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The Temple of the Virgin of Juquila. It was built between the
18th and 19th centuries. In general, the temple exemplifies true
Neoclassic Baroque style. Actually, the portico has lost its original
wall which has been replaced with iron bars, integrated into the
central plaza of the town, at the sides of which one encounters
the municipal government building and the village marketplace. Two
bell towers form the front façade of the temple, dividing
two main sections and a portion at the end. The first section is
accessed through a semi-circular arch, flanked by pillars set in
the shape of annulets. They form entranceways on both sides of the
access, housing empty niches with bright and colorful bases and
medallions.
Inside, the architectural level has a latin cross covered with a
domed barrel vault on top of an octagonal tambour. Highlighting
the side walls are Slender Doric pillars, and in the presbytery
a beautiful golden altarpiece with a special niche. It’s dedicated
to the Virgin of Juquila. It’s made this village one of the
most important centers for pilgrimage in the state of Oaxaca, despite
its remoteness.
Fiesta of the Virgin of Juquila (Virgin
of the Conception)
It’s celebrated the 8th of December. The Virgin is a tiny
image about 30 centimeters tall. During the 18th century it belonged
to Friar Jordán of Santa Catalina who donated it to his native
Amialtepec, a village which had already started to show affection
and devotion to the image. The village’s priest, Jacinto Escudero,
convinced the owner to move the Virgin from its little hut to the
local temple where devotion to it increased.
In 1633, when according to local custom the villagers set fire to
the mountain in order to have green grasses in the springtime, the
village of Amialtepec burned down, destroying the temple where the
image had been kept. Once the fire had ceased the little sculpture
of the Virgin was found, amongst the ashes, intact, although a little
blackened from the smoke. It was in 1719 when the image was moved
to Santa Catarina Juquila. Through the years the adoration to this
image has transformed Juquila, from the municipal center of Amialtepec
to a “miraculous little place.”
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The fiesta celebrated in her honor is a very large and popular
fair where there are a diversity of activities: fireworks, recreational
sports, and indigenous and traditional folk dance performances.
Pilgrims come from Oaxaca as well as from other states. Because
the festival is saturated with pilgrims as this time, many believers
prefer visiting the Virgin at other times of the year.
The region’s mountain environment enables one to admire
beautiful scenery traversing pine and oak forests, always green,
with the population of Santa Catarina growing.
El Pedimento
El Pedimento is a place steeped in tradition. There, one encounters
a cross and an image of the Virgin of Juquila where you can ask
for whatever you so desire. It’s located about 9 kilometers
before arriving at Santa Catarina Juquila. Most of the people
who wish for something make a figure of it out of clay, or already
bring something prepared with them representing what they’ll
be asking for. They leave these things on the cross with a message
addressed to the virgin of Juquila. On their return the following
year they bring a cross with some type of sign on which they give
thanks for the granting of last year’s favor.
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