The complex stands in front of a simple square that houses a stone atrial cross carved with symbols of the Passion of Christ.
The complex stands in front of a simple square that houses a stone atrial cross carved with symbols of the Passion of Christ. The church stands out with its beautiful façade, considered the most important work of the Churrigueresque in Mexico. Its construction began in 1670 and was completed in the first half of the 18th century, although in 1760 the tower, the façade and the interior altarpieces were modernized.
The façade is dedicated to Saint Francis Xavier, whose image presides over a group of sculptures of Jesuit saints, in the midst of a profuse ornamentation –in which the use of the stipe column stands out– that extends towards the two bodies of the tower. Upon entering the College, you can first visit the old cloister called “de los Aljibes”, which is a closed cloister; then the enclosure where the old kitchens and the “Cloister of the Naranjos” were located.
The interior of the church, which is accessed from the Cloister of the Aljibes, has five extraordinary Churrigueresque altarpieces, the main one dedicated to San Francisco Javier. There are also two beautiful paintings by Miguel Cabrera, and under the choir is the Chapel of the Virgin of Loreto, a splendid work in which decorative elements such as mortar and tile are combined.
Visit: Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
In Tepotzotlán, 45 km north of Mexico City along the Peripheral Ring.
Source: Arturo Cháirez file. Unknown Mexico Guide No. 71 State of Mexico / July 2001
