Cholula

The Valley of Puebla is a plain crossed by a number of small rivers, streams and arroyos, with the most significant being the Atoyac beginning with the runoff of the Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatepetl volcancos.  Cholula, located in the river’s upper basin at an altitude of about 2100 meters, is best known for its Great Pyramid, with the Nuestra Señora de los Remedios sanctuary on top and its numerous churches. Over the colonial period, forty-seven churches were constructed in the city.

At first glance, the pyramid looks like a hill as most of it is overgrown. The south side of the pyramid has been excavated and there is a network of tunnels inside.  From the top of the pyramid, in the sanctuary atrium, it is possible to see the Malinche, Popocatepetl, Iztaccíhuatl and Pico de Orizaba Volcanoes in the far eastern horizon.  The church was built in 1594 and is home to an image of the Virgin of the Remedies, the patron of Cholula. The first church collapsed in an earthquake in 1854 and was rebuilt, damaged again by an earthquake in 1999 and repaired.  The pyramid it is on was a pilgrimage site in pre-Hispanic times, and it remains one now with people coming to visit this Virgin image. According to myth, a giant named Xelhua, after he escaped a flood in the neighboring Valley of Mexico, built the pyramid of adobe bricks.  Building of the pyramid began in the pre Classic period and over time was built over six times to its final dimensions of 18 meters tall and 120 meters (390 ft) on a side at the base making it four times the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza and the largest pyramid base in the Americas.  In the last state of construction, stairs on the west side led to a temple on top facing Iztaccíhuatl.  However, the pyramid had been overgrown for centuries by the time the Spanish arrived.  Exploration of the pyramid began in 1931 under architect Ignacio Marquina who dug tunnels to explore the substructures.

One other important church of the San Andrés municipality is the church of Santa María Tonantzintla, which is valued for its decoration in what is called folk or indigenous baroque.  The church was initially built in the 16th century and developed over four phases until the 19th century.  At the end of the 17th century, it had its basic layout, and its intricate stucco work was begun and not completed until early 20th century.  These details include pre-Hispanic elements such as dark skinned angels, niches with headdresses, tropical fruits and ears of corn.  This area was originally sacred as Tonantzin, the mother goddess, the Spanish replaced her with an image of the Virgin Mary.

 The name of Cholula comes from the Nahuatl word Cholōllān.  Settlement of Cholula began between about 500 BCE with the establishment of two small villages.  At the end of the Pre-classic, many other settlements in the area were abandoned but Cholula grew. This was the time when work on the Great Pyramid began. Cholula continued to grow during the Classic period to a population of about 25,000. In the Post-classic period, Cholula grew to its largest size as a regionally dominant city.  The city’s location was strategic, on the trade routes between the Valley of Mexico, the Valley of Oaxaca and the Gulf of Mexico, making it a major mercantile center.  A variant of an artistic style and iconography, especially in pottery, spread from Cholula to other areas in the Valley of Mexico, then to other areas in Mesoamerica. This cultural trait is called Mixteca-Puebla was spread by the vast trading networks that existed in Mesoamerica at that time.  By the time the Spanish arrived, Cholula was a major religious and mercantile center and one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the central Mexican highlands.  Hernán Cortés estimated that the city had 430 temples and a population of over 100,000.  Cortés had arrived to Cholula after the Spanish victory of the Tlaxcalans, and he was supposed to meet Moctezuma II here. Since Cholula was allied with the Aztecs, the Spanish and their new Tlaxcalan allies were suspicious of this.  Cortés called the leaders of the city to the central square of the city where the Spanish charged and killed as many as six thousand Chololtecs. The event is called the Cholula Massacre, and it resulted in destruction of much of the city.  Unlike many other pre-Hispanic cities, which were abandoned or destroyed before or immediately after the Conquest, Cholula has remained to this day.  Nearby in the same valley the Spanish built the city of Puebla, which grew to prominence rapidly.  Because of Puebla and an epidemic, which claimed much of its indigenous population, Cholula never recovered its former importance. For more pictures please visit my picasa web album.

Pole Rain Dance

Talavera Poblana

Talavera pottery of Puebla is a type of majolica pottery distinguished by a milky-white glaze. It is a mixture of Italian, Spanish and indigenous ceramic techniques.  All pieces are hand-thrown on a potter's wheel and the glazes contain tin and lead, as they have since colonial times.  This glaze must craze, be slightly porous and milky-white, but not pure white.  There are only six permitted colors: blue, yellow, black, green, orange and mauve, and these colors must be made from natural pigments. The painted designs have a blurred appearance as they fuse slightly into the glaze. The base, the part that touches the table, is not glazed but exposes the terra cotta underneath.  An inscription is required on the bottom that contains the following information: the logo of the manufacturer, the initials of the artist and the location of the manufacturer in Puebla.  Authentic Talavera pottery only comes from the city of Puebla and the nearby communities of Atlixco, Cholula, and Tecali.

The Moros brought techniques and designs of Islamic pottery to Spain by the end of the 12th century as Hispano-Moresque ware. From there the influenc spread to the rest of Spain and Europe, under the name majolica.  Spanish craftsmen from Talavera de la Reina, adopted and added to the art form.  Further Italian influences were incorporated as the craft evolved in Spain, and guilds were formed to regulate the quality. The Spanish brought Majolica pottery to Puebla in the first century of the colonial period. Production of this ceramic became highly developed because of the availability of fine clays and the demand for tiles from the newly established churches and monasteries. The industry grew sufficiently that by the mid-17th century, standards and guilds had been established, leading Talavera into what is called the "golden age" from 1650 to 1750. During this time, the preferred use of blue on Talavera pottery was reinforced by the influence of China's Ming dynasty through imported Chinese ceramics that came to Mexico via the Manila galleons.  Italian influences in the 18th century introduced the use of other colors. The tradition that developed is called Talavera Poblana to distinguish it from Talavera pottery of Spain.

The process to create Talavera pottery is elaborate and has basically not changed since the early colonial period.  The first step is to mix black sand from Amozoc and white sand from Tecali. It is then washed and filtered to keep only the finest particles. This can reduce the volume by fifty percent. Next the piece is shaped by hand on a potter's wheel, then left to dry for a number of days.  Then comes the first firing, done at 850 °C (1,560 °F).  The piece is tested to see if there are any cracks in it. The initial glazing, which creates the milky-white background, is applied. After this, the design is hand painted.  Finally, a second firing is applied to harden the glaze. This process takes about three months for most pieces, but some pieces can take up to six months. This process is so plagued with the possibility of irreparable damage that during colonial times, artisans prayed special prayers during the firing process.

The tradition has struggled, during the Mexican War of Independence, the potters' guild and the ordinances of the 17th century were abolished. This allowed anyone to make the ceramic in any way, leading to a decline in quality.  The war disrupted trade among the Spanish colonies and cheaper English porcelain was being imported. The Talavera market crashed. Out of the forty-six workshops that were producing in the 18th century, only seven remained after the war.

Efforts by artists and collectors revived the craft in the early 20th century.  In the late 20th century there has been a further revival with the introduction of new decorative designs and the passage of the Denominación de Origen de la Talavera law to protect authentic Talavera pieces made with the original 16th century methods. Today, only pieces made by workshops that have been certified are permitted to call their work "Talavera."  Certification is issued by the Consejo Regulador de la Talavera, which performs a twice-yearly inspection of the manufacturing processes.  Only nine workshops have so far been certified: Uriarte Talavera, Talavera La Reyna, Talavera Armando, Talavera Celia, Talavera Santa Catarina, Talavera de la Nueva Espana, Talavera de la Luz, Talavera de las Americas, and Talavera Virglio Perez. In addition, the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Puebla tests to ensure that the glaze does not have lead content of more than 2.5 parts per million or cadmium content of more than 0.25 parts per million, as many of the pieces are used to serve food. Only pieces from workshops that meet the standards are authorized to have the potter’s signature, the workshop logo, and the hologram that certifies the piece's authenticity.

Some workshops in Puebla offer guided tours and explain the processes involved. The oldest certified, continuously operating workshop is in Uriarte, founded in 1824.  Another certified workshop, Talavera de la Reina, is known for revitalizing the decoration of the ceramics with the work of 1990s Mexican artists.  The photographs are from these two workshops.

Talavera is mostly used to make utilitarian items such as plates, bowls, jars, flowerpots, sinks, religious items and decorative figures. The Puebla kitchen is a traditional environment of Talavera pottery, from the tiles that decorate the walls and counters to the dishes. Historically tiles were used to decorate both the inside and outside of buildings in Mexico, especially in Puebla. Many of the facades in the historic center are decorated with these tiles called azulejos and can be found on fountains, patios, the facades of homes, churches and other buildings, forming an important part of Puebla's Baroque architecture. This use of azulejos attested to the family's or church's wealth. This led to a saying "to never be able to build a house with tiles", which meant to not amount to anything in life. Please visit my picasa web album for a full set of pictures covering the fabrication of Talavera ceramics. Talavera de la Reina is on the web at www.talaveradelareyna.com.mx and Uriarte Talavera at www.uriartetalavera.com.mx

Casa de Alfeñique a classic example of Puebla's tiled buildings.