Saint Nicholas Church

This Mudejar-style temple, built in the 17th century, houses a diocesan museum and is an architectural jewel of Chiapas.

San Cristóbal de las Casas is a colonial city with almost 500 years of history, which is reflected in its religious and civil buildings. Among them, the church of San Nicolás stands out, one of the oldest and most representative of the colonial religious architecture of Chiapas.

The church of San Nicolás was built between 1613 and 1621 by the Augustinian bishop Fray Juan de Zapata y Sandoval, who also founded the annexed convent. Its style is Mudejar, with Arab and Spanish influences, which is manifested in its simple stone and brick façade with a multicolored patina, its single nave covered with a wooden and tile roof, and its semicircular arches.
 
The oldest church in San Cristóbal de las Casas 

The main façade of the temple shows its multicolored patina as a traditional hallmark of local architecture. It has very vertical niches and gives the impression of having two side towers, one higher than the other, which are actually turrets that house a hidden staircase at the back. The main entrance is crowned by an image of Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of the temple.
 
The interior of the church is sober and elegant, with a high altar made of gilded wood and a Baroque altarpiece with images of saints and virgins. The sotochoro is separated from the nave by an archway with three spans, while the presbytery is distinguished from the nave by a triumphal arch. The difference increases because the wood and tile roof is different in both sections.
 
Currently, the church functions as a Diocesan Museum, where religious and artistic objects are exhibited, such as paintings, sculptures, liturgical ornaments and historical documents. The museum also offers guided tours of the temple and convent, where you can see the cloister, the refectory, the sacristy and the cells of the friars.

The church of San Nicolás is located at the back of the Cathedral of San Cristóbal de las Casas, in the historic center of the city. It is a place worth visiting to learn more about the history, culture, and faith of this region of Chiapas.