Source: Photograph by WTL© (2009) on site in Cholula, Puebla, México.
Image: There is plaque to the right of the main door that gives the name of this 16th century convent: Convento de San Gabriel (1529 - 1552).
Comments: This was a Franciscan convent for three centuries until church property was nationalized by Mexico in the 19th century. This convent was constructed on the site of a razed cholulteca pyramid of Quetzalcóatl. As you can see, like most Franciscan missions and convents, this was an extraordinarily prosperous institution. To the right there is a fine municipal museum. You see the chapel in the center. To the left is the Royal Chapel, which was added at the second half of the 16th century (see: => Cholula 21 and = > Cholula 22) for indigenous converts. Also included in the compound, which is known as the Plaza de la Concordia, are a superb Franciscan library, and a chapel of the Third Order of Franciscans. The main task of the Franciscan was care for an conversion of the indigenous population.
Humanities Topics: Describe the architecture and place it in a humanities period. Describe the slits in the tower on the right (see: => Cholula 18a) and compare them to other church buildings studied in this course that have a similar feature.