Sections of Comitan de Dominguez
ACCOMMODATIONS
ARCHEOLOGY
ATTRACTIONS AND HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE
ECO TOURISM AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
FESTIVALS AND TRADITIONS
GASTRONOMY
MUSEUMS

ATTRACTIONS AND HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE
Temple of Santo Domingo: Founded in 1556, the date of the arrival of the Dominicans in Comitan. Throughout its existence it has undergone many modifications: for example, the roof was completely replaced in 1866 and the Chapel of the Holy Conception dates from 1873. The temple is the setting for the festivities celebrating Saint Domenicus in August. While the façade emphasizes the neoclassical style, the tower is the most outstanding element of the building. A series of massive cubes, relate the tower to the minarets found in north Africa and to the mudejar towers of Dominican churches. In 1983 a series of blind arches on four levels, reminiscent of medieval Italian styles, were discovered inside the tower. The carved panels on the ceiling, inspired by mudejar carpentry from southern Spain, were a practical solution for the ceilings in 16th century new Spain. This high-quality paneling was built in the 19th century, replacing and imitating the original. The stained glass windows dating from the mid 20th century give accents of color to a sober interior. They are arranged in sections representing the doctors of the church apostles (Saint Thomas and Sainte Theresa), the apostles (Saint Peter and Saint Paul) and the Creole American Saints (Saint Rose of Lima and Saint Phillip of Jesus). The main altar was restored in 1956 using marble, so as to commemorate the 400 years of the city’s foundation.

The Municipal Palace: This edifice originated with the building ordered by the political chief Eleuterio Aguilar. Subsequently, there were two remodeling efforts that resulted in the arcade and the Neoclassic balconies facing the Belisario Dominguez Plaza. In its patio there is a statue of the city's eponym hero Belisario Dominguez. The building has Murals by Manuel Suasnávar, which depict the historic events, covering the walls of the stairwell.

Junchavín City Theatre: This building, along with the Dominican Temple and the Municipal Palace, completes a triangle around the plaza: Art, Religion and Government. The imposing building, constructed in the Neoclassic style characteristic of the Porfirio Diaz era, belonged to Natalia Rovelo Arguello, but a San Cristobal promoter, Daniel Zebadua, purchased it and turned it into a theatre. A fire destroyed it in 1940 but it was then restored and turned into a cinema. During the 1980's it was again made into a theatre and given the name Junchavin. Currently it is the main artistic forum in Comitan, with a capacity for 450 spectators.

San Caralampio Temple; Built in1852 in honor of San Caralampio, a martyr who people were devoted to, after the cholera and smallpox epidemic that killed many people in the middle of the 19th century. Its position on the top of a mountain heightens its mystical ambiance. The façade has a popular flavor notwithstanding its link with neoclassic models. The same neoclassic style, in a more polished fashion, predominates in the interior, decorated with Corinthian columns and a main arch with dent form cornices. The roof is made of wood and tile, and the choir is made of wood as well. The three niches of the main altar hold The Virgin of Lourdes, The Sacred Heart of Jesus and of course the patron saint, Caralampio. One of the most important celebrations in Comitan is the San Caralampio’s religious festivity which takes place from the 11th to the 20th of February in the neighborhood of La Pila.

San Sebastian's Church: The church’s construction dates back to the 17th century. It is located in the plaza of the neighborhood of San Sebastian. The details and construction belongs to the Baroque style. Fray Matias de Cordova y Ordoñez (his sculpture is located next to the church) was the priest of this church when he and the people of Comitan decided to proclaim the independence of the State of Chiapas from Guatemala on August 28, 1821.

Copanaguastla: Located in Socoltenango municipality, just 45 minutes from Comitan on the road to Tzimol. It is a temple damaged by time, but with enough architectural features to appreciate. The Dominican friars, among who was Fray Domingo de Ara, founded their second house in this state here, in the hope of turning it into a great evangelization center. Judging from the magnitude of what remains of the building, it must have been built after 1556, perhaps under the guidance of Fray Francisco de la Cruz. In the 16th century this territory was especially rich because of its cotton fields, minerals, cattle ranching and location along the Camino Real (Royal Road) to Guatemala. The convent was abandoned at the beginning of the next century, but legend has it that the persistent worship of pre-Hispanic deities, hidden behind the main altar of the church, brought divine punishment. Because of its historic circumstances, the Temple of Copanaguastla conserves its original architectural character, making it especially important in the study of Chiapas and Central American colonial art.

San José Coneta: This ancient town was probably founded before 1596 by inhabitants speaking the Coxoh language, as a dependency of the Dominican friars of Comitan, and probably destroyed in the 18th century. Its 17th century church has an extraordinary façade, one of the greatest monuments of colonial Chiapas art.

 

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