Santo Domingo

The church of Santo Domingo in Puebla is especially famed for its Capilla del Rosario (1690), an impressive sight with overwhelming Baroque decoration and lavish use of gold leaf.

The Iglesia de Santo Domingo was the church of a Dominican monastery (no longer active) completed in 1611. Its Capilla del Rosario was built in 1690 in honor of the Virgin of the Rosary.

The church of Santo Domingo is worth a look; its interior is lined with some impressive Baroque altars and contains a fine onyx pulpit.

But the main attraction here is the Capilla del Rosario, one of the most elaborately decorated Baroque chapels in Mexico. The walls and dome are completely coated with ornate sculpture in gold leaf and plaster, including saints, cherubs, and dancing angels. On the walls, golden vines form the frames of six paintings depicting the mysteries of the rosary.