Tepotzotlán – Pueblo Magico

We arrived in Tepotzotlán from the north and spent half a day before we caught an Uber to CDMX (you can see the post here). At first glance of wandering around, it seemed like an unassuming little town with little to offer. After CDMX, we caught another Uber back to Tepotzotlán and had an entire down day (I caught a cold in CDMX – took two COVID tests, both came back negative) where we didn’t leave the RV park except to do laundry, pharmacy, and market.

The next day we wandered to the town square where there was a very large stone wall around a very large city block – we wondered what was on the other side. This is the town where they had the giant bronze Jesus on a crucifix laying on the ground – 30′ or there about tall. We walked up to the church and the facade was extraordinary but the doors were closed. So we wandered a bit to the side of the church where there seemed to be a park. It ended up being an ancient (300 years old) olive orchard and a museum. I didn’t have high hopes for the museum, but we went in anyway – what’s $90 pesos, we had time to kill.

Museo National de Virreinato

This unassuming museum was actually quite spectacular. Its focus was on the convent, monastery, and Jesuit School which were located at this site and their role in the conquest of the Mexica people of the 16th-18th centuries. The museum did a good job at a historical perspective of the conquest and challenges of, controversy within the church, migration of peoples throughout Mesoamerica, and the importance of trade between Mexico and the rest of the world during these times.

Iglesia de San Martín

The church of San Martin was attached to the school and monastery. As I walked in, I was blown away at the opulence of the 23.99k gold plated walls. These ornate works of art were the way the church and clergy was supposed to communicate or tell the tale of the holy trinity and Christ, as none of the local could read or even spoke latin. The story had to be communicated in such a way as to inspire awe, reverence, and fear. There are far too many details to go into about each panel, so I will just post some pictures to see.

Casa de Loreto – birthplace of Maria

The church has also become a modern pilgrimage destination to visit the Virgen in the house of Loreto – supposedly the house in which the Virgin Mary was born in Nazareth. This is an ‘exact’ replica of the house – built into a single nave of the Church of San Martin. It was built between 1679-1680 and has become a religious relic which the devout embark on pilgrimages for to pay their respect and ask for personal favors and miracle.

Relics and other interesting items in the museum

The museum hosts many exhibits, inclusive of the school and cloister, religious relics, historical information for trade, and the conquest of the people of Mexica. There’s a lot of information, so I will just post pictures