from the Historic Center of the City of Oaxaca
Colonial iconography
Author: Sergio Vicente García Aguilar
Among the most representative elements of religious architecture in Oaxaca are the altarpieces and stone reliefs on the facades of Catholic churches erected from the 16th century onward. Much has been theorized about the reasons for the profuse ornamentation of these buildings. It is presumed that the striking character of the stone facades and the carved and assembled wooden altarpieces stemmed from the need to provide a distinguished setting befitting the splendor and grandeur of the religious ceremonies practiced after the conquest; this was a way to attract the indigenous population, who, accustomed to the representations and rituals of their former religion, were not to underestimate the importance of the imposed cult.
Colonial iconography
Among the most representative elements of religious architecture in Oaxaca are the altarpieces and stone reliefs on the facades of Catholic churches erected from the 16th century onward. Much has been theorized about the reasons for the profuse ornamentation of these buildings. It is presumed that the striking character of the stone facades and the carved and assembled wooden altarpieces stemmed from the need to provide a distinguished setting befitting the splendor and grandeur of the religious ceremonies practiced after the conquest; this was a way to attract the indigenous population, who, accustomed to the representations and rituals of their former religion, were not to underestimate the importance of the imposed cult.
Colonial iconography
Among the most representative elements of religious architecture in Oaxaca are the altarpieces and stone reliefs on the facades of Catholic churches erected from the 16th century onward. Much has been theorized about the reasons for the profuse ornamentation of these buildings. It is presumed that the striking character of the stone facades and the carved and assembled wooden altarpieces stemmed from the need to provide a distinguished setting befitting the splendor and grandeur of the religious ceremonies practiced after the conquest; this was a way to attract the indigenous population, who, accustomed to the representations and rituals of their former religion, were not to underestimate the importance of the imposed cult.
Colonial iconography
Among the most representative elements of religious architecture in Oaxaca are the altarpieces and stone reliefs on the facades of Catholic churches erected from the 16th century onward. Much has been theorized about the reasons for the profuse ornamentation of these buildings. It is presumed that the striking character of the stone facades and the carved and assembled wooden altarpieces stemmed from the need to provide a distinguished setting befitting the splendor and grandeur of the religious ceremonies practiced after the conquest; this was a way to attract the indigenous population, who, accustomed to the representations and rituals of their former religion, were not to underestimate the importance of the imposed cult.
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