Templo de San Sebastián, Colonial temple ruins on San Gregorio hill in Chiapa de Corzo, Mexico.
The Templo de San Sebastián is a colonial temple ruin perched on San Gregorio hill, with its interior divided into three sections by stone arches. The remaining apse and front wall display the construction methods of the 1600s, including niches set between supporting pillars.
Built in the 17th century, the temple's existence reflects Chiapa de Corzo's economic and demographic weight in the colonial era. It was destroyed by a strong earthquake at the end of the 19th century. On 21 October 1863 it served as the Fuerte Independencia during a battle, and its ruins are now reinforced with construction materials and used for religious rites and social events.
The temple's Mudéjar style is visible in its Morisco-influenced arches and a window, forms brought from Spain and adapted in colonial Chiapa de Corzo. Beside the ruins stands an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and each year pilgrimages for her feast bring the site back into religious use.
The ruins stand on the Cerro de San Gregorio, reached by a climb; the ground is uneven and the standing structure has been reinforced with construction materials, so watch your footing near the arches. From the facade you look down over the urban layout toward the Río Grande. The site still hosts religious rites and social events, so parts may be occupied.
The three naves were separated by arcades that collapsed in 1993, not by an earthquake but by a tromba, a sudden downpour or waterspout. The 19th-century destruction of the temple was the work of a strong earthquake. The apse and the fachada-retablo, with niches between the pilasters, are the parts still standing.
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