Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/28575
FAR LEFT: Amparo Museum displays art and artifacts from three epochs of Mexican history. LEFT: Talavera pottery and more in Guild workshops BELOW: Mesones Sacristia boutique hotel features nine antique-filled rooms and a restaurant in its inner courtyard. this was unlike any Mexican city we had ever seen. Tiles were embedded onto the facades of the buildings and white “wedding cake” adornment was unusual in its brilliance and intricacy. We learned later from our friends at Mexico Tourism that the region includes vast deposits of onyx, but not a softer stone that could be easily carved. Te early Spaniards created a substance called “stuc,” a plaster composite that was formed into blocks and carved. We would see stuc carvings adorning buildings and churches all over the historic city and into the surrounding villages. We had come for the tile but the history and beauty of Puebla far exceeded our expectations. As we discovered Puebla, along with its archi- tecture and history, we also learned that it had been the location of many films including Man On Fire with Denzel Washington and Frida with Selma Hyack among many other documentaries and Mexican cinematic features. Te foundation of Puebla began with a letter from the bishop of Tlaxcala in 1530 to the Span- ish queen outlining the need for a Spanish settle- ment between Mexico City and the port of Veracruz. According to legend, the bishop had a dream about where to build the city. He saw a val- ley with woods and meadows crossed by a clear river and dotted with fresh-water springs on fertile land. Ten he saw a group of angels descend from heaven and trace out the city. Convinced he had a divine vision, he went out in search of the place and found it. Tis legend is the source of Puebla’s original name, Puebla de los Angeles. continues SPRING 2011 / DISCOVER HOLLYWOOD 49