Following the Traces of Time: The Church of San Juan Bautista in Churubamba, a Resplendent Colonial Treasure

La Iglesia San Juan Bautista, ubicada en el CP de Cascay, distrito de Churubamba, es un tesoro arquitectónico que data de mediados del siglo XVIII, durante la época colonial bajo la supervisión de los evangelizadores frailes franciscanos.

Built mainly with the rammed earth technique, using mud and straw mortar, the church has solid walls 1 ½ meters thick covered with fine mud. The main altar of neoclassical style, connected to the presbytery and sacristy of adobe structures, stands out for its decoration of religious images and figures of Catholic saints. The wide tower with bell tower and the reed and maguey roof, covered with fine clay and Andean tile, accentuate the architectural singularity.

The main entrance with a wooden arch door leads inside, where the baptismal site is located with a unique stone baptistery. The choir balcony, accessible by a wooden staircase, features wooden railings and floors. Inside, sculptures of San Juan Bautista, San Antonio, Virgen del Carmen, Virgen Purísima, Virgen María, Virgen Dolorosa, and other religious figures decorate the space. Paintings alluding to Holy Week and religious figures adorn the walls. In the sacristy, the ecclesiastical clothing of the priests is preserved, thus completing the historical and spiritual legacy of this invaluable monument.

By: Lic. Glen Arriaga