A Tale of Two Churches

Yesterday I wrote that the National Lottery Building in Mexico City was undergoing renovation work due to damage from the 2017 earthquake.  Just a short walk away are two colonial churches which are also now closed for repairs.  They are located on either side of a small plaza just north of the Alameda Park in the heart of the city. 

In 1604 the Order of St. John of God established a hospital here (the hospital structure now is the home of the Franz Mayer Museum of Decorative Arts), and between 1749 and 1782, the Order built a church adjoining the hospital, the Church of San Juan de Dios.  The baroque church featured a unique concave facade. 

The church, like so many structures built on the soft subsoil of Mexico City, is tilting.  On a visit downtown last week, I found the church closed and surrounded by barricades.

Just across the way and in even worse condition is the Church of Santa Veracruz.  For as long as I remember, this church has been leaning at a crazy angle.

The original structure, which was one of the most important parish churches in the city, was built in 1586.  Because of earthquakes and sinking subsoil, it was torn down, and the present church was built between 1759 and 1776.  It too sank unevenly into the soil and suffered further damage in the 2017 earthquake.  The church is now closed and fenced off.