Salamanca, Guanajuato, Mexico — The Central Highlands
The Temple of Saint Augustine
Photographed By J. Makali Bruton, March 3, 2018
1. The Temple of Saint Augustine Marker
Inscription.
English:
Templo de San Agustín “Relicario Virreinal de América”. This religious enclosure, dedicated to San Juan de Sahagún, is popularly known as temple o rectoría de San Agustín. It was built from May 1, 1642 to December 6, 1706 by agustinos. It is an example of barroco novohispano-mexicano art. Even though it is a modest building inside, magnificent altarpieces were added from 1768 to 1782, which are unique in America because of their monumentality and baroque artistic expression. They have a range of art styles to designate it “Reliacario Virreinal de América”., After the foundation of the Villa de Salamanca de la Nueva España on January 1, 1603, Father fray Juan de San Nicolás organized the neighbors to found the religious community of frailes agustinos on May 26, 1615, dedicating this convent to San Juan de Sahagún, who lived in Salamanca, Spain in the 15th century, where it is remembered as a miraculous saint, preacher, and monastic example to the service of those in need. At start, the construction was slow, due to the lack of resources; however the agustinos started being successful when some haciendas and ranches from the region were passed on to them. This allowed the frailes agustinos to pay a project to develop the church in the mid 17th century. The project was entrusted to architect Antonio de Elexalde Roxas, el Viejo, who built in from 1642 to 1706. The first stone was laid by the renowned agustino Father fray Miguel de Guevara, author of the worldwide famous sonnet dedicated to the crucified Christ entitled “No me mueve mi Dios para quererte…”, In the late 18th century, la Provincia, at the Salamanca’s convent, hired two carvers, Pedro José de Roxas, who made the lateral altarpieces of the transept and also the major one in 1768, in a churrigueresco style, at Santiago de Queretaro city, and Antonio de Elexalde, el Joven, who worked on the project from 1771 to August 28, 1782. They are decorated with 24-carat gold leaves. The major altarpiece dedicated to San Juan de Sahagún was replaced by another major altar of neoclassic style in 1836, by the famous celayense architect Eduardo Tresguerras. The 11 golden altarpieces were restored from 2000 to 2002, with the support of CONACULTA and the Fundación de Monumentos of New York city, at a cost of 6 million 4 hundred thousand pesos, dividing that amount between the two institutions. The work was entrusted to Salvador Espinoza Chavez under the auspices of the Consejo Nacional Adopte una Obra de Arte. From 2010 to 2016 the two towers were restored and and their own lighting fitted, and new panels at the front and lateral of the baroque church of San Agustin were fitted to replace old ones. . This historical marker is in Salamanca Guanajuato Mexico
Templo de San Agustín “Relicario Virreinal de América”
Este recinto religioso, dedicado a San Juan de Sahagún, es conocido popularmente como el templo o rectoría de San
Agustín. Fue construido del 1 mayo de 1642 al 6 de diciembre de 1706 por los agustinos. Es uno de los ejemplos más completos del arte barroco novohispano-mexicano. Aunque es un edificio modesto en su parte exterior, se le agregaron los fastuosos retablos de 1768 a 1782 que no tienen comparación alguna por su gran monumentalidad y expresión artística del barroco en América, los cuales cuentan con una gama de estilos de arte denominándole al conjunto retablístico "Relicario Virreinal de América”.
Tras la fundación de la Villa de Salamanca de la Nueva España el 1º de Enero de 1603, el P. prior fray Juan de San Nicolás organizó a los vecinos para venir a fundar la comunidad religiosa de frailes agustinos el 26 de mayo de 1615, dedicando este convento a San Juan de Sahagún, quien vivió en Salamanca, España, en el siglo XV, y donde es recordado como un santo muy milagros, predicador y ejemplo de vida monacal al servicio
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de los necesitados. En un principio, la construcción fue lenta, debido principalmente a la falta de recursos, sin embargo los agustinos comenzaron a prosperar en la zona cuando algunas haciendas y ranchos de la región pasaron a su dominio. Esto permitió que a mediados del siglo XVII los frailes agustinos pudieran pagar un proyecto para el templo, el cual fue encomendado al arquitecto Antonio de Elexalde Roxas, el Viejo, quien comenzó las obras a partir de 1642 y las concluyó en 1706, colocando la primera piedra el célebre fraile agustino y prior fray Miguel de Guevara, autor del famoso soneto mundialmente conocido y dedicado a Cristo crucificado titulado “No me mueve mi Dios para quererte…”
Después del mediar el siglo XVIII, la Provincia, en el convento de
Salamanca, contrató a dos maestros tallistas Pedro José de Roxas quien realizó los retablos laterales de los cruceros y también el mayor a partir del año 1768,de estilo churrigueresco, en la ciudad de Santiago de Querétaro. Los restantes fueron tallados artísticamente aquí en la entonces Villa de Salamanca por el maestro tallista Antonio de Elexalde, el Joven, quien inició la obra en 1771 y concluyó y se hizo la bendición solemne el día de San Agustín 28 de agosto de 1782. Todos ellos son decorados en hoja de oro do 24 kilates. El retablo mayor dedicado a San Juan de Sahagún fue substituido en el año de 1836
Photographed By J. Makali Bruton, March 3, 2018
2. The Temple of Saint Augustine Marker English side
por otro altar mayor de estilo neoclásico, proyecto del famoso arquitecto celayense Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras. Los 11 retablos
dorados fueron restaurados del año 2000 al 2002, con apoyos de CONACULTA y la Fundación de Monumentos de la Ciudad de Nueva York, con un costo de 6 millones cuatrocientos mil pesos dividiéndose esa cantidad entre las dos instituciones. Los trabajos fueron encargados al Mtro. Tallista Salvador Espinoza
Chávez bajo el auspicio del Consejo Nacional Adopte una Obra de Arte. Del 2010 al 2016 fueron restauradas las dos torres y colocándoles su iluminación propia, y repuestos nuevos aplanados en la fachada principal y lateral de la iglesia barroca de San Agustín.
English:
Templo de San Agustín “Relicario Virreinal de América”
This religious enclosure, dedicated to San Juan de Sahagún, is popularly known as temple o rectoría de San Agustín. It was built from May 1, 1642 to December 6, 1706 by agustinos. It is an example of barroco novohispano-mexicano art. Even though it is a modest building inside, magnificent altarpieces were added from 1768 to 1782, which are unique in America because of their monumentality and baroque artistic expression. They have a range of art styles to designate it “Reliacario Virreinal de América”.
After
Photographed By J. Makali Bruton, March 3, 2018
3. The Temple of Saint Augustine and Marker
the foundation of the Villa de Salamanca de la Nueva España on January 1, 1603, Father fray Juan de San Nicolás organized the neighbors to found the religious community of frailes agustinos on May 26, 1615, dedicating this convent to San Juan de Sahagún, who lived in Salamanca, Spain in the 15th century, where it is remembered as a miraculous saint, preacher, and monastic example to the service of those in need. At start, the construction was slow, due to the lack of resources; however the agustinos started being successful when some haciendas and ranches from the region were passed on to them. This allowed the frailes agustinos to pay a project to develop the church in the mid 17th century. The project was entrusted to architect Antonio de Elexalde Roxas, el Viejo, who built in from 1642 to 1706. The first stone was laid by the renowned agustino Father fray Miguel de Guevara, author of the worldwide famous sonnet dedicated to the crucified Christ entitled “No me mueve mi Dios para quererte…”
In the late 18th century, la Provincia, at the Salamanca’s
convent, hired two carvers, Pedro José de Roxas, who made the lateral altarpieces of the transept and also the major one in 1768, in a churrigueresco style, at Santiago de Queretaro city, and Antonio de Elexalde, el Joven,
Photographed By J. Makali Bruton, March 3, 2018
4. The Temple of Saint Augustine and Marker
The marker can be seen to the right in this view.
who worked on the project from 1771 to August 28, 1782. They are decorated with 24-carat gold leaves. The major altarpiece dedicated to San Juan de Sahagún was replaced by another major altar of neoclassic style in 1836, by the famous celayense architect Eduardo Tresguerras. The 11 golden altarpieces were restored from 2000 to 2002, with the support of CONACULTA and the Fundación de Monumentos of New York city, at a cost of 6 million 4 hundred thousand pesos, dividing that amount between the two institutions. The work was entrusted to Salvador Espinoza Chavez under the auspices of the
Consejo Nacional Adopte una Obra de Arte. From 2010 to 2016 the two towers were restored and and their own lighting fitted, and new panels at the front and lateral of the baroque church of San Agustin were fitted to replace old ones.
Location. 20° 34.069′ N, 101° 11.895′ W. Marker is in Salamanca, Guanajuato. Marker is at the intersection of Calle Revolución and Calle Andrés Delgado, on the left when traveling east on Calle Revolución. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Salamanca GTO 36700, Mexico. Touch for directions.
7. One of the smaller altarpieces of the Temple of Saint Augustine
Photographed By J. Makali Bruton, March 3, 2018
8. A large altarpiece of the Temple of Saint Augustine
Credits. This page was last revised on March 26, 2018. It was originally submitted on March 7, 2018, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. This page has been viewed 177 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on March 7, 2018, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana.
