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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
8/9/2019 Alessia Getty
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,
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2012)
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'
'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
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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
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2012)
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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
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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
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2012)
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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
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f
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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,
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2012)
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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
8/9/2019 Alessia Getty
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
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2012)
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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
8/9/2019 Alessia Getty
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,
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2012)
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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,
1984),
8-57-
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
8/9/2019 Alessia Getty
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)