Nuestra Señora de la Merced Church – Oaxaca City
Nuestra Señora de la Merced Church (Our Lady of Mercy Church) or simply ‘La Merced’ church as it is most commonly referred to, is an eclectic church that could be from the late 16th or early 17th Century. La Merced’s creation was ordered on the 23rd of January 1598 by the ‘Our lady of Mercy Order’ and was intended to be an intermediate communication point between Mexico and their missionary areas in Guatemala. It is possible however that construction of La Merced church didn’t start until the beginning of the seventeenth century. Either way the first church fell down in an earthquake and the one that we see in Oaxaca today is from 1646 which is the same year that the convent was expanded and the missionaries opened one of their first schools. In 1690 La Merced was associated with the Virgin of Mercy Festival, and in 1898 it was bought by Archbishop Gillow who restore it, and in 1933 it was declared a historical monument.
Throughout the history of La Merced church it has undergone repairs and renovations mostly due to earthquake damage which is what has given it the eclectic mix of characteristics that it has. La Merced church is just six blocks from the zócalo in the City centre of Oaxaca.
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A map showing the location of La Merced church
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Photos of La Merced church
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