The Monastery

Happy Easter.
Good Friday, also called Holy Friday, Great Friday or Black Friday, is a religious holiday observed primarily by adherents to Christianity commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Golgotha, an event central to Christian theology. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and often coincides with the Jewish observance of Passover.

Based on the scriptural details of the Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus, the Crucifixion of Jesus was most probably on a Friday. The exact year of Good Friday has been estimated as AD 33, by two different groups, and originally as AD 34 by Isaac Newton via the differences between the Biblical and Julian calendars and the crescent of the Moon.

Here, Cathedral and Convent of La Asuncion. This compound has three churches and a chapel, which is said to be the oldest chapel on the American continent. The cloister houses valuable frescos of Saint Philip of Jesus, a Franciscan martyr in Japan.
Cuernavaca's downtown cathedral dates from 1552.

Artist Robert Brady lived and died in a former 16th century meteorological observatory of the Franciscan seminary behind the Casa de la Torre, leaving a fascinating and rich collection of art he had collected over his lifetime. Works by Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Paul Klee and Francisco Toledo are among the 1400 pieces in the collection. This museum was second choice as the location for Mexico's Guggenheim Museum, which is being constructed in Guadalajara, Jalisco.

music+image

Gracias por su visita / Thanks for visiting.

Holy Week / Semana Santa

Sculpture of the Virgin of Guadalupe located in the atrium of Cuernavaca Cathedral (near Mexico City).

In the Catholic Church, Holy Thursday (also known as Maundy Thursday) is the day that we celebrate the Last Supper, at which Christ instituted the Mass and the Sacrament of Holy Communion. It is the first day of the Triduum, the three days before Easter Sunday, during which we commemorate Christ's Passion. [About.com]
music+image

Gracias por su visita / Thanks for visiting.

Sunday 10:30

music+image

Gracias por su visita / Thanks for visiting.

Entrance

Lateral entrance of Cuernavaca Cathedral.
music+image

Gracias por su visita / Thanks for visiting.

Aztec Underworld

The Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral is the largest and oldest cathedral in the Americas, it is situated atop the former Aztec sacred precinct near the Templo Mayor on the northern side of the main square. Here, two views of people seeing the underworld (aztec ruins) in 3 times, Modern, Colonial and Pre-hispanic.

The Aztec Mythology and their Underworld, Mictlan.
In Aztec belief, the surface of the earth was a thin crust between the material (apparent) reality and the real world of spirit. Death was not taken at face value in Aztec religion, but was seen as the essence of life itself and the creation of a renewed beginning, a Beginning and an End at the same time - an unbroken cycle. According to the shaman, everything is part of the same life force. Birth was an emerging from this world of spirit and Death was a return back into it. In this unending cycle, the crops died and were reborn - that is, if the spirit world allowed it.
Mictlan is the lowest layer of the underworld, situated in the north. Every soul, except those of fallen warriors and women who died giving birth, have to descend to the underworld. Here, their souls will find eternal rest. However, they first have to make the dangerous journey to Mictlan. At the burial, the deceased are given magical powers and with the help of the god Xolotl, they are able to make this journey safely. The ruler of this underworld is Mictlantecuhtli.
music+image

Gracias por su visita / Thanks for visiting.

El Organillero / The Organ Grinder

The organ grinder was a musical novelty street performer of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century, and refers to the operator of a street organ. This is one of a few in Mexico City and in the country, almost extinct.
music+image

Gracias por su visita / Thanks for visiting.

Dance to The Moon

The Tower, The Moon and Mars.

Gracias por su visita / Thanks for visiting.

Cuernavaca Cathedral 2.

The cathedral, began life as a Franciscan friary, fortress-like complex. The side portal of the church has a fine colonial-Plateresque façade with, above the gable, the symbols of a crown, cross, skull and bones framed by an alfiz.

Detail, for Kate.

The Chapel of the Third Order, at the rear of the monastery building, has a very typical Mexican Baroque façade, embellished with a small figure representing Hernán Cortés. Like the chapel's lovely carved wooden altar (1735), the façade shows strong Indian influence.

The gilded 18th century altarpiece, restored and in beautiful condition, it is one of the few colonial baroque retablos to survive both the neoclassical vogue that swept through many churches in the region during the late 1700s and early 1800s.

In front, The Chapel of St. Jude Thaddeus.

Catedral de Cuernavaca / Cuernavaca Cathedral

Location for a TV series, the entrance of Cuernavaca Cathedral, formerly a Franciscan monastery, its construction begun in 1533 under the supervision of Hernan Cortes. Cuernavaca is a beautiful place very near Mexico City.

Campanas / Bells

Bells of the west tower of the Metropolitan Cathedral.