In 1692 a shelter began. This shelter later became the Chapel of Santa Maria Magdalena. It stands almost hidden near the Pino Suárez Plaza Comercial.
Originally the Santa Maria Magdalena was part of a shelter. It was founded in 1692. This part of the chapel was built between 1805 and 1808. It was part of a reconstruction project. Today it serves as a storehouse.
The Santa Maria Magdalena shelter started as a house. It was in the indigenous neighborhood of San Lucas. This house belonged to the Mercedarians. They were from the Merced Monastery. This order came from Barcelona. It was dedicated to freeing Christian captives. The institution was dedicated to Mary Magdalene.
By the early 1800s the hospital was falling apart. The Holy Inquisition paid for the restoration. The government lacked funds. José Antonio González Velázquez oversaw the reconstruction. He directed the Academy of San Carlos. He had recently finished the Temple of San Pablo el Nuevo nearby.
The women’s retreat only lasted until 1812. The Viceroy ordered it be used to house inmates. They were working on a project to protect the city. In 1815 they moved to the San Antonio Abad Hospital. The shelter became stables. By 1863 during the Second Mexican Empire it became a military hospital. It was then called San Lucas Hospital.
When the Republic was restored in 1867 President Benito Juárez appointed a new director for the Military Hospital. During this time the Santa Maria Magdalena Chapel served as the hospital amphitheater.
Documents from that time describe the building’s design. It was a perfect octagon. The dome rests on columns. The marble floor remains. Many visitors still want to see the inside of Santa Maria Magdalena. Most must be content with photos of the windows. They are magnificent along the dome’s base.
Santa Maria Magdalena Atlitic is another church in the southwest of the city. It is an old pueblo. It keeps many traditions and history. Atlitic seems like a crown above the vestments. It is on the roads to Los Dinamos National Park.
The Franciscans and Dominicans arrived in 1535. They converted the indigenous people. Mary Magdalene became the town’s patroness. The town was named Magdalena Atlitic. This shows Mexican cultural syncretism. Atlitic means “place of abundant water.” It is near two rivers. One is still called the Eslava River. The other was renamed Magdalena.
The Franciscans built a small chapel in the 16th century. Over the years it became the Church of Santa Maria Magdalena of Atlitic. Construction finished in the 18th century. The facade has Baroque and Mudejar elements. Inside is a neoclassical altar. A large painting of Mary Magdalene greets visitors. The church became a national historical monument in 1932.
The town of Magdalena Atlitic is known for textiles. Jeronimo de León used a waterwheel to produce textiles in 1543. Later the Contreras family bought facilities from León. The family name was added to the region. Today it is La Magdalena Contreras.
By the 19th century hydro-power made woollen fabrics. El Aguila factory opened in 1849. It was owned by the Contreras family. Today parts of the workshop are in the Magdalena Contreras Cultural Forum.
The power stations were called “dinamos”. They opened in the national park. They supplied energy for the factories for over a century. Today Los Dinamos is an ecological preserve. It is striking for its natural beauty.
Santa Maria Magdalena Atolman is a parish church. It is in the Modelo Pensil neighborhood. Atolman was part of the ancient city of Tlacopan. Atolman means “place of tule.” Tule is the reeds used to weave mats. The Spanish dedicated a chapel here to Saint Mary Magdalene. It remained a visiting chapel of the San Gabriel in Tacuba.
The town is named for the Pensil Mexicano gardens. They were fabulous. The entire 19th century saw them as the area’s attraction. Six neighborhoods still bear the name of the Pensil.
For most of the 20th century the church was in poor condition. Mass was said outside. In 1967 the parish asked to demolish the ruin. The current church was built on the same land. The Monuments Commission asked that the original stone cross be preserved. It is there even today.
Today’s Santa Maria Magdalena preserves the name of old Atolman. The neighborhoods around it have been appreciating quickly. The Granada neighborhoods to the south have seen to that.
Remember Santa Maria Magdalena. It is more than just a name. It is a story of faith and history.