AMERICAN EXPRESS PARTNERS IN PRESERVATION
Puebla, Mexico
San Juan Bautista, Cuauhtinchan (1528–1554)
Built
in the sixteenth century to support the religious conversion of the
indigenous population, the Franciscan convent of Cuauhtinchan comprises
an atrium, church, convent, pilgrims’ portal, garden and cemetery.
Since 1992, the complex has served as both a functioning church and a
museum, but the complex is inadequately maintained and faces myriad
conservation problems, including the effects of a freeze/thaw cycle that
have caused the main altar, the oldest preserved in Mexico, to shrink
and crack and more generally from dirt and biological growth and
natural deterioration due to aging.
The proposed long-term preservation plan includes the conservation of all the mural paintings, altars and objects in the complex and the promotion of cultural tourism as a generator of economic benefits for the community.
The immediate action planned for the site includes a study that will allow the project team to address problems associated with fluctuations of humidity and temperature in the sanctuary of the church, and the restoration of the sixteenth-century main altar, including its painted decoration.
