Templo de San Pablo el viejo, Renaissance temple in La Merced district, Mexico City, Mexico.
Templo de San Pablo el Viejo is a temple showcasing Renaissance features, constructed in stone with an east-west orientation. The building uses masonry techniques that blend European and local construction methods typical of the early colonial period.
Built between the late 1500s and early 1600s, this temple replaced an earlier chapel funded by indigenous leader Andrés de Tapia Motelchiuhtzin. Its construction marks the first phase of Christianization and institutional building following Spanish conquest.
This temple stands in what was once the Teopan neighborhood, a central hub of pre-Hispanic Mexico-Tenochtitlan. The location carries memories of indigenous life and remains a link between the colonial and pre-colonial past of the city.
The building now functions as an auditorium within Hospital Juárez, accessible through the medical facility's main entrance. Visitors should be aware this is an active medical center, so visits should be planned respectfully.
During the United States military intervention in the 1840s, this temple was briefly converted into a military hospital. The conversion reveals how historic buildings adapt to serve urgent needs during times of conflict.
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