Santos in Oaxaca's Ancient Churches

A study of santos in 16th-century and other churches in Oaxaca, Mexico

By Claire and Richard Stracke
Funded by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.

In Teotitlán del Valle:

Christ Child
Christ in a coffin
Christ: Ecce Homo
Crucifix (1)
Crucifix (2)
Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows (Soledad)
Our Lady of the Rosary
Palm Sunday Christ
Resurrection of Christ
St. Francis of Assisi
St. Hyacinth
St. John the Baptist
St. John the Evangelist
St. Joseph (?)
St. Mary Madgalene
St. Peter the Apostle (1)
St. Peter the Apostle (2)
St. Sebastian
Trinity
Unidentified Franciscan saint
Virgin Mary (1)
Virgin Mary (2)

Other santos not photographed

St. Peter the Apostle

St. Peter the Apostle
The fabric of the chasuble is woven with symbols of the Trinity. This same fabric appears in blue on the trousers of Santiago at Cuilapan and in red on the other Teotitlán San Pedro. The hands are badly damaged, and the keys and cross are tied onto them. The crown is held on by a yellow ribbon at the chin. A heavy knot between the eyes and a sad downward turn of the mouth make the face seem pained. The tips of the crosspieces on the triple cross are painted silver.

Local Name: San Pedro Apóstol.

Basis for Identification: Triple crown, keys in right hand, triple cross in left, short beard.

Other characteristics: Mature face, purple chasuble.

Site: Church of Santa María de la Natividad (Preciosa Sangre de Cristo), Teotitlán del Valle.

Location: On a small altar left of the first large altar along the south wall of the nave (see note).

Media and construction: Wood, gesso, paint, paper crown, fabric garments. Eyes: glass, with some eyelashes remaining. Hair: carved. Sculpted teeth, some missing.

Size: About 5 feet (150 cm.)

Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Coixtlahuaca, Etla, Huitzo, Mitla, Díaz Ordaz, Tamazulapan, Teitipac1, Teitipac2, Teotitl án2, Teposcolula1, Teposcolula2, Yanhuitl án.

External Links:
Wikimedia Commons: Statues of St. Peter in Mexico
Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles
Wikipedia: Saint Peter
Christian Iconography: Saint Peter the Apostle

Next: To the right, a statue of Our Lady of Sorrows

Previous santo

Introduction to Teotitlán del Valle

Santos Home Page

Note: On this site, references to the cardinal directions always assume that the main altar is at the east end of the church, the narthex or entry area at the west end, and the two walls of the nave on the north and south. (The nave is the long central section.) Actual orientations may differ.

The photo shown here is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. You are free to share or remix it on two conditions: first, that you attribute it to the photographers, Claire and Richard Stracke, without implying any approval of your work on their part; second, that if you alter, transform, or build upon this photo, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one.