Under Renovation

Pisa, Italy, has nothing on Mexico City.  Here there are dozens of colonial buildings tilting at crazy angles as they subside into the spongy soil.  One of the worst is the the Church of Our Lady of Loreto.

The church was begun in 1806 and completed in 1819 just two years before Mexico's War of Independence came to an end.  Thus, it is the last church to be built during the colonial era.  The builders made a serious mistake.  They constructed the church of two different kinds of stone, of two different weights.  By 1832 the church had begun to tilt to the east.

The oversize dome of the church is the largest of any built during the colonial era.

I had previously visited the church a couple of times.  Each time I crossed my fingers that an earthquake did not hit while I was inside.  Church authorities said that the building was in danger of collapsing.  I returned on a recent visit downtown because I had seen a poster touting the government's restoration of buildings in the "Centro Histórico".  One of those listed was the Church of Loreto.

The last time I was in the church there was heavy scaffolding inside the church's nave.  I thought it was to keep the building from caving in, but apparently it was part of the restoration process to stabilize the church.  That is now gone, but there is scaffolding in one of the side chapels.

In spite of its deterioration, the interior, with its massive proportions, has always been impressive.

The dome and the ceiling were once covered with frescos, but most of the paint has flaked off.

I talked with an employee at the stand selling religious items inside the entrance.  He said that the paintings are also going to be restored.  In the dome, the stained glass windows have been replaced.

When restoration work is completed, this could be one of the most impressive churches in a city of innumerable churches.  I look forward to seeing that, although I will probably always feel a bit nervous entering this tilting church.