Description of the attraction
The Church of Santa Veracruz, which is located in the square of the same name in Mexico City, was founded by the Brotherhood of the Cross, founded by Hernan Cortez. Its members were of noble birth, therefore the religious order was often called the brotherhood of knights. The Church of Santa Veracruz was built in 1586. This circumstance allows us to classify the temple as one of the oldest sacred buildings in the Mexican capital. In the 16th century, the church was one of the three most visited and respected churches in the city. Unfortunately, the original building was changed beyond recognition in the 19th century. We can say that after a devastating earthquake and several severe floods, it was not rebuilt, but rebuilt. It is this temple that appears before us now.
The building of the former monastery of the Brotherhood of the Cross adjoins the Church of Santa Veracruz. Today it is occupied by the Franz Mayer Museum. The church is still active. Legends tell about its magnificent design in the past centuries. The main Baroque altar was made of precious woods and covered with a layer of gold. After a large-scale reconstruction of the 19th century, all the treasures of the temple mysteriously disappeared. The modern decor of the church is very modest. Nevertheless, several valuable images of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary are preserved here. One of them, according to legend, was given to King Charles V by Pope Paul III. Subsequently, the king gave the shrine to the brotherhood of Christ.
It is also worth noting that during the construction of the new building of the Church of Santa Veracruz in Mexico City, another earthquake occurred, which claimed the lives of hundreds of people. Some of the victims were buried in the atrium of this temple.
