The Color of Devotion to Mary
Thanks to its hand-crafted polychrome designs, the majestic church at Uayma is a major reference point in vernacular religious architecture and the 17th-century Yucatecan Baroque.
The church and ex-monastery of St. Dominic de Guzman, 12th-century founder of the Order of Preachers, better-known as Dominicans, is located in Uayma, 155 km (96 miles) east of Merida and 15 km (9 miles) northwest of Valladolid.
By 1579, Uayma already had a church, sacristy, choir and monastic cells, although its appearance changed later, as testified by a plaque at the entrance which mentions 1642 as the completion of building work, using stones taken from pre-Colombian buildings at the site, which was a dependency of Zaci, now Valladolid. A camerín of the Virgin of Candelaria was added in the 17th century.
The façade boasts a two-headed eagle representing the Austrian house of Habsburg, who ruled Spain until 1700.
The first think we notice looking at the monastery complex is the devotion to Mary, as Diego López Cogolludo states in the section on adoration of the Virgin of Candelaria at Uayma, in his book History of Yucatan.
The decoration and eye-catching colors are part of this devotion to Mary. Both external and internal walls are stuccoed with distinctive geometric details owing much to Arabic and Mudejar designs which use loops, stars, wheels of flowers and, in general, a wide range of colors that highlight the relief decoration and the celestial motifs on the walls.
The predominant color used as background to the striking exterior decoration of the church is red, representing the suffering of Christ. To the fore are bows or ribbons which create stars or white flowers with blue trim. These, as in the camerín, are a reference to the Mother of God.
During the Caste War, beginning in 1847, the church was attacked, burned, ruined and abandoned. Early attempts at restoration began in 1891.
Repairs and restoration work were carried out between 2003 and 2005, restoring its former splendor to the church, thanks to official intervention and the “Adopt an Artwork” association run by Elba Villarreal Rodríguez de García Ponce. The project was headed by Fernando Garcés Fierros, an expert in sacred art, then working for the INAH Yucatan..
Further restoration work was carried beginning in February 2021, using funds from the National Tourism Promotion Fund, as part of the Mayan Train project.
According to the Dictionary of Yucatecan Spanish, there are two possible etymologies of the name Uayma. The first is from Wayma’, meaning “not here”, from way, or waye’, here, and ma’, no. The second, more widely accepted, is from Wayumha’ meaning “water from the huaya”, referring to a small round fruit with a large seed, and ha’, water.
The exterior of The church and monastery of St. Dominic de Guzman (patron saint whose feast is celebrated in the town from 26th of July to 8th of August) can be viewed at any time, but the beautiful interiors are only open during times when the parish church is in use.
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