Franciscan monastery of Zacatlán, Franciscan monastery in Zacatlán Municipality, Mexico.
The Franciscan monastery in Zacatlán is a religious building with three naves arranged in basilica form and topped with red tile roofing that blends into the surrounding town. The structure displays the spacious proportions and vaulted interior spaces typical of churches from this period.
Construction began in 1562 and the monastery received its blessing in 1567, making it older than the famous cathedrals of Mexico City and Puebla. This early founding marked the Franciscans' role in establishing religious centers across the region.
The monastery walls display preserved mural paintings from the 16th century, showing how religious art developed and what mattered to people then. Walking through the spaces, you can see these works and understand the artistic expression of that era.
The building has housed the Casa de la Cultura since 1991, containing a municipal library, museum, and art workshops open to the public. Visitors can experience the spaces in their current use and explore various cultural activities available there.
In 2009, the National Institute of Anthropology and History carried out an eight-month restoration project that recovered ten percent of the original wall murals. These efforts revealed details that had been hidden beneath later paint layers for centuries.
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