Temple of San Lucas Tlaxopa

The Temple of San Lucas Tlaxopa is a tiny church that once served as the center of most aspects of life in the Barrio de San Lucas. Today, the tiny temple seems more like a side chapel to the larger modern replacement church standing right next to it. Begun in 1946, it was dedicated in 1957.

Still the temple offers fitting tribute to the walkable, and crookedly charming surrounding neighborhood. It’s likely one of the most popular for walking in the area.

The Temple still stands in a  much-reduced atrium. Though much of the old plaza is taken up by the newer church, it’s well-known to have been the site of extensive 16th-century evangelization events. According to legend, the temple came to be under orders from Hernán Cortés himself.  The atrial cross is from the 19th century, but likely replaced several much older versions.

The body of the little church is supported by several curious buttresses, but international visitors come for just that variety. The wooden beams over the nave are rare today, and the originals have been replaced over the preceding centuries. Still they provide shelter to several notable works of art and a temple interior perfect for calm contemplation.

Open on most Sundays, the little Temple of San Lucas is just one of the highlights to a weekend spent wandering the surrounding winding and tree-lined streets. The church is about 15-minutes walk northeast from the Plaza de la Conchita.