaxaca City.
Seat of the Dominican Order in Oaxaca since the 16th century, the Temple and ex-convent of Santo Domingo form a stately and imposing complex of amazing beauty and interest.
Church interior
Walking into the Church, one is struck in awe by a dazzling display of baroque ornamentation, gilded plaster, towering columns and intricate paintings and reliefs on every side. Above, the ceilings are a wonderful, tangled tree of saints and miscellaneous personages.
The Chapel of the Rosary, dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary is another astounding exhibit of elaborate, resplendent decor. Completed in 1731 after about 7 years of construction, its gilded plaster, shining columns and arches, paintings, mouldings and embellishments seem to carry on a constant dance of divine movement.
The Temple is open to the public daily for services.
Visit the Ex-Convent of Santo Domingo, now the home of the Oaxaca Regional Museum and Santo Domingo Cultural Center.
- Local Religion in Colonial Mexico (Dialogos)
- A Flock Divided: Race, Religion, and Politics in Mexico, 1749–1857
Originally posted 2009-08-14 14:56:19.
