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All Mexico Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán Capilla del Calvario (Chapel of the Calvary)

Capilla del Calvario (Chapel of the Calvary)

This dome-topped chapel houses the most-venerated religious figure in Yanhuitlán.

Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán, Mexico

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linkogecko
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The chapel.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
The chapel.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
The chapel’s facade.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Interior of the chapel, with the Lord of Ayuxi in the back.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Capilla del Calvario.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
View from inside the chapel.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
View of the Chapel from the Convent.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
The Convent of Santo Domingo as seen from the chapel.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
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When different Catholic orders divided up the territory of New Spain (now Mexico) for evangelization, most of the territory now occupied by the state of Oaxaca was given to the Dominicans.

The Chapel of the Calvary is small but still impressive. Like the town's Dominican Convent of Santo Domingo, it's also built out of cantera, but since it is fairly modern, its facade is more plain than other similar churches. Featuring circular shapes and the eclectic touch of a dome and roof covered entirely in metallic silver paint, it is the chapel rather than the convent that houses the most-venerated religious figure in Yanhuitlán.

El Divino Señor de Ayuxi is a figure of a Crucifixion made out of carved wood and sugarcane. A yearly celebration sees this religious icon paraded in procession from the Chapel of the Calvary to the Convent of Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán in one of the most important religious feasts of the town.

The Divine Lord is believed to be centuries-old, and there is a historic precedent of a Catholic chapel built on the site of the Calvary Chapel. The current building is more recent, however, and probably dates to the 19th century (although the sci-fi looking dome is almost certainly a more recent addition).

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Churches Domes Tradition Rituals Sacred Spaces

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The Divine Lord of Ayuxi is housed in the Chapel for every month of the year except May, when it is housed in the Convent. This Procession takes place every April 29 and is one the most important feasts in Yanhuitlán.

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November 13, 2019

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  • https://www.academia.edu/3830938/El_centro_monumental_de_Yanhuitlán_y_su_arquitectura_Un_proceso_histórico_y_ritual
Capilla del Calvario (Chapel of the Calvary)
Tercera
Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán
Mexico
17.53473, -97.34372
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Nearby Places

Templo de San Juan Bautista (Temple of Saint John the Baptist)

San Juan Teposcolula, Mexico

miles away

Huamelulpan Archaeological Zone

San Martín Huamelúlpam, Mexico

miles away

Temple of San Nicolás Tolentino

Tlaxiaco, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico

Mexico

North America

Places 606
Stories 61

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Templo de San Juan Bautista (Temple of Saint John the Baptist)

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miles away

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico

Mexico

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