(Editor's Note: What's your definition of "famed?" Writer: If even I have heard of that person before!)
Interestingly, you start in the cloister, then head to the church. There is a 100-foot, 4,000-piece wood altar by the famous Jose Benito Churriguera, done in the late 1600 or early 1700s. The altar features an amazing monstrance.
(Editor's Note: Did you even know what a "monstrance" is before this trip? Writer: Nope. Are you going to stop interjecting after every paragraph?)
Rick Steves has a good line in his book:
"This is a textbook example of the intricately detailed Churriguereque style that influenced many South American mission buildings. Quietly ponder the dusty, gold-plated cottage cheese, and tourists shake their heads and say "too much" in their mother tongues."
So, staring at it, Carol and I had to mutter "too much" multiple times. The detail is stunning.
Next we went up the staircase, built without any interior support. Then we walked around the second level of the cloister, spotting several storks nesting in the dome and belfry above. Then we went into the church museum featuring a massive, centuries-old Bible. From there we went out on the balcony choir loft to once more, from a different angle, mutter "too much."
There's actually a lot of photos here because the church is so visually interesting:
The cloisters.
The monstrance.
"Too much."
This would be a cool door
to have in your house!
The "hat" is fascinating.
The unsupported staircase.
The cloister from above.
Quite the detailed painting in the choir loft.
Cherub holding up a, well, I'm
not sure what that's called.
No comments:
Post a Comment