Iglesia de la Compañía

Puebla


This Jesuit church with a 1767 Churrigueresque facade is also called Espíritu Santo. Beneath the altar is a tomb said to be that of a 17th-century South Asian princess who was sold into slavery in Mexico and later freed.

She was supposedly responsible for the colorful china poblana costume – a shawl, frilled blouse, embroidered skirt and gold and silver adornments. This costume became a kind of ‘peasant chic’ in the 19th century. But china (chee-nah) also meant ‘maidservant,’ and the style may have evolved from Spanish peasant costumes.


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Nearby Puebla attractions

1. Edificio Carolino

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Next door to the Iglesia de la Compañía is the 16th-century Edificio Carolino, now the main building of Universidad Autónoma de Puebla.

2. Museo San Pedro de Arte

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Opened in 1999 as Museo Poblano de Arte Virreinal, this top-notch museum is now named after the 16th-century Hospital de San Pedro in which it is housed…

3. Museo Casa del Alfeñique

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This renovated colonial house is an outstanding example of the over-the-top 18th-century decorative style alfeñique, characterized by elaborate stucco…

4. Zócalo

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Puebla’s central plaza was originally a marketplace where bullfights, theater and hangings occurred, before assuming its current arboretum-like appearance…

5. Catedral de Puebla

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Puebla’s impressive cathedral, which appeared on Mexico’s M$500 bill until 2019, occupies the entire block south of the zócalo. Its architecture is a…

6. Casa de la Cultura

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Occupying the entire block facing the south side of the cathedral, the former bishop’s palace is a classic 17th-century brick-and-tile edifice that now…

7. Biblioteca Palafoxiana

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Situated above the Casa de la Cultura and founded in 1646, Biblioteca Palafoxiana was the first public library in the Americas. For this, Palafoxiana has…

8. Museo de la Revolución

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This pockmarked 19th-century house was the scene of the first battle of the 1910 Revolution. The renovated house retains its bullet holes and some…