The divergent orientations of the buildings of the Franciscan complex of San Gabriel Cholula, Puebla, Mexico

Abstract

The Franciscan complex of San Gabriel in Cholula was one of the first establishments of the order of minor friars in New Spain. Its buildings were erected on the ruins of the pre-Hispanic ritual complex dedicated to the god Quetzalcóatl, using the materials from the old temple and annex buildings. The particularity of the structures built by instruction of the Franciscans is that they do not follow the orientation of the layout of the Cholula city, which is apparently solstitial, and therefore has given rise to multiple speculations in the studies of Cholula. In the present investigation we show evidence that the Royal Chapel of the architectural complex has a temporal orientation coinciding with the so-called sacred orientation of Teotihuacan, while the convent temple presents an orientation that is difficult to interpret, but where one of the definitions of equinox and the date of the patron saint's holiday are possible explanations.