Two Tilting Churches

Due to Mexico City's spongy soil, many buildings in the Historic Center have settled unevenly.  That is the case with two colonial churches located across the street from the Alameda Park, the Church of Santa Veracruz and the Church of San Juan de Dios.  Both churches had been closed for repairs and restoration work.

Last week after visiting the Museo Kaluz, I walked down the street just a block to see how work was progressing on the two of them.

The Church of Santa Veracruz is still closed.  In these photos you cannot really appreciate the uneven angles at which the building is tilting.  After the earthquake of 2017 the bell towers were in danger of collapse and were shored up.  In 2020 there was a fire inside and the church has been closed ever since then while restoration work continues.

The parish dates back to 1568 and is one of the oldest in the city.  The current church dates from the 18th century.

Across a small plaza and facing Santa Veracruz is San Juan de Dios.  That church is open once again.

In this picture you can get a sense of the tilt of the bell tower.

The church was part of a complex that included a convent and hospital founded in 1602.  The original church was demolished and a new one dedicated in 1729.

The facade appears to have been cleaned and restored and is quite beautiful.

The interior of the church was sacked during the Mexican Revolution, so it is relatively simple.

I noticed that high on the wall, on either of the altar, there are intricately carved wooden balconies.

My guess, and it's only a guess, is that these balconies allowed the nuns of the convent to hear mass without being seen by the public below.