Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza is the official name of the relaxing Mexican city that everyone knows simply as Puebla. Just an hour and a half by car from the country's capital, its definitive claim is a much less frenetic atmosphere and, above all, less pronounced crime. In fact, the city appears to tourists as a safe place where you don't have to constantly look over your shoulder to see who the suspect is who is getting too close.
In addition to the issue of security – nothing trivial when it comes to Mexico – you have to go to Puebla if only to stand in awe of the sea of gold in the Rosario chapel, in the church of Santo Domingo. It is a space built in the New Spain baroque style between the years 1650 and 1690. It took four decades because it is a delirium of decoration.
To begin with, the swell of the ceilings and walls is covered in gold leaf between 21 and 24 carats. The sensation of being immersed in the precious metal is absolute. But it is not the only originality of that chapel: there is an image in the choir representing God the Father – he is known for having his hands open –, something very unusual in Catholic churches. He is surrounded by an orchestra of little angels with the features of indigenous children.
Experts say that, in addition to the purity of the gold used in the coating, the chapel has not stopped shining in its more than three centuries of existence because it was mixed with copper and because the techniques used to fix it prevent it from blackening. Honey, egg white, milk, and aloe and cactus juices were used.
The waves that form on the walls and ceiling of the chapel are not the visitor's imagination, but rather refer to the fact that the Virgin of the Rosary is the patron saint of sailors. In fact, you can admire decorative motifs that refer to the oceanic world, such as dolphins, mermaids (even if they are a blasphemy), shells or fish. Apparently, the Virgin of the Rosary appeared on the waters during the battle of Lepanto in which Christians and Muslims fought. Miguel de Cervantes was there, although he made no reference to having seen the miracle, perhaps occupied with the gunshot wound that would leave his left hand useless.
Upon seeing it recently completed, the monk Diego de Gorozpe described it as the eighth wonder of the world, and for decades it was called the House of Gold in Puebla, until they realized that they were putting the vile metal ahead of its religious function and the nickname fell. in disuse. In 1987, UNESCO declared this chapel a world heritage site, and Pope John Paul II, when he visited it, called it “the reliquary of America.”
Even though it takes center stage, the Rosario chapel is only part of the also overwhelming church of Santo Domingo, beautiful on the outside with its scarlet and white colors decorating the facades and bell towers. But the baroque spectacle is multiplied by a thousand when entering the interior. The temple is on Avenida 5 de Mayo, just two blocks from the Zócalo of Puebla, the epicenter of the city's life. Puebla is located 135 kilometers southeast of Mexico City.
