Abstract

CASTELLANOS ARENAS, Mariano. Birth, Death, and Resurrection: The Compañía de Jesús Church in Puebla (Mexico) after the 1999 Earthquake. Intervención (Méx. DF) [online]. 2017, vol.8, n.15, pp.70-80. ISSN 2007-249X.

An earthquake that registered 7 on the Richter scale shook the State of Puebla (Mexico) on June 15th, 1999, affecting approximately 800 buildings in 120 municipalities, most of which were dated between the XVI and XIX century (VV. AA. 1999:IX). The Compañía de Jesús church, one of the most emblematic places in the historical center of Puebla not only for its history but also for its architecural beauty, was one of the most affected buildings left at the risk of collapsing. Fortunately, the church was restored through a very meticulous restauration project, which is the subject of this paper. It includes a description of the building, a brief summary of its history and foundation, an analysis of its structure, a post-earthquake analysis, as well as the analysis of the intervention process itself, and finally, the reopening of the church to worship. We describe the whole process metaphorically as the birth, death, and resurrection of the temple.

Keywords : built heritage; earthquake; rehabilitation; sacred architecture; Mexico.