The Splendor of Mexico San Angel The Garden of the Valley of Mexico Jaime Abundis * ave you been in San Angel? its gardens, its tuneful little fountains; on Mexico among the trees? And there in Have you seen it from its network of crystal-clear waters a blan - the background, where the double chain “H some where high up, from a ket of flowers unfolds, flowers of every of mountains that circle the valley, the tower? Is it not a paradise? Its orchards, color, of every kind, like a multi-colored ring in whose setting sparkle the knitted shawl thrown over a mirror. Have Popocatépetl and the ‘White Woman’ * Mexican architect. Researcher at the Na tion - you seen its village, its bell towers peep - like two diamonds, are lost from view, al Institute of Anthopology and History, INAH . ing over the balcony onto the Valley of disappearing in the milky distance of the Panoramic view of the towers and domes of the El Ca rmen Monastery and church. 81 VOICES of MEXICO • 51 the Xitle volcano that a little more than two millennia ago formed the San Angel Pedregal, or “stony crags”. The hills’ many glens nurtured innumerable streams and brooks, the most important of which are the Magdalena or Coyoacán. Criss crossing each other, they fertilized San Angel and its surrounding land. Thick oak, fir and pine forests covered not only the moun - tains, but the foothills, enriching the area with resources. The Pedregal lava malpais that physically separates Tlalpan from San Angel was the only jarring note Carlos Nebel lithograph of the Battle of Padierna, which culminated in the occupation of San Angel by U.S. troops. in the landscape, but it also meant more resources. It was these resources that in the remote past attracted men to the Mexico basin. The archeological remains at Cuicuilco and Copilco el Bajo testify to the degree of development achieved by the ancient inhabitants before the Xitle erupted. The lack of systematic archeological exploration and the growth of the urban area limit our knowledge of San Angel’s pre-Hispanic past. Historic sources, on the other hand, do allow us to know mo re about the post-classical period. With the Nahua invasions, the Tepanecs became lords of the western river bank of the Mex - The Valley of Mexico in the nineteenth century, as painted by José María Velasco. ico Lake in the twelfth or thirteenth cen - horizon, there, very far away, on a back - that today survives only in literature, in tury. They set up their capital in Az ca pot - ground striped with the blue transparen - the faded photos and the memories of zalco and occupied Tacuba, Ta cu ba ya, cy of the lakes, have you seen the yel - the few people who had the good fortune M i x coac and Coyoacán . And so it remained lowish outline of the city that a reverent to enjoy it as it was. Now, it is a just until the reign of Maxtla, defeated by the Alexander von Humboldt called the City another part of the city, but it used to be Mexicas around 1428, who then became of Palaces? Forgive these descriptions. I a town with a visage of its own, the prod - the new masters of the riverbank and, soon am overwhelmed by the spectacle, it was uct of specific history and geography. thereafter, the valley itself. so beautiful...!” 1 About 12 kilometers from downtown Coyoacán was made up of several ham - These little known words were writ - Mexico City, central San Angel is in the lets, two of which were Tenanitla (meaning ten by a visitor to nineteenth-century foothills of what eventually to the south “next to the stone walls”) and Chimalistac San Angel, Don Justo Sierra, to describe and west becomes the Ajusco Mountains (“white shield”); this dominion came under the pleasing emotions evoked by a place topped with Ajusco Peak and, at its feet, the tutelage of Tenochtitlan after the 82 The Splendor of Mexico Chapel door, San Jacinto Church. Patio of the San Jacinto Tenanitla cloister, founded by the Dominicans in the late sixteenth century. Tepanec defeat at the hands of the decided to place the capital of his mar - others. From 1569 on, only the fri ars of Mexicas. quisate in Coyoacán, that included Santo Domingo de Guzmán remained to In contrast with Coyoacán, the seat of towns and hamlets like Mixcoac, La cover Coyoacán and its envi rons. They the dominion, which boasted a ceremo - Magdalena, Coajimalpa, Tacubaya, Los used its bounty to turn Tenanitla into a nial center with tall pyramids and tem - Remedios, Tenanitla and Chimalistac. place of rest and convalescence for the sick ples and more than 6,000 houses, half on Their abundant resources attracted the and the aged in the sixteenth century. The the land and half in the water —known Spaniards and the congenial surround - fame of Tenanitla as somewhere healthy as chinampas , or floating gardens— as ings favored the building of an incipient began there, rooted in its wonderful natur - described by Bernal Díaz del Castillo, settlement that began to be called al conditions. Tenanitla and Chimalistac were full of Tenanitla, still a part of Coyoacán. In 1596 in Mexico City, the Domi ni - orchards and gardens, sprinkled with The missionary friars were a central cans loudly celebrated the canonization of huts and a house or two, to the west, part of the appropriation process and the Saint Hyacinth, the missionary of where what is now San Angel lies. Its cultural transformation in this initial Poland and Northeastern Europe. As part resources had made them important stage of the colonial period. In 1524 the of their festivities, they agreed to dedi - hamlets since they contributed agricul - Younger Brothers arrived to Coyoacán cate a house to the canonization, found - tural products, animals, wood, charcoal, and shortly thereafter a small Franciscan ing it in Tenanitla. Soon, the house began basaltic rock and, of course, water in monastery was set up in the town. to be called Tenanitla de San Ja cin to abundance. When the Spanish took However, in 1529, the Dominicans (Spanish for Hyacinth) or San Jacinto Te- Tenochtitlan and made Coyoacán their arrived and founded their convent dedi - nanitla, and the original Marianist ori - temporary headquarters in 1521, many cated to Saint John the Baptist. For 40 gins of the name, Our Lady of the of them unleashed their greed on these years, the two religious orders shared the Rosary, were forgotten. A short time later rich lands. Coyoacán area, establishing small chapels they turned this small mo nas tery into the In 1529, Hernán Cortés became the in the towns and hamlets. The Domi - Hospice for Missionaries of the East, marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca and was nicans set up two chapels, dedicated to where the friars who came and went from granted the tribute of the indigenous peo - Saint Sebastian in Chimalistac and to Our the Philippines recovered from the hard - ples of many towns in New Spain . He Lady of the Rosary in Tenanitla, among ships of their ocean voyage; the church 83 VOICES of MEXICO • 51 Oil of Saint Teresa of Avila, El Ca rm en Museum. also served as a parish church. The town was given a new name that would not last, but not for any reason the Dominicans could control. Meanwhile, San Jacinto Tenanitla con - tinued to grow and its visage changed slow - ly but profoundly. The great flowing Mag - da lena River, the most important in the south west of the Mexico basin, was perfect for wheat mills, textile workshops and fulling mills, where wool and other cloth was shrunken and smoothed. Ranches, haciendas, gardens and seed plantations also used its waters to irrigate their crops. The peasants began to add their num - bers to the workshop and mill laborers, as did a few city dwellers who enjoyed the benefits of such a magnificently well Facade of the San Jacinto Church, one of the first places of worship built by the Dominicans in San Angel. provided-for natural wilderness. The barefoot Carmelites, founded by discovered and colonized, at the same The seventh of these was the San Angel two such outstanding mystics as Saint time that they maintained their original College for which they received a land Teresa de Jesús and Saint John of the contemplative goals. Although they were grant in Tenanitla and Chimalistac in Cross in the second half of the sixteenth not destined to evangelize, their religios - 1597. century, had arrived in New Spain in ity and spiritual values led them to found In 1614, the barefoot Carmelites decid - 1585 to become part of the evangelizing 16 houses during the colonial period, ed to move their provincial college. This efforts of the new lands that were being that formed the Saint Albert Province. time they paid no heed to the obstacles put 84 The Splendor of Mexico Saint John of the Cross, El Carme n Museum. es) and aqueducts, a selection of apple, pear and peach trees, as well as vegeta - bles, plus enormous amounts of labor by the local population brought forth a gar - den and orchard that produced good yields for them in that very century. The famous fruit of the San Angel orchard sold easily in Mexico City and elsewhere. The Carmelites were already estab - lished in San Jacinto Tenanitla; their col - lege functioned very well; and the orchard and garden produced enough to support them. The local population benefited from the employment offered by the Car melites and, in imitation, they also covered the town with gardens and orchards.