Exploring Colonial Mexico©
Exploring Colonial Mexico©
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The Cathedral of San Cristóbal de Las Casas Since its restoration some years ago, the colonial cathedral of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, in Chiapas, has witnessed extraordinary events.
Following the surprise Zapatista revolt of January 1994, masked Maya rebels led by the pipe-smoking Subcomandante Marcos held dramatic public negotiations here with top Mexican officials.
Presiding over this historic encounter was the controversial former bishop of Chiapas, Samuel Ruiz García, a staunch supporter of indigenous rights whose unprecedented 35 years in office were marked in 1995 by a synod of Latin American and US bishops, which culminated in a Cathedral mass that was celebrated in four languages.
The cathedral was again in the international spotlight at the end of 1994, when Don Samuel staged a hunger strike there to show solidarity with the Maya. In their turn, the Indians flocked to the Cathedral to declare their support for the bishop and protect him from his many local enemies. Since the army presence has been reduced, armed confrontations have eased in Chiapas and an uneasy peace now reigns between the rebels and the federal government.
Bartolomé de Las Casas, the Defender of the Indians and first bishop of Chiapas, founded the Cathedral of the Annunciation here in 1545. Because of earthquakes and poor construction, the original building did not last. The present structure dates mostly from the 1700s.
As noted above, the richly textured baroque facade, famous for its complex iconography and statuary, was recently been restored to its original bright coloration. The colonnaded cathedral interior is well lit, illuminating the unusual carved pulpit, and a trio of sumptuous baroque altarpieces at the east end, notable for their fine colonial statuary.
The Cathedral of San Cristóbal and the other colonial monuments of the city are more fully described in our Chiapas guidebook, More Maya Missions Visit our page on the retablo of San José in the cathedral Updates on the restoration of the colonial buildings of Chiapas Tour the hidden missions of the Camino Real Explore the Zoque missions of northern Chiapas Chiapas map top
