Capilla de nuestra señora de la Merced de las Huertas, Baroque chapel in Mexico City, Mexico.
The Capilla de Nuestra Señora de la Merced de las Huertas is a Baroque chapel in Mexico City with richly decorated walls and architectural details throughout. Its layout follows traditional religious design with an ornate altar and decorative elements positioned to draw the eye toward the sacred space.
In April 1607 the Mercedarians bought a country house with an orchard in Popotla as a rest house and built cells and a chapel. In 1620 they founded a convent there, rebuilt with the chapel between 1668 and 1680. In 1737 it became a house of voluntary recollection and a Baroque portico was added; the convent was demolished in the mid-20th century, leaving only the chapel, remodeled in 1976.
The chapel keeps the wooden image of the Virgin of Mercy carved in 1762, known locally as the Virgen de Tacuba. It was damaged in a 2005 attempted theft, held as evidence until a court case ended in February 2012, restored by INAH experts by July of that year and returned to the community on 1 August 2012.
The chapel stands in Popotla, Miguel Hidalgo, near the Tacuba metro area; the 1737 Baroque portico on the side of the temple now serves as the entrance. It is an active Catholic place of worship, so visits are best timed outside service hours. The chapel is the only surviving structure of the former Mercedarian convent.
The chapel's most valued piece is a wooden sculpture of the Virgin of Mercy dated 1762, known locally as the Virgen de Tacuba. It was damaged in a 2005 attempted theft and held as evidence until the case closed in February 2012; INAH experts restored it and returned it to the community on 1 August 2012.
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