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8/9/2019 Alessia Getty

1/15

At the Crossroads of Empire: Urban Form and Ritual Action in Colonial Yanhuitlan, Oaxaca,

MexicoAuthor(s): Alessia FrassaniReviewed work(s):Source: Getty Research Journal, No. 4 (2012), pp. 31-44Published by: J. Paul Getty TrustStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41413130.

Accessed: 07/08/2012 09:06

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2/15

At the Crossroads of

Empire:

Urban Form and Ritual Action

in

Colonial

Yanhuitlan, Oaxaca,

Mexico

Alessia rassani

Each

year

n

April

9,

during

solemn

eremony

nd

ong rocession

n

he

village

f

Santo

Domingo

anhuitlan

n

Oaxaca,

Mexico,

he

acred

mage

f crucified

hrist,

known

y

he ocal

ndigenous

ame f

Ayuxi,

r

Tatayuxi,

s

brought

rom he

hapel

of

El Calvario

n

thenorthern

tretches

f own o themain

hurch f anto

Domingo.

There,

he

mage

emainshe enter f

many

ifferent

eligious,

ivic,

nd

ocial ctivities

untilhe astweekend f

May fig.

).

Documentedince he ixteenth

entury,

he ele-

bration,

nown s the

Mayordomia

e

Ayuxi,irtually

nd

ritually

onnects

ignificant

places

withinhe

illage

oundaries. his

paper

ocuses n the ole hat

his

nd

other

local

ults

layed

n

haping

he rchitecturend

urban

esign

f

arly

olonial anhuit-

lan.Aswe shall

ee,

he

repeated

itual ctions nvolved

n

these eremonial

ctivities

contest

henotion hat anhuitlan's

haracteristic

ispanic

utlooks

merely

he

xpres-

sion f

Hispanicizedommunity.

Built etween

550

nd

580,

uring

he

eak

eriod

f

panish

missionary

xpan-

sion

n

Mesoamerica,

anto

Domingo

anhuitlan,

ith

ts hurch

nd

djoining

on-

vento

mission),

asoneof hemost

mportant

ominicanstablishmentsn he

egion

(figs.

,

3).1

Theresult f n alliance etween ominican

riars,

he ocal

encomendero

(Spanish onquistador

nd

ettler)

nd he

ndigenous

ixtee

uler,

hemission ecame

the enter f

ultural,

eligious,

nd

conomic ctivities

n

he

densely

opulated

alley

ofNochixtlan.his erved

o

strengthen

he

trategic

osition

f

Yanhuitlan

ithinhe

Mixtee

egion

nd he

panishmperial

ystem.2

he

mission's rchitecture

s,

n

fact,

the

xpression

f local

deology

hat

uccessfullyncorporatedpanish

ormsnto

Mixtee

ay

f ife.

Thefacade f heYanhuitlanhurch

s characterized

y

wo

arge nclosing

ow-

ers hat o not xceed he

height

f hemain

ody, ramingclassicizingortal

om-

posed

of

hree rchitecturalrders. imilar o other

ontemporary

stablishments

n

the

region,

uch s

Teposcolula,

oixtlahuca,

amazulapan,

nd

Achiutla,

t

diverges

from entralMexican acade

ypes.3

s

recognizedyGeorge

ubier,

ohn

cAndrew,

andManuel

oussaint,

hile hurchmissions

n

the

Basin

f

Mexico nd

present-day

states

f

Hidalgo,

orelos,

ndPuebla

ypicallyisplay

plain

acade ith

oorway

eco-

rations,

ateral

rojecting

uttresses,

nd

crenellations,

n

the

Mixteca,

classicizing

design

ominates.4

ar rom

eing

n

solated

xperimentation,

hisMixteennovations

Gettyesearchournalno. 2012):1-44 012 lessiarassani

31


3/15

Fig.

. El

Divinoeor

e

Ayuxi

on ross),

akenrom

l

Calvarion

$

April

010.

Photograph

y

uthor

Fig.

.The hurchnd onventof anto

omingo

anhuitlan,

005.

hotograph

y

uthor

32

GETTYESEARCH

OURNAL,

O.

2012)


4/15

'

'utVeca

ta

I

|4^^

>T^

*

_.--

'.

.CoixHaWxX

MXA

/

6^

^^Tnoaiafwn

J

>vTty|

*

>

/

MlfcTtGA

*T"

'

/ AcWj* V .'

N>^mj

'Titantei*^)

;

I y

J

'

J

MlxTlC*

***.

OL

A

'

COSTA

L

Fig.

.

Map

f

he

Mixteca.

rawing

y

Mara

amilascobar

lez

prototypical

f ater

esigns

hatwould ecome trademarkfOaxacan

eligious

rchi-

tecture

n

he

ollowing

enturies.5

The

lassicizing

rticulation

f

Mixtee

acades as

given

ise

o he

erm etablo-

f

cade ecause

f

ts

ormal

imilarities

ith he

multipaneled

ltarpiece

f

panish

nd

LatinAmerican

hurches.6

hemain

ltarpiece

n

he

hurchnterior

oes

not

merely

reflectn the

xterior;

he

arge

acades

stablish

n

orderingystem

hat xtends o

the

own

eyond.

Historical

nd

archaeological

vidence

learly

ndicates

hat he

constructionf hese

argemissionaryomplexes

ccurred

oncurrently

ith ther

important

ascent rban

evelopments. mong

hemostnoticeable

rchitectural

achievementsn

early

olonialMixtee

illages

re

royal alaces

hat ombined esi-

dential nd

political/diplomatic

unctions,

hus

ontinuing

he

ong

Mesoamerican

traditionf

oyal

rchitecture.7

The

oyal alace,

nown

n

Mixtee

s

anie,

omprised

everal

djoining

nd nter-

connecting

tructures

rganized

round nternal

ourts.

he

best-preserved

nd

best-

known nie

ntheMixteca

s found

n

Teposcolula

fig.

),

where t

s

usually

eferred

to

as

the asade a cacica

residence

f female

uler)

fter

oa

Catalina,

ho ecame

cacica

f

Teposcolula

n

1569.8

characteristicrieze fdisks

uns

eneath

he lat oof

of

he

uilding,

hich

requently

ppears

n

pictographic

ocuments

n

ssociation ith

FrassaniAt he rossroadsf

mpire

33


5/15

Fig.

.

The nien

Teposcolula,

, 007.

hotograph

y

uthor

elite nd

religious

rchitecture.9

ound rches

n the ntrance oor

re,

n

contrast,

of lear

uropean

erivation.

n

Coixtlahuaca,

he

ommunity

ouse,

lthough

eavily

reconstructed,

hows few

eatureshat ndicate

colonial

onstruction,

uch s the

main

laza's

arcaded

orch djoining

he hurch

trio

large ourtyard)

n thenorth

side.

At

Yanhuitlan,

he

ruins

f

building

nown

s

the asadel

acique

re

oday

art

of

municipal

omplex. ccording

othe ccount

f heJesuitriar ernab

obo,

who

passed hrough

he own round

630,

he onstruction

f he ules

esidence

nd he

convento

ere arried

ut

tthe ame

ime,

sing

he ameworkersnd tonematerial.

The

ompound

asbuilt

round n nternal

atio

o

arge

twas ater sed s

a

bullfight-

ing

rena. herules esidential

uarters

ere

rranged

round wo maller

atios up-

ported y

tone olumns.10

When nemoves

eyond

he onfines

f he nclosed ni*

patios,

tbecomes

apparent

hat

larger esign

s

at work.

aciques'

residences,

ites

f

governmental

power,

re

visible

rom

he trios f he onventos

The

lignment

f he wo

omplexes

forms

n

axis,

rojected

long rthogonal

ines,

hat xtendso he est f he own. he

conventotselfs

not

merelybuilding

ut

ather

piece

f

he

rban

abric

hankso

he

atrio,

hich erves s abufferonebetweenhe nclosed

paces

f loisternd hurch

and he

illage.

Walls

nclosed anhuitlan's

trio

n

he

670s

fig.

)

and

oday

till tand

in

Teposcolula

ndCoixtlahuaca.11

haracteristic

fMexican

missions,

he trios-which

frequently

eature

pen-air

nd

corner

osa processional) hapels

such

s those

n

Teposcolula

nd

Coixtlahuaca)

are

original

eaturesfNewWorld rchitecturehat

constitute

variationf heMesoamerican

laza.12

In

Yanhuitlan,

he

north-south

xis

hat

onnects

he onvento

fig.

[1];

ee

fig.

)

with he nie

fig.

[2]

see

fig.

)

extends

eyond

he

hurch

atio

o henorthoreach

the

hapel

fEl

Calvario,

hich ouses

heChrist f

Ayuxi,

neof

he

most

enerated

34

GETTYESEARCH

OURNAL,

O.

2012)


6/15

Fig.

.

The triof he hurch

n

Yanhuitlan,

howing

l

Calvario

n

he

ackground

nd he ld

site f

Ayuxi

n he

eft,

008.

hotograph

y

uthor

Fig.

.Aerialiew fYanhuitlan.

1]

onvento

omplex;

2]

Anie;

3]

l

Calvario;

4]

hapel

f an

Sebastin;

5]

an-American

ighway,

6]

Main

laza.mage

FundacinCA

C

Frassani

At

he rossroadsf

mpire

35


7/15

images

n

he

alleyfig.

[3];

ee

fig.

).

According

otheDominicanriar

rancisco

e

Burgoa,

n

the

northern

dge

f own

chapel

edicated

o

the antaCruz

holy

ross)

was

already

n

place

s

early

s

1601.13o thewest f he

village,

cross

rom

hePan-

American

ighway

fig.

[5])

and

ligned

ith he nie

see

fig.

[2]),

one

reaches

he

chapel

fSan

Sebastinfig. [4]),

which

was under onstruction

n

1606.14

inally,

themain

laza

of he

village

s found

o the

ast

behind he hurch f anto

Domingo

(fig.

[6]).

The

plaza

wasbuilt

y

598,

hen

t

s mentioned

n

reference

o n

queduct

and

public

ountainonstructed

earby.15

he

earliest ocumentation

n

significant

public uildings

round he

plaza

dates

o

1643,

hen asas eales

royal uildings)

re

mentioned

n

local

estament.16

While he onventoas built

n

top

of n ancient

latform

here

ocal

rulers

were uried nd ancestors' ituals

ook

place,

he xis

of

he onvento-anie

omplex

created newmonumental

ore,

site f

eligious

s

well

s

civic

ctivities,

here

re-

viously nly

few

cattereduildings

xisted.17

he

trategic

nnovationf

his

esign,

which

ituated

he

omplex

n

hemiddle

f wide

lain

urrounded

ydensely opu-

lated

illtops,

asrevealed

y survey

nd

tratigraphie

xcavations

onductedn nd

around

anhuitlan

n

the

1970s.

Glazeware,

orcelains,

etal

tensils,

live

ars,

nd

chicken ones all tems

he

paniards

ntroducedo

the

NewWorld were

iscov-

ered lmost

xclusively

round he onvento

nd

ruins f

he

olonial

oyal

alace,

while

in he

neighboring

reas

nly

raditionaled-on-creameramicnd

ndigenous

rtifacts

were ound.18

his

ndicateshat ew

Hispanic"

ctivities,

ndicativef

onsumption

economies,

ere

prevalent

n

the

enter;

n

contrast,

urrounding

reascontinued

ancient ustoms.

According

o an nstruccin

instruction)

rom he

iceroy

ntonio e Mendoza

to

his uccessor uis

deVelasco

ight

eforeMendoza eft ffice

n

1550,

he

iceroy

as

against

he

rchitecturalorks

s

they

ad

o

far een arried

ut

n

Yanhuitlan. en-

dozanoted hat

lthoughlarge

stablishment

asunder

onstruction,

ood

esources

hadbeen

wasted ue

o he ack f

roper

oordination

nd

upervision.19

e made

imi-

larremarks

egarding

he

missionary

omplex

n

Teposcolula.

here,

riars

lanned

on

congregating

resettling)

he ocal

ndigenous opulation

still

esidingtop

he

hills

in

a

very

umid

pot

downhill,

here onstructionf church ad

ustbegun.

Mendoza dvised

gainst

he

esettlement,alling

ormeasureso

prevent

he

riars

rom

moving

orward

ith heir

lan.20

Mendoza's emarks

etray

certain

ntagonism

etween

oyal

fficials

epre-

senting

he

panish

rown nd

the

missionaries.

n

Yanhuitlan,

he

ndigenous

lite

sided

with he atter nd

lso

sought upport

romhe ocal

ncomendero.

hefact

hat

the

oyal

esidencend onvento

ere

onstructed

tthe ame

ime,

espite

Mendoza's

disapproval,

s

only

ne

xpression

f he

bility

f

Yanhuitlan's

aciques

o

ppropriate

"Hispanic" laces

nd nstitutions

n

order

o

guaranteeontinuity

othe

ociopolitical

life f he

illage.

While he trio asused o address

Mixtee

ubjects

n

matterselat-

ing

o

ancestry

nd

egitimateule,

he nie erved ot

nly

s residence

or he

uling

36

GETTYESEARCH

OURNAL,

O.

2012)


8/15

family

ut

imultaneously

s council ouse

casa

de

a comunidad

n

Spanish;

uahi

nio

in

Mixtee,

iterally eaningduty

ouse")

or he outine

atherings

f he

abildo

town

assembly)epresentatives.21

hat

s

to

ay,

f

he hurchndmass

fferednoccasion

o

reinforceraditional

ulership,

he raditional

etting

f he

oyal alace

osted

ctivities

derived rom

olitical

nstitutionsntroduced

y

he

paniards.

Theviceroy endozalsodisagreedith he ssue f ongregacinwhich oerced

scattered

illages

nto ne

arger

entralized

ettlement,

tactic

pparently

nforced

y

the

Dominicans

n

Teposcolula.22ongregaciones

reoften onsidered

major

mpulse

behind

eshapingndigenous

ettlementso onform

o rural

panish

attern.23

nYan-

huitlan,

t

eems

hat

artialongregation

ccurred

nly

fter

598

ndwas till

ngoing,

albeit

pposed y

he ocal ncomendero

n

1603

more han

wenty-five

ears

fterhe

construction

f hemain

hurch,

djoining

onvent,

nd nie ad

oncluded.24

Transformations

n

Yanhuitlan

ver he ourse

f he ixteenth

entury

ffer

n

interesting

ase

for

nderstanding

he

omplex ynamics

etween

mperial olicies

and

exigencies

nd

unique

ocal ituations.ertain lementsf he

village's

rchitec-

tural nd

urban

esign

ndicate clear nd onscious

ngagement

ith

evelopments

in

the

panish

olonies.

or

xample,

hemain

laza

was

the

key enerating

rinciple

in

Hispanic esign

a locus

where ll

public

ctivities

ook

place,

mbodied

y

he

church

nd administrative

uildings

hat nclosed

t

while

n

Yanhuitlan,

hemost

important

pen

areawas

the trio ound

n the ncient

levated

latform

ogether

with he onvento.

he triotself

s not

nfrontf he hurch

ut

othenorth

f t.

The

imposing

orthide

levation

f he hurchhus

ffers

perfect

ackdrop

or eremo-

nial

ctivitiesnd

t the ame

ime onnects

his

pace

with

he

preeminent

hapel

f

Ayuxi,

oundn nelevated

osition

learly

isible romhe trio

see

fig.

).

The ite f

local

government,

he

nie s also

notfound

n the

main

laza

but

rather n

the xis

that inks

he

womost

mportantymbolic

eferents

n he

alley,

l Calvario

nd he

church

see

fig.

[1-3]).Finally,

he

mposing

acade

ommands

more

ttention

rom

travelers

nd

passersby

han rom

ocal

residents,

s

it

faces

he

road

ratherhan

he

main

laza

fig.

;

see

fig.

).

Known

oday

s

the

Pan-American

ighway,

rom

re-

Hispanic

imes

his oad

was

major

ommercial

oute

n

Mesoamerica,

cquiring

ven

more

mportance

fter

he

onquest

ndthe

opening

f

Pacific

maritime

rade

see

fig.

[5]).25

he

supposed

colonial

ogic"

f he

grid

s

an

expression

f n

mposed

external

ower

n a

conquered

erritory

s underminednYanhuitlan

y

he wisted

placement

f

key

monuments.26

IfYanhuitlan's

rid lan,

hen,

id

not

espond

ocolonial

modes

f

domination,

what

nformed

he

reation

f

his

newmonumental

ucleus?

n order

o

understand

the

nner

ogic

f

hange

n he

ommunity,

believe

hat

wemust

ook

tritual

ustoms,

including

oth

elief

ndbehavior.

heerection

f

he onvento

nd

nie

nthe

alley

did

not

ubstantially

lter

reexisting

ettlement

atterns,

hich

were

haracterized

(and

till

re

n

ome

reas)

y

high

egree

f

dispersion.

lthoughuite

ensely

opu-

lated

n he

ostclassic

eriod,

ittle rban

oncentration

enerally

xisted

n he

Mixteca;

Frassani

At he rossroads

f

mpire

37


9/15

rather,

eople

ived

n

cattered

ettlements.

n

addition,

itual ctivities

oncentrated

on mall

nd

dispersed

hrines

ocated

most

ften n

hilltops.

eremonial

enters,

hich

rarely

eachedmonumental

roportions,

ere ound ot

t

he enter

f

settlement

ut

removedromt.27

Historical

vidence

learly

ells s

that

anhuitlan

omprised

everal arrios r

sia

a

Mixtee erm oundn

native-language

ocuments)

t east ince ostclassicimes

and

ontinuinghroughout

he olonial

eriod.28yuxi,

henamesakef

he

enerated

crucifix

tEl

Calvario,

as

prominent

arrios

well,

whose

ncientocation n he

ills

less

than mile o the

ast

of he

present hapel

s still nown

oday.

ther

rominent

sia inde nd

Ticoo,

were

ound

n the

hilltops

ehind he

hapel

fSan Sebastin.

While hese ettlements

renow

bandoned,

hey

onstituted

he ominantown

arti-

tion n

1783,

s

noted n

tributeccount.29

ccording

o Ronald

pores's

urvey,nly

indigenous

ed-on-creameramicsrefound

tthe

ites

f

Ayuxi

ndSan

Sebastin,

fact hat

ttests

o the

persistence

f ncient

ociobehavioral

ndbelief

atterns

ell

into he olonial

eriod.30

hese

hapels

eem ohave een

placed

midway

etweenhe

ancient ettlementsnd henew eremonialnd

political/administrative

enter.

ym-

bolically

nd

functionally,hey

were he

hannel

hrough

hich

panish

nstitutions

enteredndwere

ncorporated

nto

Mixteeife. s was old

everal

imes,

t

sbelieved

that

n

undergroundassage

onnects

he

hapel

f

Ayuxi

ith he

onvento

latform.31

Underground

assages

uch s caves nd

prings

re

understood

n

Mesoamerica

s

means

f

oth

hysical

nd

psychologicalisplacement.32

A

few

ocuments

ating

o he olonial

eriod

nable

general

econstruction

f

the

se

of

acred

mages

nd

paces

t

Yanhuitlan.

n

1606,

uring

criminal

rial,

wit-

ness estifiedhat

epresentatives

f

villages

urrounding

anhuitlanook

art

n

Holy

Week

rocessions

n

Maundy hursday,

ood

Friday,

nd

Easter

unday,

arading

ith

their wn

rucifixes.33his nformation

ndicateshat eremonial

bligations

nvolving

the

participation

nd

ponsorship

f

ommunal

ituals f

nearby

ownswere n

mpor-

tant

spect

f

nterpolity

elationst

east ince he

arly

eventeenth

entury.

Not

nly mages

nd

heir

ults ut

lso he

hapels

hat ontained

hem

eem o

have

erved

more han

liturgical

urpose.

hey

unctioned

s administrative

uildings

for he ocal

barrios,

s

attested

y

1677

etition

igned y

Yanhuitlan

esidentssk-

ing ermission

o

finish

chapel

hat

oused n

mage

f

Jess

azareno.34he

docu-

ment

tates

hat

he

building

ad

remained

nfinished

espite

he

act hat

he

mage

was

greatly

eneratedn

he

illage

nd

urroundings

nd

hat he

hapel

tself ad

been

usedfor

ears

s casa

de

a

comunidad.

inally,

ome

ortyears

ater,

n

1711,

everal

ep-

resentatives

f

he

barrio f

Ayuxi

lso

declared hat heir

mage

f he

rucified

hrist

was

highly

enerated

n

he

illage.

series f

documents

iven

o

a

udge

n

he

murder

case

of

mayordomo

steward)

ssertedhat

he

Mayordomia

rovided

inancially

or

he

annual

elebrationsf

Corpus

hristi,

oly

ross

referred

o s Santo

hristo

,

and

Holy

Week

specifically

entioning

aundy

hursday's

ightlyrocesin

e a

sangreliter-

ally, rocession

f he

lood],nvolvinglagellants).

he

documents

o

on to

state

hat

38

GETTY

ESEARCH

OURNAL,

O.

2012)


10/15

it

was

customary

or

very

arrio,

arrying

ts

epresentative

ross,

o

participate

n

his

last

procession.35

rosses

f

everal

arrios,

oday ept

n

storage

oom n he

onvent,

were

aken

ut

during oly

Week

rocessions

ntil he

950s.36

The

mportance

f rucifixes

nd heir evotion

uring oly

Week nd

Mayor-

doma e

Ayuxi

s

by

no

means

thing

f he

ast,

s

pointed

ut

t he

eginning

f his

essay.While barriorosses"reno ongernHolyWeek rocessions,he ult o he eor

de

Ayuxi

s themost

mportanteligious

nd ivic

elebration

n he

alley.37eginning

on the ast

days

f

April

nd

xtendinghroughout

hemonth

f

May,

he

Mayordomia

de

Ayuxi

s

part

f he

widespread

esoamerican

radition

f he

Holy

Gross

elebration.

Mexico'smonth f

May

witnesses

he

beginning

f

he

rainy

eason,

nd

nthe

rural reas

f

he

ountry

eremonial

ctivities

or he

propitiation

f

good

rops

nten-

sify.

eople ather

n

mountaintops

o

eave

fferings

f

ichly

dorned

ltar rosses

o

the

ain

od today

nown s

San

Marcos,

ith feast

elebrated

n

25

April).38

n the

Nahua

illage

f

Citlala,

uerrero,

arrio rosses

re

aken

rom

chapel

n

top

f

hill

tothemain hurch herehey emain or hedurationf he elebrations.39hecross

itself

s

referredo as

Tonantzin,

Our

Mother,"

r

Tonacaquahuitl,

theTree

fOur

Sustenance."40

uring

he

ays

n

which

heir ult s

celebrated,

he rosses

re

iterally

covered

ith ood

fferings

nd

flowers,

imilarly

othe eor

e

Ayuxi,

hich

eceives

numerous

askets

f ruits

nd

flowers.41

Anthropologists

ave

xamined

he

ndigenous

ross

or lues

bout ultural

on-

tinuity

nd urvival

f

pre-Hispanic

itual

nd

belief,

ointing

ut

he ssociation

f he

celebration

f

he

Holy

Gross

with

ertility

ituals

nd

he

maize

plant

n

particular.42

The

Tatayuxi

f

Yanhuitlan

fig.

)

disguises

ell

his ncient

oots nder

perfect

pan-

ish

ppearance.

hehollow

mage

smade

partially

f ornstalk

aste,

Mesoamerican

technique

hat llowed

or

he

reation

f

ight

nd

portable

culptures.43

heuse

of

corn-derived

aterial

lso

gives

he

mage

eep

metaphorical

ignificance

elated

o he

life

ycle

f

hemost

mportant

taple

ood

n

he

Americas.

uring

restoration

arried

out

n

1997,

Mixtec-language

ocument

asfound

nside

he

head f

Christ.44

ts

reli-

gious

nd

iturgical

ext

mentions

ot

nly

he

holy

hurch

ut

lso

he

east

ays

f

ent,

Holy

riday,

nd

Sundays.

art f

larger

ocument

rom

hich

twas

arefully

ut

ut,

the

Mixtee

ocument

aybe

prayer

r n

nvocation,

ince

God's

gifts

nd

his

mercy

are

mentioned

ore

han nce.

In

Yanhuitlan,

he

processional

oute f he

Mayordomia

see

fig.

)

follows

north-south

eremonial

xis

hat

deally

enters

nd

orders

anhuitlan

round

he on-

vento

nd

long ignificant

oints,

ncluding

he

main

laza,

he

highway,

nd

he

oyal

residence.

he

procession

ollows

straight

ine,

eading

outh

rom

l Calvario

see

fig.

[3]),

assing

y

he

main

laza

seefig.

[6]),

nd

ontinuing

ntil

t

reaches

he

an-

American

ighway

see fig.

[5]).

At his

oint

he

procession

hanges

irection

y

80

degrees,

assing

y

he

nie

ntil

oming

othe

hurch

rom

he

outh

ide

nd,

inally,

moving

round

he

trio

see

fig.

[1])

o

nter

he

hurch

rom

he

west

ortal.45

laced

n

a

wider

ontext,

uch

route

s

grafted

pon

n

xis,

ontained

y

nd

isually

onnecting

Frassani

At

he rossroads

f

mpire

39


11/15

I

T-

(Vel-

otos

iwJe

ji

i

PoAo

i3 .

1

J

[

.

i^lsckooi ,

'

-

,

,

I I

_J

'

I

_

I_

ta*

~

Mdom

a

ni

1

*

1

_

Anie.

Mdom

a

-I

ni

'

*

I

c

Anie.

;

"*

^1

OomuneUk

j|i

^1

1

li

-- - i - j

-

- - - i

^

CAfttA

r

~

H

'

"

(

I

^ L

Fig.

.

Map

f anhuitlan's

onumentalore.

rawing

y

Maraamilascobarlez

Cerro

azmnnd he ld

ite

f

Ayuxi,

woClassic ites f

ninterrupted

isitation

fig.

;

see

fig.

).46

hroughout

esoamerica,

lassic ites

ecame

laces

f ncestral

orship

during

ostclassic

imes,

hus

howing

hat heClassic

ast

was

cknowledged

nd el-

ebrated

uring

he ater

eriod.47

he

nscription

f olonial

anhuitlan

ithinhese

eo-

graphic

eferents

gain

emonstrates

he

onscious fforts

o

ignifyontinuity

ith he

pastyet

t he

ame

ime

ecognize

he

eginning

f new

poch.

While

anhuitecos' emoriesnd ccounts

re

sign

f he acrednessmbed-

ded

n

the

village's

urroundings,

ts

hurch,

nd

ts

hapels,

he

nie-conventoom-

plex-a

result f

postconquest

djustments- epresents

he

materializationf

spatial

practice

hat

omprised

oth

religious

nd

political

ctivities:

he

gatherings

t the

church or acred

unctions

nd t

he nie or abildo

eetings.inally,

he eremonial

route anctifiedhese outine

ractices,

llowing

or he

ymbolic

ppropriation

f he

new

eligious-political

rder hat

asbeen

ontinuously

estatedver

ince,

very

ime

a

procession

as

been

held.

Early

olonial

rchitecture,

rban

esign,

nd

culpture

ere

eeminglymposed

in

Mixtee

anhuitlann a

long-livedpace

f

ituals,

ocial

rganization,

nd

ocal

poli-

tics.

t

was

not

n

abstract

oncept

f

mperial

ominationhat reated

hemodern

ut-

look f

his

illage

nd

ts

eligious

ctivities.

uite

he

ontrary:

e

re orcedo

skhow

much f he

urrentlyerceived

ispanic

haracter

fLatin

mericanrt nd

religiosity

is

actually

wed o

ndigenous

xperimentations.

40

GETTY

ESEARCH

OURNAL,

O.

2012)


12/15

Fig.

.The onventon he eftnd erro azmnn he

ight,

een romlCalvario,

007.

Photograph

y

uthor

Alessia

rassani s ssistant

rofessor

n

he

epartmentf

rt t

he niversidade

os

Andes,

Bogot,

olombia

Notes

1.

Documentation

n he onstructionnd ecoration

s

found

n

Peter

erhard,

ntesis

ndice

e osmandamientos

irreinales,

548-53

Mexico

ity:

niversidadacionalutnomae

Mxico,

Instituto

e

nvestigaciones

istricas,

992),

22-23;

dmundo

'Gorman,

Mandamientosel

Virrey

DonAntonioeMendoza,"oletnel rchivoenerale aNacin01939):76-80;rance. choles

and leanor

.

Adams,ds.,

artas

elicenciadoernimoalderramaotrosocumentosobreu isita

l

gobierno

e

Nueva

spaa,

563-1565

Mexico

ity:

orra,

961),

97-302;

nd

onald

pores,

d.,

olec-

cine ocumentosel rchivoeneral

e aNacin

ara

a tnohistoriae aMixtecaeOaxacan l

iglo

VI

(Nashville:

anderbilt

niversity,

992),

and

3.

2.

Sericultureas

ntroduced

y

he

paniards

n

heMixtecaround

530

nd emainedhe

single

ost

mportant

ourcef

evenuen

many

ixteeommunitiesntilhe nd f he ixteenth

century;

eeWoodrow

ilson

orah,

ilk

aising

n olonialexico

Berkeley:

niv.f alifornia

ress,

1943),

3-26.

ogether

ith

ochineal,

n nimal

yestuff

roduced

incehe

re-Hispaniceriod,

ilk as

the

major

xport

f he

egion

hroughout

he

panish

orld,

hankso he

pening

fmaritimeradehat

connectedheMixtecaithpain,entralmerica,eru,nd he hilippines.oodrowilsonorah,

Early

olonialradend

avigation

etweenexicond eru

Berkeley:

niv.f

alifornia

ress,

954);

nd

Raymond

.

Lee,

Cochineal

roductionnd rade

n

New

pain

o

600,"

he mericas

1948):

49-50.

See lsoMarae os

Angeles

omero

rizzi,

l ol a ruz:os

ueblos

ndioseOaxacaolonial

Mexico

City:

entroeEstudios

uperiores

e

Antropologa

ocial,

996),

46-65.

3

For

presentation

nd iscussion

fMixtee

eligious

rchitecturef

he olonial

eriod,

ee

Robert

ullen,

he rchitecturend

culpturef

axaca,

530S-1980S

Tempe:

enteror atin merican

Studies,

rizonatate

niversity,

995),

5-168.

4.

George

ubier,

exican

rchitecture

f

heixteenth

entury

New

aven:ale niv.

ress,

1948),

71;

ohn cAndrew

ndManuel

oussaint,Tecali,acatlan,

nd he enacimientourista

n

Mexico,"

he rt ulletin

4

1942):

20-21.

FrassaniAt he

rossroads

f

mpire

41


13/15

5

The athedralsfMexico

ity

nd uebla ere

inished,

nd heir

esignedhanged,

uring

the oursef he olonial

eriod.

y

heate ixteenth

entury,

he asilicaf

l

Escorial,

ompleted

n

1584,

ad

lready

ecomereferentorhurch

esign

n he

ispanic

orld.or discussionf

typical

Oaxacan

ype,

eeHeinrich

erlin,

Oaxaca:a

glesia

e an

elipe

eri: oticiase

rtfices,"

rchivo

Espaol

eArte

6,

o.

21

1983):

7-66.

lisa

argasugo,

Las sculturase a

glesia

e

an ablo ue-

latao,"naleselnstitutoenvestigacionesstticasno. 51966):0, efineshisesigns clasicismo

dominicano"

Dominican

lassicism)

nd xtendsts eacho he ominican

rovince

f

hiapas.

ee

also lisa

argasugo,

as

ortadaseligiosas

eMxico

Mexico

ity:

niversidadacional

utnomae

Mxico,

969),

82-87.

6.

Berlin,

Oaxaca:

a

glesia

e an

elipe

eri,"

9.

7.

Themost

mportant

xample

f ostclassiclite esidentialrchitecturenOaxaca

sfound

in

he

apotee

ownfMitla

n

he

alley

f axaca.

8. Archivoenerale

Nacin,

amo

ierras,

olumen

4,

xpediente

,

ols.

9-40.

ee lso

Kevin

erraciano,

he ixtees

f

olonialaxaca:

udzahui

istory,

ixteenth

hroughighteenth

enturies

(Stanford:

tanfordniv.

ress,

001),

60-61.or discussionf he

uilding's

haracteristics

nd

lace

within

eposcolula's

olonial

ayout,

ee

James.

Kiracofe,

Architectural

usionnd

ndigenous

deol-

ogy

n

arly

eposcolula:

he asa e aCacica;

Building

t he

dge

f blivion,"naleselnstitutoe

Investigaciones

stticas,

o. 6

1995):

5-84.

9

For

discussion,

ee

Kiracofe,

Architecturalusionnd

ndigenous

deology."

10

Wigberto

imnez

orenond alvadorateos

iguera,

dicee anhuitln

Mexico

ity:

Museo

acional,

940),

9-50.

11. Franciscoe

Burgoa,

alestraistorial

Mexico

ity:

alleres

rficos

e a

Nacin,

934),

292,

rites

hathe trio

o

he

orthf he hurchsed

o e

nclosed

y

wall

ive

arasall

about

our

meters),opped

y

renellation.t snot nownhenhe alls ereornown.

12. Setha .

ow,

Indigenous

rchitecturend he

panish

mericanlazan

Mesoamericand

the

aribbean,"

merican

nthropologist

7

1995):

48-62;

nd ohn

cAndrew,

he

pen-Air

hurches

f

Sixteenth-Centuryexico:trios,osas,pen hapels,nd thertudiesCambridge:arvardniv.ress,

1965),

36-46.

13

Burgoa,

alestra

istorial,

46

14.

Archivoistricoel

Juzgado

e

Teposcolula,

eccin

riminal,

egajo

7,

xpediente

2,

fol.

v.

15.

Archivoenerale

a

Nacin,

amo eales

dulas,

olumen

,

ol.

50.

ranscription

ound

in ilvioavalandMaria

astelo,ds.,

uentes

ara

ahistoriael

rabajo

n aNueva

spaaMexico

ity:

Fondo

e

Cultura

conmica,

939),

:155-56.

16. Archivoistricoel

Juzgado

e

Teposcolula,

eccin

ivil,

egajo

4,

xpediente

3,

ol.

9.

hese

oyal

uildings

atererveds

ails

Archivo

istricoel

uzgado

e

Teposcolula,

eccin

ivil,

Legajo5,xpediente6, ols.ir-iiv),functionheyetainedntilhe ineteenthentury,s nnscrip-

tion n hemainntrancef he

uilding

ttests.

17.

The xistencef

pre-Hispaniclatform

s onfirmed

y

everalestimonies

uring

n

nqui-

sitionrial

gainst

he ulersf anhuitlan.

ee

Jimnezorenond

Mateos

iguera,

dicee

anhuitln,

40-42.

uring

xcavationorksone

n

010 n he orthernide f he

xistinglatform,

was

ble o

seewhat as

ossibly

n ncientloor.

18. Ronald

pores,tratigraphie

xcavationsn he ochixtlan

alley,

axaca

Nashville:

ander-

bilt

niversity,

974),

1-96.

19.

Ernesto

orre

e

a

Villarnd amiroavarroe

Anda,ds.,

nstrucciones

memoriase os

virreyesovohispanos

Mexico

ity:

orra,

991),

15-16.

20. Torre

e a

VillarndNavarroe

Anda,

nstrucciones

memorias,

15-16

42

GETTYESEARCH

OURNAL,

O.

2012)


14/15

21. Archivoenerale a

Nacin,

amo enerale

Parte,

olumen

,

Expediente

053

tran-

scription

oundn

pores,

oleccine

ocumentosy

7);

Archivoistricoel

Juzgado

e

Teposcolula,

Seccin

riminal,

egajo

5,

xpediente

4

also

iscussed

n

erraciano,

he ixtees

f

olonial

axaca,

110-11);

nd rchivo

eneral

e a

Nacin,

amo

ierras,

olumen

00

transcription

oundnMaricruz

Paills,d.,

ocumentosel

rchivoel octor

lfonso

aso

ara

l studioe a

Mixteca:rchivoenerale

a

NacinRamoierrasMexicoity:nstitutoacionaleAntropologaHistoria,993],4).

22.

Torre

e aVillarndNavarroe

Anda,

nstruccionesmemorias

115;

onald

pores

nd

Nelly

obles

arca,

A

rehispanic

Postclassic)

apital

enter

n

Colonial

ransition,"

atn merican

Antiquity

8

2007):

33-53;

nd

ilvio

rturo

avala,

ibrose

sientos

e a

obernacin

e aNueva

spaa:

Periodoel

irrey

on

uis e

Velasco

S50-IS52

Mexico

ity:

rchivoenerale a

Nacin,

982),

16-17.

23.

Forced

ongregations

erearriedut

n

wo istinct

ampaigns

1551-64

nd

598-1607)

following

he

romulgation

f seriesf ealesdulas

royal

ecrees)

See ilvioavaland os

iranda,

"Instituciones

ndgenas

e a

Colonia,"

n

Alfonsoaso t

l., ds.,

a

olticandigenista

nMxico:to-

dos resultados

Mexico

ity:

nstitutoacional

ndigenista,

954),

6-66;

nd,

more

ecently,

oemi

Quezada,

Congregaciones

e ndios

grupos

tnicos:l aso elValle eToluca

onas

ledaas,"

Revista

omplutense

e istoriae

Amrica,

o.

1

1995):

46-53.

uezada

lso ffers

critique

f he ffec-

tivenessf heseoliciesn entralexico.

24.

Archivoenerale a

Nacin,

amo

ndios,

olumen

;

Ramo

eales

dulas,

olumen

,

ol.

150;

nd amo

ongregaciones,

olumen

,

xpediente

,

ols. nd

6.

ee lso oward

line,

Civil

ongre-

gations

f

he

ndians

nNew

pain,

598-1606,"

he

ispanic

mericanistorical

eview

9

1949)

349-69.

25.

Hugh

.Ball nd onald

.

Brockington,

Tradend raveln

Pre-Hispanic

axaca,"

n

Thomas.Lee nd arlos

avarrete,

ds.,

esoamericanommunicationoutesnd ulturalontacts

(Provo,

t.: ewWorld

rchaeological

oundation,

righamoung

niversity,

978),

07-14;

pores,

Coleccin

e

ocumentos,1;

nd

avala,

ibrose sientos

130.

26

For he colonial

ogic"

nderlying

he

ridlan,

ee,

or

xample,

xel

.

Mundigo

nd ora

.

Crouch,

The

ity

lanning

rdinances

f he aws f

hendies evisited:art

;

Their

hilosophy

nd

Implications,"ownlanningeview8 1977):47-48.

27.

Ronald

pores,

he ixteesnAncientnd olonialimes

Norman:

niv.f klahoma

ress,

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28.

Archivoenerale a

Nacin,

amo

ivil,

olumen

16;

nd

Archivoenerale

ndias,

Escribanaa

Cmara,

egajo

62C,

ol.

07V.

or

discussionf anhuitlan

arrios,

ee lso

erraciano,

The ixtees

f

olonial

axaca,

08-10.

29.

Archivoistricoel

Juzgado

e

Teposcolula,

eccin

ivil,

egajo

9,

xpediente

5-02,

fols.

-9.

30.

Spores,

n

rchaeological

ettlement

urveyf

he ochixtlan

alley,

axaca

Nashville:

an-

derbilt

niversity,

972),

8 nd

1.

31.

Mr. utirrezillanuevandMr. ictorino

amrez,ersonalommunication,007.

32.

Alfredo

pez

ustin,

amoanchan,

lalocan:laces

f

Mist

Niwot:

niv.ressf olo-

rado,

997).

33.

Archivo

istrico

el

Juzgado

e

Teposcolula,

eccin

riminal,

egajo

7,

xpediente

39.

he

illage

entioned

n

he

ocument

sTocasahuala

today

anAndrs

nda),

isted

mong

he

sixteen

ubject

owns

f anhuitlann

1550

ccount.imnezorenondMateos

iguera,

dicee

Yanhuitln,

3.

34.

Archivoenerale a

Nacin,

amo

ndios,

egajo

5,

xpediente

14,

ols.

63-163V.

ess

Nazarenos

usually

n

mage

f hrist

earing

he ross.

35.

Archivoistricoel

uzgado

e

eposcolula,

eccin

ivil,

egajo

0,

xpediente

,

ols.

-4.

36.

Ross

armenter,

eekn anhuitlan

Albuquerque:

niv.fNew exico

ress,

964),

65-66.

FrassaniAt he rossroadsf

mpire

43


15/15

37-

Angels,

lso

earing

arrio

ames,

egan

o

ccompany

he

espective

rucifixes

uring

oly

Week

rocessions

ometime

n

he

mid-eighteenth

entury,

nly

o

inally

eplace

hem,

s eenn

on-

temporary

elebrations.

38

Peter

an er

oo,

VamosrezarSan

Marcos,"

n

avid

arrasco,d.,

o

hange

laceAztec

Ceremonial

andscapes

Niwot:

niv.ressf

olorado,

999),

12-18.

39 Johannaroda,La iestae a anta ruzntreos ahuaseMxico:rstamontercultural

y

radicin

esoamericana,"

n

Antonioarrido

randa,d.,

lmundo

estivo

n

spaa

Amrica

Cor-

doba: niversidad

e

Crdoba,

xcmo.

yuntamiento

e

Montilla,

005),

33.

40

Broda,

La iestae

a

anta

ruz,"

37.

ee lso

Marcos

atas

lonso,d.,

ituales

grcolas

otrasostumbres

uerrerenses,iglos

VI-XX

Mexico

ity:

entroe

nvestigaciones

studios

uperiores

de

Antropologa

ocial,

994).

41.

Although

Christian

ymbol,

n

ndigenous

mericahe rosss

deeply

onnected

o

he

concept

f he osmic

ree,

requently

epicted

nd arrated

n

ncient

arvings,

anuscripts,

nd

arly

colonialources.rees

n ncientimes ere

onsideredhe

illars

hat,

laced

t he our

orners

f he

earth,

ustainedhe

ky.oday,

rosses ark

illage

oundariesnd re

nduring

ymbols

f

ommunity

sovereignty.

he

rowth

f he

ree

tselfs

trictly

onnectedo

he

egenerative

unctionf umanac-

rifice.inceolonialimes,he hristianolyrossas akenp hemeaningnd unctionf he ncient

cosmic

ree,

onflating

osmologicalnowledge

bout orldrdernd itual

ignificancehrough

he

enactmentf he

eriodical

acrifice

f esus

n he elebrationf hemass.or

general

iscussion,

ee

Samuel

.

Edgerton,

heaters

f

onversion:

eligious

rchitecture

nd ndianrtisansnColonialexico

(Albuquerque:

niv.fNew

Mexico

ress,

001),

8-71;

avid .

Freidel,

inda

cheie,

nd

oy

arker,

Maya

osmos:hreehousand

earsn hehaman's

ath

New

ork: .

Morrow,

993);nrique

arro-

qun,

a

ruz

esinica:na

proximacin

l incretismoatlico

ndgenaOaxaca:

niversidadutnoma

Benitoureze

Oaxaca,

989),

2-49;

nd ill eslie

cKeever

rst,

The ree irthradition

n

he

Mixteca,

exico

"

Journal

f

atin merican

ore$

1977):

83-226.

42.

See,

or

xample,

ercedes

livera,

Huemitle

Mayo

n

Citlala:

Ofrenda

ara

hicom-

ecoatlparaa antaruz?,"nBarbroahlgren,d.,Mesoamrica:omenajearalDoctoraul irchhoff

(Mexico

ity:

nstituto

acionale

Antropologa

Historia,

979),

43-56.

43

Blanca oval ilar

nd ranciscoavieralazar

errera,

La estauracinedos ristose

pasta

e aa omo

arte

e os

rabajos

el

royecto

e onservacin

ntegral

n

anto

omingo

an-

huitln,axaca,"

n

Antonio

.

Garca-Absolo,

abriela

arca

ascurain,

nd

oaqun

nchez

uiz,

eds.,

maginerandgena

exicana:na

atequesis

n

aa e

maz

Cordoba:

ublicacionesbra ocial

Cultural

ajaSur,

001),

29.

44.

Noval

ilarnd alazar

errera,

La estauracine os

ristos,"

27.

45

Equally

mportant

erend tillre he

rganizational

ffortseeded

nnually

orhe

ponsor-

ship

f

he

Mayordomia;

eeAlessia

rassani,

Organizacin

ocial

articipacin

l ulton l

pueblo

ix-

teco e

anto

omingoanhuitln,

axaca:

na econstruccin

rqueolgica,

istrica

ntropolgica,"in

Memoriasel

rimer

ongreso

nternacionale sculturairreinal

Mexico

ity:

niversidadutnoma

de

Mxico,

n

ress).

or

discussion

f he

mportance

f

ublic

eremoniesnd estivals

n

he ivicnd

religious

ifef bero-American

ities,

ee

Antonioonet

orrea,

iesta,

oder rquitectura:proximaciones

alBarroco

spaolMadrid:

kai,

990);

usan

erdi

ebster,

La

resenciandgena

n

as

elebraciones

y

das

estivos,"

n

Alexandra

ennedy,

d.,

rtee aReal udiencia

e

Quito,

iglo

VII-XIX

Hondarribia,

Spain:

erea,

002),

29-44;

ndMatthew

.

O'Hara,Stone,

ortar,

nd

Memory:

hurchonstruction

and ommunities

n ate olonialexico

ity,"

ispanic

mericanistorical

eview

6

2006):

47-80.

46.

Spores,

n

rchaeological

ettlement

urvey,

6-87

nd

1.

47.

Themost

amous

xamples

re

eotihuacan

n

he asinfMexicondMontelbn

n

he

Valley

f

axaca,

acred

laces

or,

espectively,

he

Mexicand heMixteesnd

apotees.

44

GETTYESEARCH

OURNAL,

O.

2012)

alessia getty

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