Description of the attraction
The neo-Gothic Church of the Atonement in Guadalajara is the greatest piece of architectural art. This is one of the most beautiful temples in Mexico. It took 75 years to build. Its construction began on August 15, 1897, and ended in 1972.
The idea of building a temple dedicated to the Holy Gifts of Jesus Christ in Guadalajara appeared at the end of the 19th century. Then a commission was created from ordinary townspeople, which was responsible for the project of the temple and its implementation. Archbishop Pedro Loza y Pardave of Guadalajara, together with these active believers, announced a creative competition for the development of plans for the future church. The best project was the work of the famous architect Adamo Boari, who arrived from Italy at the invitation of the President of Mexico Porfirio Diaz. Boari is the creator of the Palais des Beaux Arts and the Mayor's Palace of Correo in Mexico City.
Recently, a scandal erupted in Mexico. New research, presented at the Museum of the City of Guadalajara in the exhibition Three Secrets of Guadalajara, suggests that the design for the Church of the Atonement was in fact developed by Salvador Collado, the Mexican architect who also created the Archdeacon Bridge.
It can take a long time to enumerate the distinctive features of the Temple of Atonement. Tourists are amazed by the pronounced Gothic turrets, which give the appearance of the temple swiftness and lightness, luxurious stained-glass windows casting colorful sunbeams on the floor slabs, as well as the amazing beauty of the frescoes in the local chapel, created in 1938-1939. They are by the local painter Jose Clemente Orozco. Another attraction of the church is the clock, during the battle of which figures depicting the 12 apostles replace each other.
