Built upon the bones of the Templo Mayor the Metropolitan Cathedral sprawls out in baroque splendor. It is a wondrous complex of buildings, unmistakably the Church of Rome, yet a distinct synthesis of western aesthetic values and the indigenous spirit. This magnificent structure is adjacent to what remains of the great Aztec temple.
The Templo Mayor complex is a strange sight, a raw brutal testament to what was, it remains defiant against these new usurping gods.
I was thrilled by it all, the old and the new gods.
Art by Roberto Cueva Del Rio
I’m not going to be able to identify all that I post, I simply could not keep up with the wealth that was offered- you must go and experience the richness for yourself.
The museum sits in the shadow of the cathedral, please note this is the least magnificent aspect of the facade, just its side profile. Stunning and exhilerating architecture, clearly formally orchestrated yet organic.
Exterior remains popping up amidst Colonial order.
Skull rack- too pooped to look up the proper name-sorry for that.
The interior collection follows:
Eagle Offering Vessel-Cuauhxicalli
the fearsome Xipe Totec
a delightf ul Bat God, over life size, as is the Xipe above.
The following are Temple figures found in the ruins, a little under life size. I find them particularly intriguing, on par with Archaic Greek sculpture.
If the above figures were monumental, this crumbling fellow was small and portable yet still conveying power. The following few are all roughly fist sized.
I love this guy.
He was a little over a foot if I remember correctly.
If one sought rain, the Templo Mayor offered a plethora of Tlaloc and Chac idols.
As I began with a black Old God, I will conclude with a New God, also black, also beautiful.
This Christ greets you as you enter the Metropolitan Cathedral. His painful wounds gush with crimson brocade ribbons. It is a wonderful spectacle. I love the fan at his waist.
That is it for now, have a lovely weekend.
Be well,
Lg
