Location: 70 km (43 mi) Southeast of Toluca, Mexico state Map
Open: Tue- Sun
Malinalco (from Tlahuica: Ñumxu) is a Mexican town in the state
of Mexico, it is the head of the municipality of the same name
located south of the city of Toluca de Lerdo and 52 km from the
city of Cuernavaca. In terms of travel time it is located one
hour from Mexico City starting from the Mexico - Toluca booth
via La Marquesa. This municipality is also a magical town of the
State of Mexico.
It was first an important settlement of
the Matlazinca people, later dominated by the Mexica. It is one
of the smallest municipalities in Mexico and its municipal seat
bears the same name.
In the history of Mexico, its
importance and its fame are due to the fact that two centers of
religious historical interest are located in it: first, because
at its head there is a unique Mexica shrine carved in the stone
of the hill, and which is a spectacular example of the Mexican
ritual architecture of Chalma.
Currently it serves as a
human settlement dedicated to agriculture and tourism, due to
its tropical climate and its historical monuments it is a town
that attracts visitors all year round, but also people who have
rest houses come to the place during the weekends.
The name Malinalco derives from the Nahuatl noun Malinalli,
which refers to a plant typical of the ancient region of
Telcaxtepec. In turn, the current name Malinalco refers to the
woman who several centuries ago came to settle on the craggy
hill after being abandoned by her brother. Malinalxóchitl, by
which this place has as meaning "Flower of the zacate del
carbonero”.
In the Malinalco region you can find this
plant which has a hard, rough and fibrous texture, when this
plant is used in a fresh way, it can be used for the manufacture
of coal sacks and the ropes that secure them. The Malinalli
plant has remote antecedents, these are related to ritual
practices.
The Malinalco Valley borders to the northwest with the Sierra de
Ocuilan, to the west is located a mountain range known as the
Matlalac summit that separates the Malinalco valley with the
Tenancingo valley; on the wall of this summit the Cerro de los
Ídolos was built. To the south it borders the Cerro Grande and
other mountain formations.
Malinalco is located at an
average altitude of 1,000 m a.s.l., the climate is warm subhumid
with abundant rains (1,200 - 1,500 mm. annually). The average
annual temperature ranges from 20 to 22 degrees Celsius. The
most common soils are of the haplic Feosem type, associated with
Andool humble and molico, which are characterized by their low
impermeability. The geological formation consists of extrusive
igneous rocks such as basalt, tuff and volcanic breccia. In the
south of the valley there is a limestone formation where erosive
agents have caused the formation of caves that served as a
refuge for groups of hunter-gatherers. The vegetation is low
deciduous forest in the plain and pine-oak forest in the part of
the sierra. ("General History of the State of Mexico" 98).
The Malinalco region is an optimal space for agriculture
thanks to the abundance of water from springs and rivers, as
well as the alluvial soils rich in organic matter.
One of
the most important rivers is the Chalma River, which runs from
Ocuilan and irrigates the entire southern part of the valley.
The San Miguel or Malinalco River is also one of the most
important which begins its journey at the foot of the Matlalac
summit. The Colapa River runs from the southwest of the valley
and has a much smaller channel than the previous ones. This
river runs along a deep path so, only with current technology
can water be extracted for agricultural purposes. To the south
of the valley is a place known as the Union of the rivers where
the three mentioned rivers join crossing the mountain range that
divides the State of Mexico with the valley of Morelos.
It is in the early postclassic period and the beginning of the late
one when the first settlers were recorded in this place. Before it was
occupied by a Culhua group headed by Cuauhtepexpetlatzin, it had already
been populated with people of Matlazinca roots, who settled both in that
valley and in part of the Tarasca area of Michoacán, and perhaps by the
Ocuiltecs; it is even believed that their speech already existed since
the year 600 AD.
The Matlazincas had three types of populations:
ceremonial, such as Calixtlahuaca and Malinalco; political, such as
Toluca, where the political-administrative authorities resided; and
civil, which included the headwaters, villages and rancherías.
The temples of Malinalco were built after the conquest of the
Matlatzincas by the Mexica in 1476, under the reign of Axayácatl. Around
1486-1490, Ahuízotl ordered the stonemasons of Tenochtitlan to build the
site, for which forced labor was mainly used. When the Spaniards arrived
in Malinalco, the siege had not yet been completed. The army of Cortés
interrupted the work and the stones were later used by the Augustinian
friars to build the convent of the town of Malinalco.
During the
Spanish conquest Malinalco rebelled so Andrés de Tapia had the task of
making them surrender together with the people of Ocuilan (after the sad
night). The newly pacified land was organized into encomiendas so in
Malinalco the first ones were granted to Cristóbal Rodríguez de Ávalos
and to the Crown. It was Cristóbal Rodríguez who influenced the
evangelizing task and supported the construction of the convent.
Malinalco was evangelized by Franciscans and Dominicans, finally it was
designated to the Augustinians in 1533.
It was in Malinalco where
José María Morelos y Pavón had his stay on January 8, 1813; in this town
he signed a document which "orders that a letter from the ecclesiastical
chapter in which he asked for donations to help in the peninsular war
against the French be returned to Mexico".
Fulfilling the
requirements, its city council was ratified by the Governor Melchor
Múzquiz, as recorded in the Memory of February 15, 1826; of this the
date of erection of the municipality of Malinalco corresponds to January
1.
After the Reform War the reactionary chiefs and Gavillas
continued fighting during the first months of 1861; as a refuge they had
the mountains of Ocuilan and Malinalco.
With the application of
the Reform laws, the buildings, ecclesiastical properties and others
passed into the hands of the state, so in Malinalco the Augustinian
convents continued to function to the community, but their owner was now
the state.
During the Revolution, Malinalco's proximity to the
state of Morelos made him a participant in the revolutionary attacks and
he joined the Zapatista side. When the forces of Emiliano Zapata stormed
the area, on April 10, 1912 the people of Malinalco placed themselves
under the orders of Major General Genovevo of the O. During the period
of Victoriano Huerta, Malinalco remained loyal to the Zapatista forces.
Under Decree number 128, being interim governor of the state,
Antonio Zimbrón clarifies that Chalma belongs to the municipality of
OCUILAN and was erected as a village.
Due to the belonging of its
inhabitants, its tourist and hotel infrastructure, its impressive
archaeological zone and its sixteenth-century convent, Malinalco was
declared a Magical Town in 2010 by the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur).
In Malinalco there is a site that could be granted a temporality of
3000 BC. It is located in a cave known as Chiquihuitero. There we can
find crude instruments, carved flint scraps and obsidian, as well as
grinding instruments in basalt.
There are paintings, apparently
pre-Hispanic, near the municipal seat of Malinalco. It is difficult to
locate them at a certain time, but it is thought that they were made by
hunter-gatherers of an early stage. These were made on rocky walls on
the hills around the area and in some other parts of the valley.
Two groups of paintings were differentiated: group 1, in the north of
the Hill of the Idols; stylized anthropomorphic motifs (includes the
painting known as ”The Coyote"). The second group located in the eastern
part of the valley, consists of anthropomorphic motifs, which appear to
dance, in various positions (painting “The Little Devils”). More
examples have been found on the sides of the Matlatac summit, but they
are not in good condition since their motives have been destroyed (for
being associated with practices contrary to the Christian religion).
Teotihuacán formed a multicultural predominance composed of groups
from different regions of Mesoamerica (Oaxaca, Mayan area, Huasteca
area, etc.).
The expansion of Teotihuacán was a gradual process
to which adjacent areas such as the Toluca Valley, the
Poblano-Tlaxcalteca region, Hidalgo, Morelos and finally other more
distant regions of Mesoamerica were incorporated.
24 sites with
Teotihuacan ceramics have been found in Malinalco, which confirms the
interest of Teotihuacan in the valley as an access to tierra caliente
(Guerrero and Morelos). The sites of this time are distributed
differently than in other regions of the Central Highlands in general.
These settlements are located in the hills (of the 24 sites, 13 are
located in this area).
It seems that the most important housing
settlements are those known as Acomulco and Acatonalco; they do not have
monumental architecture, however, they have a considerable extension.
Both sites are located in the most fertile area of the valley, the south
zone.
"It is strange that, although there is evidence of a
relationship with Teotihuacan, no sites with architectural elements
representative of the great city have been discovered.” (“General
History of the State of Mexico” 108). The Teotihuacan influences are
observed only in remains of vessels. The relationship with Teotihuacán
was not close, which suggests that the interest was to find an access
route to Guerrero. Most of the elements found belong to the phase called
Metepec, the last cultural phase of the Classic and does not coincide
with the heyday of Teotihuacán.
There were no centers of
hierarchies, but scattered housing sites, which suggests that the region
obeyed the development of the Central Highlands.
The people of the Mexica god Huitzilopochtli were the people chosen
by the Sun. This was the task of supplying the sun with its food, which
is why for Huitzilopochtli, war is a cult performance and an obligatory
activity. The above said, led him to create the Xochiyaoyotl, better
known as the Florida war, which unlike the other wars had as its main
objective to obtain prisoners for sacrifices to the Sun.
The
prisoner is a human being belonging to the people who is chosen by the
Sun, who is his servant and must become a warrior who from his birth is
prepared for the sacred war (combat in which the Tlaxcaltecs attended,
enemy of the warriors).
The Xochiyaoyotl was agreed between the
peoples of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopan, a war from its origins
oriented against the people of Tlaxcala, in which Cholula and
Huejotzinco participated. Malinalco was not indifferent to this
celebration, since the presence of a temalácatl in the temple belonged
to the Cuauhtli-Ocelotl, and was used as the venue for this event. Said
event, gave as proof that the cuāuhpipiltin or eagle warriors and the
jaguar warriors or ocēlōpipiltin, were a fundamental part of the
Xochiyayotl, since they provided prisoners for these to fight on the
temalácatl, which provided them with the opportunity to become
messengers of the Sun.8
The eagle warriors were the elite of the Mexica armies, the most
loved and respected, esteemed by the rulers or Tlatoanis. They were
warriors of the Mexica nobility who had the most privileges and the
maximum exemptions. These warriors were the ones whom the Tlatoanis
groomed with weapons and currency, which were elegant and ostentatious.
No court martial was carried out without their consent, that is, the
orders they provided and exercised did not contradict each other and
were accepted by the Tlatoanis.
The master and lord of the eagle
warriors was the Sun, for which they honored and cared for the solar
temple with the deserved respect. Finally, the Sun decided to name the
eagle warriors as knights of his order. These knights provided signs to
the kings, which served as tasks that exalted their greatness. His
military counterpart were the commoner jaguar warriors but no less
dexterous and brave.
The residents were known by the nickname of Malinaltecatl, which is
located near Tecolhuacan, which is known as a solar village that
performed human sacrifice as its main activity.
In the toponym of
Malinalco, there are some stellar eyes, these eyes give as a reference
to the prisoners who were sacrificed in the téchcatl (stone that was
used in sacrifices) to be offered to the Sun, these prisoners when
sacrificed become star men who fed the Sun with their lives.
General Emiliano Zapata visited the town of Malinalco on some occasions, being quartered and protected by the inhabitants when he was in the town, some issues of agrarian distribution and the strategic possession of Malinalco within the revolutionary movement were discussed there. Many members of the Revolutionary Army of the South were civilians from Malinalco.
The town of Malinalco has 8 main neighborhoods each with its chapel, in the center is the Malinalco convent founded in the sixteenth century by Augustinian friars, on whose walls and vaults are paintings depicting the flora and fauna of the municipality with a pre-Hispanic vision.
In the archaeological zone of Cuahutinchan there is the Cuahucali ceremonial center, a unique work carved in one-piece volcanic stone that is reached by climbing 423 steps. Considered a military elite enclosure, the combatants who sought to graduate as eagle warrior and jaguar warrior, the highest ranks granted to the rulers or leaders of the Aztec armies, went there: from the facade and the interior, ornaments in the form of a snake, jaguar and eagle, symbols of this culture, can be appreciated.
Malinalco is a small town in the south of the State of Mexico, it is
located 11 kilometers from Chalma and I quote this place because it is
known by most Mexicans for being one of the most important pilgrimage
centers in the country, to visit and offer the black Christ that is
venerated there.
In the center of the municipal seat of Malinalco
the Augustinian convent of the xvi century stands majestically, a
fundamental place to achieve the evangelizing process in that area that
mattered especially since, in front of this construction, on the top of
a hill, one of the sacrificial and sanctified spaces of pre-Hispanic
Mexico that I will deal with in a second part of this text about
Malinalco is located.
As for the pre-Hispanic era, the Department of Monuments: currently,
the National Institute of Anthropology and History, commissioned an
archaeologist, to be in charge of the exploration work of the site, on
March 23, 1936. Three constructions are mentioned in the so-called "Hill
of the Idols"; in addition to the monuments of this, 35 other sites of
archaeological vestiges have been located and studied in the
municipality: Matlalac, Rincón de Techimalco, Rincón de San Miguel,
Cerro Orquemel, Santa María Malinalco or Rincón del Pozo, Tozquihua,
Cerro Ciriaco, Tlamantlán, Rincón del Cementerio, Potrerillo, Los
Diablitos, Escuela Miguel Hidalgo, La Soledad and others.
From
the colonial era, we have the convent and church of the Divine Savior in
Malinalco; the chapel of Santa Monica in the municipal seat; the chapels
of San Nicolás Tolentino and Jesús María in the present-day town of San
Nicolás; the chapels total eleven; the hacienda of Jalmolonga, the most
important in the region of the current municipality of Malinalco and the
church of the "Señor de Chalma".
In Malinalco there is also a
special place for those who like religious architecture, the Convent of
San Agustín, founded in 1540 by Augustinian friars and in whose
construction indigenous people worked. All with the financial support of
the encomendero Cristóbal Rodríguez de Ávalos. The ground floor of the
convent building and the church were built at the same time, being
completed in 1560. While the upper cloister was added approximately in
1580. The Flemish painter Simón Pereyns worked on the installation of
the boxes.
With a Renaissance-style facade known as Plateresque,
where angels' heads stand out, rose windows and shells attached to the
bases of pilasters or to the friezes. Three pictorial programs can be
observed in the convent: the first is an extension of orchards and
gardens, the second in Renaissance style and finally the Christological
message with images of the passion. In the frescoes of the convent you
can see three medallions with the symbols of Jesus Christ, Mary Queen of
Heaven and the Augustinian emblem. In these frescoes it is possible to
identify the indigenous flora and fauna of the time, native specimens of
which some still grow in the ecological zone of Malinalco.
Located in the municipal seat, the Cerro de los Ídolos, with its
impressive monolithic architecture, is one of the few examples of this
type of architecture in America. It was built without the use of the
wheel or metal tools with no apparent technical flaws. ("General History
of the State of Mexico”)
The first explorations were carried out
in 1925 and in 1905 the first description of the place was made by
Bishop Plancarte y Navarrete who opined that it was a temple dedicated
to the god of fire, Xiuhtecuhtli.
"The Archaeological Zone of
Cuauhtinchán is located in the "Cerro De Los Ídolos", the area was
discovered in 1933. The main temple Cuauhcalli is one of the most famous
in the world for its monolithic character. It has been carved entirely
in the rock with a large round space at the top, where the orders of the
Eagle and Jaguar Warriors met to witness the sacrifice of a prisoner
warrior, who would become the messenger of the sun." The entrance to
this space is sculpted in the form of a snake's head that symbolically
represents the underworld. Inside there are impressive sculptures of two
eagles and an outstretched jaguar beautifully carved into the same rock.
Behind one of the eagles is a cuauhxicalli or sacred vessel where the
hearts of the sacrificed were placed. The orientation of the temple is
the result of precise astronomical calculations where impressive light
phenomena can be appreciated.
The archaeological zone of Malinalco was where the eagle warriors and
the ocelot warriors graduated: in it we find the most important
structure called cauhcalli which means house of the eagles, it is a
stone monolith carved on the very rock of the mountain this structure is
divided into 3 planes of the underworld universe, the earthly world and
the overworld.
The warrior had to perform a 46-day fast so that
when he entered the enclosure he could make his self-sacrifice he had to
overcome the Neol Yaolt which means warrior of himself in order to serve
his people.
In it we find a door where you can see the jaws of a
snake that is related to Quetzalcoatl the feathered snake there is a mat
that is a bifid tongue where the warrior was devoured when entering the
temple that represented Mother earth to be reborn again, you can see 2
eagles with open wings and an ocelot that are only the skins there the
priests sat to present the self-sacrifice of the war which lay on an
eagle in the center that has the wings folded and the self-sacrifice
consisted of piercing the limbs it could be with eagle claw maguey tip
or obsidian tip this blood was put in the sacred vessel and was offered
to the god Ometeotl (the god who can do everything and transforms
everything, the god of duality): if the warrior came out alive he could
take the appointment that he wanted and he could be the eagle warrior
that represents the wind or the ocelot warrior that represents the
earth.
The temple was polychrome, that is, it had colors as if
they were gold and silver.
There are some other structures:
The cinancalli which is where the warriors who died in battle were
cremated.
The teocalli: house of the gods where you could see the
course of the weather
El tecali: council house where they agreed when
they would go out in battle or when a warrior was ready to start with
his training.
The temalacat: where they fought with the captive
warriors.
The history of Malinalco is extremely ancient and dates
back to pre-Hispanic times having been populated by the Teotihuacan,
Toltec, Matlazincla and Aztec cultures. Of these last two cultures,
there is still a very important archaeological zone, located on the edge
of a 125-meter-high cliff at the top of the Cerro de los Ídolos to the
west of the town.
The eagle warriors used to come to this place
to perform esoteric rites for their initiation as Aztec warriors. In
this archaeological site we can find several buildings, the most
outstanding being the "House of the Eagles and the Tigers", a
pyramid-temple carved directly on the stone of the mountainside. This
space around whose door the mouth of a snake is represented, symbolized
for the pre-Hispanic warriors the doors of the Mictlan or underworld,
where after entering and performing a whole series of magical ceremonies
and rituals, they returned to the world of the living turned into the
legendary eagle warriors of the Mexica armies.
The archaeological
wealth of Malinalco is abundant and for some reason it has become one of
the most important pre-Hispanic sites in the Mexican territory. One of
the factors that have helped the consolidation of Malinalco on the
Mexican tourist map, refers to the easy access it offers to visitors.
The road infrastructure and tourist services that Malinalco and its
surroundings have, make it very easy to visit this magical corner of the
State of Mexico Toluca.
"The entrance to the site is located a few blocks from the town's
zocalo, going up towards the mountain."
"You enter the site
through the main temple and its terrace, which is 100m above the valley
floor. Building 6, located on the right, was going to be a circular
temple but it was never finished. On the left is Structure 1, completely
carved out of the natural rock and around which there are drains to
protect it from the rain. The central staircase of this structure is
flanked by sculptures of two jaguars, and there is one more in the
center. The main temple, which is located at the end of the staircase,
also has other sculptures, including that of a warrior sitting on a
snake."
"At the entrance you can see the jaws of a snake, which
represent the monster of the earth. Through there you pass to a circular
chamber surrounded by a stone bench in which there are three figures: a
jaguar and two eagles. In the center of the floor is an eagle carved in
front of a hole in which offerings were placed. It is assumed that the
place was completely painted with vivid colors."
"Opposite the
main temple is Structure 2, from which the stones were taken to build
the Augustinian convent. To the right of Structure 1 is Structure 3,
also carved into the rock. It has a rectangular room with a sunken
altar; the walls of this room were decorated with murals. In the back
there is a round chamber with another sunken altar. It is believed that
this structure was used for the deification of dead warriors."
"In front of Structure 3 is 5, a very deteriorated circular platform. To
the left of structure 3 you reach 4, through a staircase and two small
doors that at one time were only one. This construction houses another
chamber with a sunken altar. Structure 4 is the northern boundary of the
site. Also, more structures and drainage channels can be seen on the
slopes of the mountains."
This building is located on Taxco Street, at the end of the head in
an area rich in springs and apants. The atrium is fenced and has a
semicircular arch by access. Its cover is divided into two bodies, the
first presents the entrance door framed by an arch of half and point and
this in turn framed by an arch of rectangular shape, decorated with
plant motifs. The second body houses the oval-shaped coral window in the
center.
In the entrance arch, on the key of the arch, there is a
carving of an assumption-coronation made of stone. The top of the facade
is formed by a mixtilinear frame. The bell tower, located on the north
side of the building, consists of the staircase cube, which has a lobed
window, and two quadrangular silver bodies, which boast vertical
openings terminated in semicircular arches, this construction is crowned
with an octagonal base dome. Its floor plan is cross, the interior was
recently painted by a local artist, its altarpiece has neoclassical
characteristics and inside there are four arches that support the dome
and are covered with semicircular barrel vaults, on the pendentives of
this are placed grooves. This building has seven windows, three in the
nave, one in the portal or facade, two on each side of the nave and four
in the dome.
Located about 500 meters south of the convent on Calle de la Paz,
with a traditional east-west orientation. The wide atrium is limited by
a stone fence inside which there are recessed carvings that seem to form
a letter "M" between a pair of cords that serve as a line. The facade is
composed of two bodies ordered from a vertical axis formed by the door
and the coral window: the access door is a semicircular arch, flanked by
a pair of pilasters between which there is a vegetable carving that
extends to the door frame. In this body there is also a carving with
data of the butlers who made this facade in the xviii century.
The second body is integrated by the rectangular-shaped coral window
framed by two small semi-columns that support a barely hinted arch, the
carved motifs are also vegetal. At the top of the facade there is a
stone cross.
On one of the door leaves you can see the carving of
San Martín Caballero giving half of his mantle to the beggar and on the
other leaf you can see a deteriorated character on horseback crushing
the head of another creature. Also carved on the doors of the building
is the date of 1765 and the name of the butlers and bosses who paid the
expenses.
On both sides of the first body there are a couple of characters that
could represent the main natives, with a traditional outfit of ancient
Mexico and whose origin could be located in the same century of the
conquest. This settlement must have been one of the oldest in the
Malinalco Valley. However, the current building was later. The bell
tower is located on the north side corresponds to the stylistic
characteristics of the seventeenth century, such as the composition of
the bases of the pilasters of the openings in the first body, the
decoration is based on plant motifs and are also observed in the
moldings that divide the lower and upper bodies. The tower is composed
of a cube and on this, two bodies and a finial: both bodies are
integrated by semicircular arches that house the bells. This
construction is crowned with a dome and a lantern. To the south exterior
of the facade there are wooden belfry niches that should have contained
the bells before the seventeenth-century towers.
The interior of
the nave is illuminated by five windows distributed two on each side and
one in the choir, as well as eight other smaller windows on each
octagonal side of the dome. The pendentives of this one contain painting
of the four heroic Jewish prefigurations of the Virgin Mary: Barbara,
Judith, Abigail and Ruth.
This building is located two kilometers north of the municipal seat.
At the foot of the road that goes towards Toluca, its orientation is
east-west. It has a large atrium completely fenced which is accessed by
its east coast through an arch. Its architectural characteristics place
this construction as coming from the last third of the eighteenth
century. Its plant is in the form of a cross. Its facade is composed of
two bodies and an attic, in the first a semicircular arch frames the
entrance door, this one presents in its key the carving of a cross that
represents Jesus and under this a letter “M” that is the symbol of Mary.
The door is flanked by two pairs of pilasters decorated with plant
motifs, between each group of pilasters there is a finally carved niche.
In the second body the pilasters are replaced by a pair of attached
stipes that house niches, in the center you can see a flared oculus with
four large lobes: the attic is occupied by a niche. The facade as a
whole is topped by a mixtilinear cornice.
The bell tower is
divided into two. First there is the undecorated staircase cube and,
above it, the body formed by openings where the bells are housed. The
bases of these arches are constituted with solomonic semi-columns,
decorated with carvings of plant motifs. Another element worth
mentioning is the entablature, this has a representation of the
small-faced east side holding a branch with leaves in its mouth.
Interesting carvings can also be distinguished with pelicans poking
their chests in a clear Christological allusion that reminds us of the
painting located on the staircase rest of the Augustinian convent of San
Salvador.
The interior has a neoclassical altarpiece that houses
four images, on the right side, San José, the Most Pure Conception, the
Crucifixion and a wooden cross, on the side wall there is a painting of
the Virgin of Guadalupe.
It has two entrances, one to the east and the other to the north,
with a fence that surrounds it. At the north entrance you could see a
figure that looks like the head of a jaguar, embedded in the wall of the
atrium in which there are flowers and geometric figures that are found
in other chapels.
It has a simple facade, without decoration with
a vertical axis formed by the entrance door in the form of a
semicircular arch and the rectangular coral window; the north wall has
three buttresses that reinforce it, on the opposite wall where the
sacristy is located (there is only one).
This chapel, like the
others, was built for periods, so the first foundation was made of
perishable materials that would give way to the strongest construction,
such as the buttresses belonging to the seventeenth century. The bell
tower is composed of two bodies and a dome, first there is the cube of
the stairs that is the height of the chapel, the first body is composed
of semicircular openings that house the bells, the last one is octagonal
in shape and serves as the base for the dome.
It is located to the north of the Convent of San Agustín, with an
east-west orientation, currently the building is surrounded by houses
and behind it passes through a small temporary water stream.
Its
atrium has a fence over the four ends and the entrance is framed by two
arches: one to the east and one to the north, also in the atrium you can
see tombstones from the first half of the century.
The
composition of the facade starts from a vertical axis in which the door
in the form of a semicircular arch, the coral window, the cornice and
the finial are located. Flanking the entrance were two carved plaques
depicting St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. These two
statues represent the two saints who announce the first and second
coming of Christ.
The tower located to the north of the complex
consists of a cube and two bodies where openings containing the bells
were built and is finished in a bell-shaped way. The body is a single
rectangular space divided into three: choir, nave and chancel. The
wooden door of the chapel has the carving of both invocations of St.
John.
This chapel has two invocations: first there is St. John
the Baptist, who preached the coming of the Messiah and died beheaded by
order of Herod Antipas. This saint was one of the favorites by
evangelizers and indigenous people during the sixteenth century for his
characteristic of imparting baptism. The second is St. John the
Evangelist, considered the author of one of the gospels and the Book of
Revelation.
It is located two blocks from the Chapel of Solitude and also very
close to the one dedicated to San Pedro. Its orientation is the
traditional east-west, the space of its atrium is fenced. Undoubtedly,
this chapel has one of the most modest constructions.
Its almost
quadrangular plan supports a simple gable tile roof. The north wall is
reinforced by two buttresses. The composition of the facade is made on a
vertical axis that aligns the door and the coral window, which is closed
and now became a niche. Its door is a semicircular arch supported by a
pair of pilasters that give it a classic character.
Not having
towers the building seems smaller than the other chapels. His campaigns
are supported on stone supports and beams. The floor of the building is
divided into choir, parishioner and presbytery, like the other chapels.
Its interior of high walls and gabled tile roof, barely has a window on
the north side, a feature that limits the internal luminosity
Unlike most of the chapels, this one faces west-east facing the
Augustinian convent of San Salvador; apparently this location is due to
the relationship of paganism to the future bishop of Hippo. Therefore,
it is not surprising that this building is located at the foot of the
Hill of the Idols - where the ancient citadel and its ceremonial center
were located during the Mexica domination of this population-, to which
the chapel faces away. The small atrium is surrounded by a simple grille
and its main facade consists of three elements, the bell tower, the
portal and a buttress. Its facade is inscribed in a lowered semicircular
arch and consists of two reduced leathers; the key to the arch contains
a small carving of Santa Monica, which appears with open arms and seems
to welcome visitors. The second body houses the choral window in a
mixtilinear way between the keys of the door there is a figure with four
arms, a round face and a smiling expression, which according to the
neighbors could represent St. Augustine or also the archangel St.
Michael with four wings, who is also venerated in this chapel.
The chapels of the arches house decorated in mortar and plant motifs as
anagrams, the construction of this building was carried out in several
periods. On the facade there are constructive characteristics of the
eighteenth century, for example, the counter fort with a circular floor
plan that contains the front door on the north side, the top of the bell
tower among others; although surely the original establishment must come
from the beginning of the seventeenth century: The bell tower is of a
single body on the cube of the scale and is constituted with
semicircular arches that form the openings that house the bells. The top
of the tower is a circular base dome without ornaments and crowned by a
cross.
The bell tower is of a single body the cube of the
staircase and is built with semicircular arches that form the openings
that house the bells. The top of the towers is a circular base dome
without ornaments and crowned by a cross. Inside there is a portrait of
neoclassical characteristic of the nineteenth century and you can see
images of the Virgin of Guadalupe, San Juan, the Immaculate Conception;
on the south side there are images of St. Augustine and one of St.
Monica, as well as two recently carved sculptures depicting St. Monica
and the other St. Augustine, who carries the model of the chapel in his
left hand.
This chapel is located on the corner of Río Grijalva and José María
Morelos Streets to the south of the Augustinian Convent of San Salvador
retains its traditional east-west orientation. In the entrance arch to
the atrium there is a stone carving with the coat of arms of the
Augustinians. Its atrium, like other neighborhood chapels were used as a
cemetery and today we can still locate tombstones. One of them, for
example, dated in 1898. The portal starts from a central axis integrated
by the door and coral window thus dividing symmetrically by two empty
niches, in the arch key of the door there are traces of an image that
has disappeared today, probably of the Patron Saint. The coral window
also has a niche on each side, equally, unoccupied.
On the north
side there are three buttresses supporting the wall, one in the nave and
two in the chancel. A particular feature of this building is that the
tower is separated from the rest of the construction. The tower is made
up of the staircase cube and two bodies. The cube of the staircase lacks
ornaments, the first body has a considerable height and is constituted
by four elongated arches that form the openings to house the bells. The
second body follows the same logic as the previous one is a small dome
crowned by a concrete cross.
The interior of the nave is divided
into choir, parishioner and presbytery; the altarpiece presents
neoclassical features, where the images of St. William, St. Thomas the
apostle, a Crucifixion and the Virgin of Guadalupe are housed. The walls
of the resino are white and columns are painted for this purpose yellow
and blue colors are used, characteristics that it shares with the
chapels of San Andrés, San Martin and the nave of the Augustinian
convent of the locality itself.
Located five kilometers north of the headwaters, the orientation of
its plant is the traditional east-west. Its facade has the shape of a
semicircular arch, and its main characteristic is simplicity, as it has
no decoration or carvings. It consists of a central axis that starts
from the entrance door to the coral window, the latter of square shape;
curiously, in the classroom of the facade there is a clock marking one
and forty minutes.
It has a gabled roof with wood and tiles, on
the south side the presbytery connects with the sacristy, which was
probably added later; however, this addition does not break with the
harmony of the constriction. Its silver is rectangular and the exposed
stone walls have two buttresses on the west side. The tower is made up
of a single body, although primarily the staircase cube rises without
any decoration, later four semicircular openings that house the bells
are raised. It should be clarified that the height of this body does not
far exceed the rest of the building. The tower is topped with a circular
dome crowned by a concrete cross, on the fascia of its first arch the
legend “March 1941” is read.
The nave of the building is divided
into choir, nave and presbytery, as are all the neighborhood chapels.
The lighting of the building by a coral window and two more along the
body illuminate the nave. Inside there is a neoclassical altarpiece that
houses in its niches from left to right St. Helena, St. Sebastian, St.
Bartholomew and St. Fabian.
This chapel has as its patron saint
saint Saint Sebastian, who according to tradition was born in Narbonne
in the year 250 and died in Rome in 288 A.D., this character was an
officer of the Praetorian guard and was a Christian convert tinged with
arrows. His patronal feast day is on January 20th.
Corn is the base material for the dishes offered by Malinalco, in addition to ingredients from its environment such as fruits and animals such as frogs and iguanas, trout in the Malinalco style, snows of different flavors, in the south an excellent mezcal is produced, and in the north we can find products such as pulque. Given its category of magical town, the infrastructure and tourist services are very complete and with a wide range of options, from traditional food, snacks, to international cuisine, pizza and snacks.
1.- "Luis Mario Schneider" University Museum: it is a place that
could be called as the site museum of Malinalco (although it is not
strictly speaking), there you will find a chronological succession of
the most important historical facts of Malinalco, amen that shows some
of the most important traditions of the place, in its collections it has
pieces that account for the passage of the Mexica culture through the
place, it has a temporary exhibition hall that offers interesting
samples of various, it is especially relevant for people interested in
the cultural aspects of Malinalco.
2.- Living Museum: it is a
glocal, pleasant and binding space conceived as a conservation capsule
and a sense of nature that through an untraditional but scientifically
based museum concept encourages the use of the senses to perceive living
beings differently and at the same time support their conservation; in
essence it is a site that provides experiences built from uncommon
biodiversity, its usefulness and the emotions it provokes; it is the
only concept of "Living Museum" in Mexico.
3.-House of culture
"Malinalxochitl": it is a space under the supervision of the Brother
City Council where the cultural activities of the municipality are shown
and developed, there you can see temporary exhibitions and observe
directly the work of the master craftsmen who give life to the Malinalco
handicraft par excellence: wood carving.
4.-University Cultural
Center "Luis Mario Schneider": the former residence of Dr. Luis Mario
Schneider, today it is a cultural center managed by the Autonomous
University of the State of Mexico where Philology studies are carried
out and is open to the general public. Dr. Schneider's personal library
has more than 17,000 books, mostly of Latin American literature. It is
located in the "El Olvido Farm" located on the Malinalco-Chalma s/n
road, San Juan neighborhood.
5.- Cuauhtinchan archaeological zone
It is located on the Cerro de los Ídolos, one of the most important
sites for the Aztecs, a ceremonial center where the Eagle and Jaguar
warriors graduated. To get there, it is enough to walk up its more than
400 steps and thus be able to appreciate this architectural ensemble,
which is partly carved on the mother rock of the hill, this
characteristic being what makes it the only monolithic temple in the
Western world.
The inhabitants practice ancient ceremonies using hallucinogenic mushrooms as a means of healing, shamans or healers often use them especially in rainy seasons when they are abundant in that area, the youngest children are in charge of collecting such mushrooms because for the ceremonies it is believed that only they and the maidens are so pure so as not to contaminate them and be able to be used as a means of healing, the intake of these species is currently the subject of research in different areas.
In Malinalco there are several traditions throughout the year, one of these traditions is the representation of Holy Week, which together with the support of the pastors of the Augustinian ex-convent is carried out. It all starts with the blessing and procession of the branches, this emotional procession takes place in one of the 8 chapels of the village towards the former Augustinian convent, men carry a large wooden walk where figures of the 12 apostles and the figure of Jesus are placed on this table, people accompany with palm branches.
The most important are:
Our Lady of Candlemas (February 2nd)
Holy Week (March-April)
San Juan (June 24)
Divine Savior (August
6)
Assumption of the Virgin Mary (August 15)
Our Lady of Sorrows
(September 15)
Virgin of Guadalupe (December 12)