A reverence for purity
Located 70 km (43 miles) south of the state capital, the ancient village of Akil breathes the relaxed tranquillity of rural Yucatecan communities, and the soft aroma of mamey and citrus. Despite the scarcity of tourists, the village boasts a wide range of attractions, chief among which is the16th-century parish church and the 18th-century reredos that graces the altar, both dedicated to St. Agnes.
In 1848, Akil was the scene of one of the bloodiest battles in the Caste War. But it is perhaps more noteworthy for its devotion to a Roman martyr, going back to the earliest days of Franciscan evangelization in the region.
Agnes was one of the earliest Christian martyrs, which gives her a certain significance in the Church. Her cult was widespread in Italy, where there are numerous depictions of her life and churches dedicated to her; not so much in the New World, however, which makes the existence of this reredos in Yucatan all the more remarkable.
In fact, only two churches in the state were dedicated to St. Agnes during early evangelization: Akil and Dzitás. And she remains patron saint of both communities.
The main altarpiece of St. Agnes, is estipite Baroque in style, constructed in the 1700s. It has two levels, the first divided vertically into three sections, and a gable. The base is plain masonry, and the predella has a simple architrave and a frieze decorated with a repeating motif. The projections have a different ornamental motif, and the cornice is molded.
The first level has mixtilinear wings to the sides, with molded outlines and acanthus-leaf decoration on the faces. In the center is a rectangular niche terminating in a rounded arch, which holds a statue of the Virgin Mary.
To the sides, in similar arched niches, are statues of St. Peter and St. Lawrence, flanked by estipite columns.
The second level has a stylized flower to either side, and in the center a rectangular niche with a rounded arch containing a crucifix. To the sides are wide wings with molded, mixtilinear outlines, and ornamented surfaces containing the emblems of the Franciscan order (the Cross together with the four wounds of Christ). The gable is roughly triangular, with molded, curved edges, and in the center a shield bearing the monogram of the Virgin, surrounded by acanthus leaves. And finally there is a large shell at the top.
According to the restorer Fernando Garcés Fierros, the wooden altarpiece, measuring five meters by eight (16 ft x 26 ft), is even more valuable for being a unique example of 18th-century vernacular art.
As for the place name: Akil, there are ancient records which provide differing explanations. The Motul Dictionary, compiled towards the end of the 16th century, states that the Maya word akil designates “any plant or bush that creeps, climbs or clings”. Although the most commonly accepted meaning today is “place of vines”, Domingo Martínez Paredes, a mid-20th-century linguistics scholar, suggested that Akil may derive from aak: “tender, immature”, giving the meaning “green, or tender place”.
José Iván Borges Castillo, chronicler of the community, believes it may well be that this primitive metaphor of immaturity is what motivated the friars to choose the young virgin and martyr as the patron saint of the village, back when the settlement was still green.
Over the centuries, and far from disappearing, local veneration of St. Agnes – the patron saint of young people who wish to remain chaste, and a model of the success which can be achieved by individuals of great faith – has increased among the population, who celebrate her feast day on the 21st of January.
The church in Akil, and its altarpiece, can be visited during times of religious services.
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