Church of San Francisco Acatepec Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Church of San Francisco Acatepec
The church's exterior in 2013
Location
Location in Mexico

The Church of San Francisco Acatepec is a beautiful old church in Mexico. It's famous for its amazing front, called a facade. This facade is covered in colorful tiles called Talavera mosaics and red bricks. It's a great example of Mexican Baroque architecture.

You can find this church in the town of San Francisco Acatepec. This town is in San Andrés Cholula, near the city of Puebla, Mexico. It was one of the first churches built in this area. Construction started in the mid-1500s and finished in 1760. The special tiles on the front were added between 1650 and 1750.

History of the Church
What the Church Looks Like
Gallery
See also

History of the Church

Plans for building this church began in the 1500s. A group called the Franciscans started a small religious community here. In 1560, they began building a church on this spot. However, the church you see today was mostly built later. Most of its construction happened in the late 1600s and 1700s.

Many churches in Puebla built around this time look similar. They often have colorful Talavera tiles and red bricks on their fronts. The special ceramic tiles on this church were made by hand. This happened between 1650 and 1750. During this time, Talavera pottery became very popular for decorating buildings in the region.

In 1946, a famous movie director named Emilio Fernández chose this church for a film. The movie was called Enamorada. It starred well-known actors María Félix and Pedro Armendáriz.

What the Church Looks Like

The Atrium

Portico of the church to enter the atrium

The atrium is a large open space in front of the church. It's shaped like an octagon and has three ways to enter. The main entrance has a special arch from the 1600s.

This atrium was built even before the current church. It wasn't just for looks. It was also used as an outdoor chapel. People also used it as a sacred cemetery. Many burials took place here in the 1600s and 1700s. You can still see some old tombs today. The oldest one dates back to 1887.

Church Layout

The church has a layout shaped like a Latin cross. This means it has a long main part and shorter arms on the sides. The front part has the choir area. The back part has the main altar.

The sacristy, where priests prepare, is on the south side. The ceiling of the church is a barrel vault. This means it's shaped like half a barrel. The dome, a round roof, is also semicircular.

The Facade

Decorative columns on the church's facade

The front of the church, called the facade, was finished in the late 1700s. It has special decorative columns. What makes it stand out are the colorful Baroque decorations. These are covered with Talavera azulejos, which are ceramic tiles. These tiles were made especially for this church.

The colors of the tiles have meaning. The white and blue represent the Virgin Mary. The green and yellow represent Saint Joseph. The facade has two main sections and a fancy top part. It has torch-shaped decorations on the bell-gable and tower. These look like fancy pastry decorations. One expert, Manuel Toussaint, said it looks like a "porcelain church."

The facade also has small, decorated columns covered in tiles. The church's only tower has twisted columns, also covered in tiles. Another expert, José Moreno Villa, said the tile work here is amazing. He called the church "a great ceramic toy." He felt it was like something from a dream, full of color and brightness.

The facade is unique because it doesn't follow all traditional rules. It has a star-shaped window and special molded edges. These designs are typical of the late 1700s Baroque style.

The Tower

Bell tower of the church.

Manuel Toussaint also noted that the tower is covered in maiolica tiles. Like the facade, it follows Baroque design rules. It has very striking decorations. The church also has an extra bell tower on the right side. This tower is decorated with red bricks and colorful tiles.

Inside the Church

Interior of the Church of San Francisco Acatepec

The inside of the church is richly decorated. It has many golden moldings and colorful figures. The special stones at the top of the arches are very interesting.

Like the front, the inside has Baroque elements. The main altar has a beautiful golden altarpiece. Some parts of the interior remind people of the Chapel del Rosario in Puebla. However, this church's style is more "popular." Unlike the Church of Santa María Tonantzintla, this church doesn't have as many indigenous symbols inside.

The golden decorations are a key feature inside. The choir area, for example, has lots of bright colors. One expert, Ciancas, mentioned the "naïve and popular" look of the many little angels. These angels are found on the twisted columns of the altars. These decorations were renewed after a fire inside the church.

Pulpit inside the church

A special part of the church is the plaster work. It shows the Incarnation (when God became human) and the birth of Jesus. It also includes symbols of the Holy Trinity and a bright sun. The ceiling above the main area shows the Holy Family. Other plaster images inside include angels, cherubs, and children. There are also three golden altarpieces on the walls.

The saints on the altarpiece are carved from wood. They are painted with a special technique called estofado. The Pulpit is also very noticeable. It has a unique shape and colorful decorations.

On the side arches, you can see scenes from the Gospels. These show symbols of the four evangelists: Saint Matthew with an angel, Saint Mark with a lion, Saint Luke with a bull, and Saint John with an eagle. The church's stained glass window shows Saint Francis of Assisi. He is the main saint the church is dedicated to.