| Hospital and church de Jesús Nazareno | |
|---|---|
 Modernist façade of the hospital | |
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| Geography | |
| Location | Historic Mexico City Centro,Mexico City, Ciudad de México, Mexico |
| Organisation | |
| Type | General |
| Affiliated university | Nursing School of the Hospital de Jesús |
| History | |
| Former names | Purísima Concepción, Hospital del Marqués |
| Opened | 1524 |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
| Lists | Hospitals in Mexico |
TheChurch and Hospital of Jesús Nazareno buildings are located in thehistoric center of Mexico City, in México, D. F., Mexico. The hospital is still in operation, housed in aModernist building, located in front of the original one, and beside the former church. Both historic buildings and their courtyards are 17th-centurySpanish colonial era architecture.
The Church and Hospital are supposedly located at the spot whereHernán Cortés andMoctezuma II met for the first time in 1519, which was then the beginning of the causeway leading toIztapalapa. Cortés ordered the hospital built to tend to Aztec soldiers wounded fighting with the Spanish.[1]
In his last will, Cortés states that he wanted the hospital to be built for the sons of the Aztec warriors who had perished in battle during the Conquest of Tenochtitlan. This was not an institution for wounded Spanish soldiers.[2]
In 1646, the hospital was the site of the firstautopsies performed on the American continent, performed to teach anatomy to medical students of theRoyal and Pontifical University of Mexico. In 1715, the hospital published theRegia Academia Mariana Practica Medica to promote more professional practices in the field of medicine in New Spain.[3] The building today continues to function as a hospital.[4]
The complex consists of a church and the hospital divided into four sections.[5] The original hospital building is hidden by aModernist façade, but the façade of the adjacent church is original. After passing the main entrance, one comes to a two-story colonial courtyard filled with plants and a fountain in the center.[1] The hospital courtyard was originally decorated with Tuscan columns, but have since been replaced by equally austere ones. The original staircase remains,[4] which contains a bust of Cortés and past this staircase is a second courtyard.[1] One courtyard was for men and the other for women.[5] The best-known portrait of Cortés can still be seen here. On the frieze of the upper corridors of the south side have a series of small and grotesque faces, which are popularly and mistakenly considered to be those of Cortés’ relatives.[4]
The Jesús Hospital is one of the oldest buildings inMexico City. It was most likely operating by 1524, although this is disputed, since it was one of three hospitals started around the same time, and various records have different dates for the first opening.[4][6] The hospital with its church was originally called Purísima Concepción. At the beginning of the colonial period, it was popularly known as the Hospital del Marqués.[3]
The hospital was originally designed by Pedro Vázques, and Cortés left a number of farmlands in his will for the benefit of the institution. Cortés died before the hospital building was finished, and the colonial government ofNew Spain hired Alonso Pérez de Castañeda to replace Vázques. Six years and 43,000 pesos later, it was still not finished.
130 years later Antonio de Calderón Benavides was named head of the institution and worked to finish it. At this time the hospital received an image of Jesus of Nazareth, and the hospital was renamed after the image when it was finally dedicated in 1665.[6]
To one extent or another, just about all of major architects in theViceroyalty of New Spain were involved with the buildings, from construction to repair work. Some of those include: Claudio de Arciniega,Diego de Aguilera, Sebastian Zamorano, Pedro de Arrieta, andFrancisco Antonio Guerrero y Torres.[4]
The Church of Jesus Nazareno was stripped bare. However, the choir and part of the nave conserve a longmural painted byJosé Clemente Orozco. The work was inspired both by theApocalypse and the horrors of theSecond World War. Orozco worked on this from 1942 to 1944, but left it uncompleted.[4]
The small dome resting on the church tower has an image of theArchangel Michael that is often mistaken as a portrait of Cortés. The coffered ceilings with golden flowers on a blue background on the sacristy are the work of Nicólas de Ylleascas.[4]
The remains of Cortés were placed in the church portion byViceroy Revillagigedo in 1774. At the same timeManuel Tolsá created a bust of the conquistador as well as his coat of arms done in bronze.[6] Today, there is still a small plaque at the front of the church, to the left of the main altar to indicate the tomb.[1] However, in August 1882, there was a proposal to move the remains and place them next to those of some of the heroes ofMexican War of Independence, but this caused an uproar with some trying to desecrate the tomb in the church. The remains were removed to a secret secure site.[6]
Media related toHospital de Jesús Nazareno, Mexico City at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
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19°25′43.27″N99°7′58.56″W / 19.4286861°N 99.1329333°W /19.4286861; -99.1329333
