Religious architecture that mesmerizes
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Puebla is known for the beauty of its churches and Chignahuapan is not far behind.
When visiting, you should take the time to visit the Parish of Santiago Apostle, in the main square; the Basílica de la Inmaculada Concepción—which has the tallest wooden sculpture in Latin America, and the Santuario del Honguito, unique in its kind..
Parish of Santiago Apóstol
◖ Right in the city square, in the Plaza de la Constitución, stands this parish church with white walls and bright yellow borders; it was founded in the XVI century, although its mortar façade was designed and retouched between 1752 and 1822.
The most striking feature is its front, richly decorated in an indigenous baroque style, with its bright colors and rustic lines.
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◖ The observer will find dark-skinned cherubs with peculiar expressions and arms out of proportion to the rest of the body; this should not be attributed to a lack of expertise of the artisans who made them, but rather to an explicit rebellion against the aesthetic canons of the Spaniards.
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In fact, among the Christian imagery, we can find Tlaloc. Scholars consider that the gutters are in the shape of a snake in honor of Quetzalcoatl.
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◖ At the top, crowning the façade, lies a high relief of Santiago Apostle, in mid-motion, on his horse and with his sword unsheathed, as if the saint had lived in the Middle Ages.
Another essential detail of this parish is the monumental clock in the tower on the right side; the first professional clock that the famous Centenario de Zacatlán factory elaborated, which in 2019 celebrated its first centenary.
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Inside the church stands out on a neoclassical altar, the Virgin of the Assumption, with two rich baroque altarpieces on both sides, devoted to the Sagrado Corazón and the Inmaculada Concepción.
Plaza de La Constitución s/n,
Downtown, 73300
Basilical of Inmaculada Concepción
◖ Also located in the city center, its somber façade of volcanic stones can mislead more than one, because inside it houses a marvel: a colossal figure of the Inmaculada Concepción, 14 meters high, carved in red cedar wood by the artist José Luis Silva.
In fact, this sculpture is the tallest indoor sculpture in Latin America and in it we observe the Virgin Mary, with child Jesus in her arms, defeating the devil as she places her feet in the world. Truly a prodigy.
The temple was inaugurated in 1972 and was promoted to minor basilica in 1999. The sculpture also obtained the canonical coronation.
Ildefonso Illesacas,
Downtown
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Santuario del Honguito
◖ The legend tells that in 1880 a peasant—while looking for something to eat—discovered the image of Jesus Christ crucified in a mushroom, so a temple was built there with the petrified mushroom, dedicated to the Señor del Honguito, as the locals call him.
Historians explain that this worship has its roots in an important lost tradition among the local inhabitants: the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms, which the evangelizing friars took advantage of to gain more parishioners and build their temple.
◖ Nowadays, the petrified mushroom is located in the middle of a cross inside the sanctuary and in it can be observed, through a magnifying glass. In addition to the crucified Christ, the sun, the moon, the stars, a skull and even the acronym of Santo, “Sto,” can be seen. Incredible.
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Finally, every May 3rd masses and balls are held in honor of the deity.
Santuario del Honguito,
Nigromante,
Tenextla
