Well, I promised you dancing apostles the other day, and here they are…One of Guadalajara’s most beautiful churches is the Templo Expiatorio, or Church of the Atonement. The imposing Italian neo-gothic façade is made of stone and, just as in the Middle Ages, no cement or iron was used in its construction. The construction began in 1897 under the direction of the Italian architect Adamo Boari, who is celebrated for the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City. Because of wars, revolutions and various economic crises, it was not until 1931 that it was opened to the public.
Although the soaring neo-Gothic facade and its towering 25-bell carillon are impressive enough, the radiant contemporary French stained-glass windows inside are also incredible (some recent additions are not up to the standard of the original stained glass…) Besides Biblical themes, one of the glass panes is, interestingly, of architect Ignacio Díaz Morales, who finished the interior construction in 1972 (and who is buried in the Grand Crypt beneath the sacristy behind the altar). The carillon, accompanied by a mechanical procession of the Twelve Apostles, plays four times daily.Watch the apostles dance…well, not really dance, but interesting nonetheless. Please forgive my horrible camera work – you might get seasick…
Guess where another Templo Expiatorio exists? In Spain – the famous Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the famous work of the architect Antonio Gaudí, You can visit the website here.
3 comments:
where is the video of the dancng apostles?!
thats cool! do the number apostles that are "dancing" depend on the time of day it is? does it chime for the hour like the cathedral does?
Man, I was expecting some hip moves. Oh well, I guess they are the Apostles. I thought at least Peter would have some sweet moves...
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