The Novohispanic Convent: The Case of the Northern Yucatan Peninsu

The Novohispanic Convent: A Result of the Syncretism Between the Ideology of the Mendicant Orders and the Economic, Political, and Social Context of New Spain: The Case of the Northern Yucatan Peninsula”

Vanoye Carlo Ana Raquel.[1]

Presentation was given on September 13, 2012, at the former Acolman convent.

There is currently sufficient evidence to consider that the convents identified and disseminated by Manuel Toussaint in his texts are the last architectural expression of a process that began in 1524 with the arrival of the famous group of 12 Franciscans led by Friar Martín de Valencia. Before them, there were a series of processes and constructions whose identification, study, and understanding will contribute to the comprehension of other dynamics, such as the adaptation of the European convent to the needs imposed by the cosmogony and way of life of the indigenous people, which translated architecturally into the incorporation of certain architectural structures. These precursor buildings have been grouped into two well-characterized and thus defined phases.

The first phase began with the contact between mendicant orders and indigenous people. This allowed the former to extract and formalize experiences that identified the necessary spaces and appropriate forms for evangelization. Very likely, the preachers began their activity in improvised and open-air places.

This beginning is well described by the phrases cited by Valadés, mentioning the location [of the preaching sites]: in all places where they arrive to preach, but outside the towns. He also mentions the type of space: large dimensions, limited by masonry walls, and without being attached to any building. Therefore, there is no temple or convent there.

The constructions belonging to the second phase are more difficult to specify. We know that this phase includes all those located between the appearance of the previously described ones and the Novohispanic convent. It is considered that all those who contributed to the configuration of the final building belong to this group. And, although many of them are unknown, it is possible to mention that any construction located in the center of a town belongs to this group. Also included are those that merge Mesoamerican and European architecture in their design and, finally, those constructions that, although of European design, resolve structural or material issues using techniques, tools, or skills developed by indigenous cultures.

In a third group would be all those buildings that Kubler and Toussaint accounted for and studied, which exhibit all the European contributions and the assimilation of features that meet the needs derived from the indigenous way of life. In other words, these are those that incorporate from the former the architectural layout recorded since the 9th century, the temple, the orientation of the apse to the east, and the abbey to the south, and from the latter the large atriums, the Posas chapels, and the open chapels.

The southeast of the Viceroyalty was excluded from the first stage of the described process: the design, implementation, experimentation, and evaluation of it were carried out entirely in the center of New Spain. This allowed the friars to go to the southeast bringing with them, besides their training, their new knowledge about indigenous cultures and the successful results of the evangelization process carried out in the center, ensuring their triumph.

[1] Faculty of Architecture, UNAM, raquelvanoye@gmail.com

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