Pictorial catechism
The lovely colonial church of St. Peter the Apostle stands in the center of the village of Cholul, just outside Merida, surrounded by gardens and a broad esplanade which is used for everything from sporting events to erecting the temporary arenas for the bullfights that enliven traditional festivities.
Cholul has its origins in a pre-Hispanic Mayan settlement, part of the ancient province of Keh Pech. In the 16th century, during the early years of the conquest and evangelization of the Yucatan Peninsula, it was established as a village that depended in religious matters on the monastery of St. Francis of Assisi in Conkal, which was founded in 1549 and is thus one of the oldest in the Peninsula.
Cholul lies a mere 11 km (7 miles) northwest of Merida, and today forms part of the capital’s metropolitan area. According to the Cordemex Mayan Dictionary, the place name refers to a tree called chulul, the wood of which was used for making bows and arrows.
The village’s principal festival is dedicated to its patron saint, Peter, on the 29th June. However, other religious celebrations are also held in the village: in August in honor of the Virgin of the Assumption; in September for the Holy Christ of Love; and in December for the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Although the exact date construction on the church commenced is unknown, it is possible to identify various stages of building during the 16th and 17th centuries. The oldest part is the presbytery, the architecture of which suggests it was originally an open or Indians’ chapel. As time passed, the present body of the church was added, including masonry walls and ceilings with beams of wood and iron, supported by semi-circular arches resting on stone pillars.
The façade shares the sobriety and beauty of other Franciscan churches in Yucatan. The main entrance is framed in stone, with the choir window above it; at the top are two bell-gables and a triangular pediment.
The interior of the church of St. Peter houses various reredoses and religious images of historical and artistic importance. However, the greatest jewel of sacred art is the set of frescoes that adorn the vaults and walls of the building, especially the presbytery. It is an extraordinary example of the murals that decorated the interiors of many of the churches and cloisters of 16th– and 17th-century Franciscan monasteries in Yucatan.
The purpose of this kind of religious painting was not only decorative, but also educational, since it depicts scenes from the life of Christ, Mary or other saints, functioning as a visual catechism for a population most of whom were illiterate.
In the case of Cholul, the most remarkable are those that frame the presbytery. Above a triumphal arch is a scene of the Virgin Mary being crowned by Jesus Christ and God the Father, surrounded by the Holy Spirit, the twelve apostles, saints and angels playing music. On the inner surface of the arch we see Sts. Peter and Paul accompanied by sumptuous decoration comprising plant motifs, angels and precious stones.
It is worth pointing out that this kind of artwork was often done by indigenous painters, working under the direction of the friars, and using the engravings, decorations and illustrations printed in contemporary religious books as their models.
This jewel of Yucatan’s sacred art can be seen during normal opening times in the parish church of St. Peter.
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