A chance encounter with a historical landmark

photo by Darian Day photo by Darian Day photo by Darian Day photo by Darian Day photo by Darian Day photo by Darian Day photo by Darian Day photo by Darian Day photo by Darian Day

It was a chance thing, really. We were heading for Patzcuaro, almost due south of Guanajuato, where we had spent the past several days on a photography and business junket. While checking out of our small hotel, the otherwise taciturn gentleman who owned the establishment told us - almost as an afterthought - that, well, if we were heading for Patzcuaro, we might want to take lunch in Yuriria because there was a very old and beautiful convent there. Intrigued, when the exit presented itself abruptly on the highway about midpoint on the drive, we took it, then turned down a dusty road into what looked like a backwater farming town in central Mexico.

A long time ago, Yuriria was an important administrative center and stop-off point on the “silver highway” connecting Mexico City with Guanajuato and Zacatecas. These days, Yuriria is home to only 26,000 people.

The ex-Convento de San Pablo Apostol is easy to find - it dominates the town’s humble skyline. In fact, Yuriria’s ex-Convento is among the largest in Mexico and resembles, as do many ex-conventos, a medieval fortress. For us, “convent” meant this must have been a place of women, but in fact, the ex-Convento was a monastery. The word convent finds its origins in the Latin words con and venire, meaning "to come together;" it was a word commonly used in Spanish to refer to such a place occupied by either a society of men or women.

Its resemblance to a fortress is no accident. As a result of the Spanish settlements during the mid-1500s, the area became a war zone with ongoing clashes between the local people and the Spanish Crown. Conventos were erected all over Mexico as the Catholic Church engaged in evangelization and pacification, actively supported in its efforts by the colonial government.

The ex-Convento in Yuriria was founded by Friar Alonso de la Veracruz, formerly an instructor at the prestigious University of Salamanca in Spain. Veracruz has been considered one of the outstanding scholars and intellectuals in 16th century Mexico and has been credited with the founding of the University of Mexico.

Construction on the Convento San Pablo Apostol began in 1550 and was completed in 1559 (though some say 1567). Its erection and lay-out were overseen by Fray Diego de Chavez, nephew of the famously cruel conquistador Don Pedro de Alvarado. The construction force consisted of nearly 40 masons, both Hispanic and indigenous, and more than 300 Indian laborers.

Today, one enters the Ex-Convento through a portico embraced by large graceful arches, disappearing at first into the cool shadows of the porteria, or porter’s room, and emerging into the walkway that surrounds the verdant and tranquil central courtyard. On the day we visited, we were nearly completely alone, passing only a handful of other visitors. There are two levels, with common rooms below and former living quarters above. Entrance to the rooms is via surrounding Gothic arcades, whose graceful arches overlook the courtyard and provide shade to the entryways of the building’s many rooms.

As we walked slowly around the lower level’s arcade, our pace was slowed by the magnificence of the place and the redolence of its history and significance. Decorations are sparse, possibly because of the devastating fire of 1814 which destroyed much of the town itself and the convent’s religious artwork. We could see the remnants of once-spectacular murals. The staircase that rises from the main level is still astonishing after nearly five centuries, and we ascended slowly and in solitude, pausing to revel in the metal filigree windows and the illusory handrails painted on the walls.

On the second floor, we wandered from one quiet room to the next. Long dark hallways gave way to brilliant sunlight at their terminuses and through occasional oculi above. Our mood was reverent and contemplative, perhaps evoked by the atmosphere of the place. The moment that truly took our breath away, though, was when we came upon the Virgin of Guadalupe at the end of a very long hallway, illuminated by only one bare low-wattage bulb. Though the ravages of the centuries have taken their toll, she still glows on the wall with a presence that is palpable and wonderful.

We left the ex-Convento reluctantly, with the long road to Patzcuaro still ahead of us. We paused for an early dinner in the restaurant of what appeared to be the only hotel in town and enjoyed the hospitality of the townspeople, a very lively mariachi band, and possibly the country’s largest molcajetes. And we reflected on our extraordinary good luck of this chance encounter with Yuriria’s ex-Convento, thanks to the brief remarks of our Guanajuato host.

Photos by Darian Day