Estrellas del arte maya cristiano
Tihosuco, an ancient Mayan village hidden in the the east of the Peninsula, is the most representative place in Quintana Roo as far as historic architecture is concerned, since it is home to 31 of the 145 monuments registered in the state.
During the Colonial era, it grew to be one of the principal towns in the Peninsula, along with Campeche, Merida and Valladolid, but in 1865 it was abandoned after becoming the epicenter of the indigenous uprising known as the Caste War. Despite its tribulations and prolonged abandon, the community preserved its splendid architecture and its urban foundations almost intact.
The star of Tihosuco’s rich legacy is the monastery complex of the Holy Christ Child, both on account of its size and because of its architectural features. It was built by the Franciscans in the 17th c entury, and comprises three structures; the church, the cemetery, and the priest’s house.
The church’s ruined façade speaks to the village’s violent past. It was converted to military use, and was the site of bloody clashes, of which the most important was when the “white” inhabitants barricaded themselves inside, until finally attacked by the Mayan forces.
The church and monastery at Tihosuco were finished in the 19th century. Similar churches, with buttresses and presbytery vaults constructed on logs survive at Sacalaca, Sabán, Tepich and other places in Quintana Roo. The church at Tihosuco is one of the biggest in the state.
The temple is a large limestone masonry structure, covered with a continuous barrel vault. Of the majestic façade, only part of the southern section survives, including a pilaster with a smooth shaft, adorned at the mid-point by a ring of plant-like motifs.
Another partial pilaster rises from the capital to a section of moulded cornise that was originally the base of a statue that has since disappeared. A further pilaster stands to the side, supporting the spring of a moulded arch.
The whole was flanked by a half-pilaster from ground level all the way up the façade, still decorated with pargeting containing geometric motifs on the shaft. Some pargeting also survives on the wall, containing plant motifs. The rest of the façade disappeared when it was dynamited during the Caste War.
The vast side walls are approximately five meters (16 ft) thick. There are two openings to illuminate the interior, which connect with the intramural passage that runs round the church half-way up the wall. The walls themselves are crowned with crenellations.
The north side entrance has a semi-circular arch with sgraffito geometric designs on the front of the arch ring, which is supported by two pilasters sporting similar decoration on their shafts; it also preserves part of the pargeting with stars and flower motifs.
The southern side entrance is similar to the northern, the only differences being the decoration of the pargeting and the state of conservation. There is a alfiz with Greek frets and a chain of circular links providing a border.
Above the entrance the pargeting contains a moulding beneath a crown decorated with rinceaux, and flanked by two small pinnacles.
The presbytery still has its original barrel vault. The nave is covered with round beams or logs that support a solid vault of stone and sascab (from the Maya for “white earth”). The sections of the nave are separated by concrete transverse arches, and the whole roof reveals its modern building techniques.
Attached to the north side of the church are the remains of a small monastery. It has a crenellated façade with three openings: two doors and a window. The main door has a small portal with a decorated flat arch.
There is also a disused cemetery on the south side of the church. It still has its stone wall with a crenellated top and an entrance doorway framed by stone pilasters and a semi-circular arch. A bell-gable with three openings, decorated with rinceaux but lacking bells, sits over the portal.
Iniside, we can see the remains of columns and the springers of the side arches, which suggest that it used to be an open chapel, since the end wall has a vault with an altar table.
The priest’s house contains a baptismal font, attributed to the master stonemason Pascual Estrella. It is adorned with plant motifs and cherubim, and the date of manufacture – 1786 – carved into the stone. It is one of the loveliest fonts in the Peninsula.
Tihosuco, whose Maya name is Jo’ tsuk —meaning “five stomachs” or “five directions” – is part of the municipality of Felipe Carrillo Puerto. It is 68 km (42 miles) from Valladolid and 230 km (143 miles) southeast of Merida.
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