ART & CULTURE

Santa María de Cuevas

Policromías de antaño.

ART & CULTURE

he territorial occupation in the north of New Spain unleashed struggles and confrontations of all kinds. It was a complex historical process that resorted to military force, government institutions, political pacts, religious conversion, and new forms of production. Gradually and with difficulties, mining, cattle raising, and agriculture were imposed as the main economic activities. The conversion to Catholicism was also an essential part of Spanish rule. The Christianization of thousands of natives was a challenging task to achieve. It was then that the Spanish Crown supported the missionary work of the Franciscans and Jesuits. Founding mission towns with their temple in the heart of the community implied concentrating the natives as a necessary act to advance in their evangelization, the teaching of Spanish, and the demanded trades (carpentry, construction, blacksmithing, stonemasonry, among others). Santa María de Cuevas was founded in 1678 as a mission town. Its temple -of the same name- has played a fundamental role in community life since those years.

THowever, in its interior, unlike most of the temples of that time, there are still original polychrome paintings, some of them on boards assembled to the load-bearing beams of the roof. Visiting this ancient temple is a beautiful experience of encountering Novo Hispanic art and history itself. The walls and ceiling synthesize the pictorial narrative associated with the Assumption of the Holy Virgin without undermining the excellent works of Antonio de Torres and Juan Rodríguez Juárez. And if in the construction of the temple and elaboration of the mural painting had a very outstanding role the priest, Luis Mancuso, back in the years of 1700, today the team of Misiones Coloniales A.C. directed by Karla Muñoz deserves all the recognition for its work aimed at the restoration and conservation of the enclosure of the choir and its mural painting. Carrying out this intervention with respect for the cultural and artistic heritage has meant nearly 20 years of research and community work. The temple of Santa María de Cuevas is a commendable example of good practices, of knowing how to articulate theories and methods with intervention actions based on scientific findings from the use of cutting-edge technologies.

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a ocupación territorial en el norte de la Nueva España desató pugnas y enfrentamientos de todo tipo. Fue un proceso histórico complejo que recurrió a la fuerza militar, a las instituciones de gobierno, pactos políticos, la conversión religiosa y las nuevas formas productivas. Progresivamente y no sin dificultades, se fueron imponiendo la minería, la ganadería y la agricultura como las actividades económicas principales.

Parte esencial del dominio español fue también la conversión al catolicismo. La cristianización de miles de nativos resultaba una tarea muy difícil de lograr. Fue entonces que la Corona Española respaldó la tarea misional de franciscanos y jesuitas. Fundar pueblos de misión con su templo en el corazón comunitario implicaba concentrar a los indígenas como acto necesario para avanzar en su evangelización, la enseñanza del castellano y los oficios que se demandaban (carpintería, construcción, herrería, canteros, entre otros).

Santa María de Cuevas fue fundada en 1678 como pueblo de misión, y su templo -del mismo nombre-, desde aquellos años ha jugado un papel fundamental en la vida comunitaria.

By: Jorge Carrera Robles Photo: Jorge Carrera Robles Santa María de Cuevas

However, in its interior, unlike most of the temples of that time, there are still original polychrome paintings, some of them on boards assembled to the load-bearing beams of the roof.

Visiting this ancient temple is a beautiful experience of encountering Novo Hispanic art and history itself. The walls and ceiling synthesize the pictorial narrative associated with the Assumption of the Holy Virgin without undermining the excellent works of Antonio de Torres and Juan Rodríguez Juárez.

And if in the construction of the temple and elaboration of the mural painting had a very outstanding role the priest, Luis Mancuso, back in the years of 1700, today the team of Misiones Coloniales A.C. directed by Karla Muñoz deserves all the recognition for its work aimed at the restoration and conservation of the enclosure of the choir and its mural painting.

Carrying out this intervention with respect for the cultural and artistic heritage has meant nearly 20 years of research and community work. The temple of Santa María de Cuevas is a commendable example of good practices, of knowing how to articulate theories and methods with intervention actions based on scientific findings from the use of cutting-edge technologies.