reborn from its ashes the Temple of Santa María Acapulco For Guillermina Escoto
guille_es66
Photos yahoo.com.mx San Luis Potosi INAH Center 
Temple of Santa María Acapulco
touched twice by lightning.
"Indian tradition says that when someone is struck by lightning and survives, it becomes shaman ..."
To reach the community of Santa María Acapulco must pass through steep valleys and up large tracts of mountains covered with cacti, the population is located in a secluded place in one end of the Sierra Gorda, in-state San Luis Potosi.
In the bottom of the ravine where the river passes Santa Maria. No running water, only light, a primary school and a public telephone, as is the head of 22 indigenous populations, concentrates and secondary schools high school, serving all communities in the region Pame.
The place stands on the cultural map for its temple, the eighteenth century, considered an architectural jewel chain Franciscan missionary, founded in the Sierra Gorda for evangelization. But beyond its artistic richness, this sacred space has a high value for the traditions of the people xi'ói (PAME), because Santa Mary is the community pame more conservative traditions.
A living heritage 
At the beginning of XXI century, the illusion of shine to the temple made the request xi'ói support from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) to restore it, after known the work he did in the convents of the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro.
Under the coordination of restorative Renata Schneider, in the first four months of work, the INAH consolidated third part of the facade. Also completed the inventory of the collection belonging to the temple, built with polychrome sculptures of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, oils, altar, mural painting large bill, exceptional handcrafted objects of worship: chalices, custodians, blankets and clothing.
The pieces were photographed and their technical specifications were developed with support from community members, following the traditional ways of naming objects. Schneider says it's very common for peripheral ethnic groups, ie large non-indigenous settlements or large groups (such as the Nahua, Zapotec and Mixtec), speak their language only at home or among women.
"In Santa María Acapulco xi'ói all speak the language and if you are a foreigner and not know it, learn it or you stay on the sidelines of their affairs."
also developed the schedules parts in English to be included in the database of Interpol, as part of measures implemented to prevent theft.
During this first season of work, the Schneider team also restored two polychrome sculptures, conducted an initial training course and awareness of cultural heritage 20 members of the community, eight people prepared for technical support in the preservation and preservation of historical monument, mounted an exhibition on the work done and gave talks to primary and secondary schools to involve people in caring for their heritage.
Working with communities is delicate, "says the specialist" implies another way of doing things, therefore "the INAH never restored in a community that does not invite us. In this case, the people of Santa María Acapulco interested in our support because they know the restoration was done in the convents of the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro.
"From my point of view, communities have every right to participate in decisions to restore its heritage. Purists say you can not, but a matter of dialogue. "
A central problem is that the path of the profession restorer has opened up considerably but not bodies of theory, and consequently there is a gap between high art and cultural symbols of indigenous people in that sense, there are times when we try to establish criteria that conflict with the idiosyncrasies, says Schneider. This is a topic that is beginning to reflect, even by the UNESCO.
For this type of work, from 1997 through the Integrated Projects Branch Conservation with Communities, the National Coordination of Cultural Heritage Conservation developed specialized methods and supported by experts from multiple disciplines.
In Santa María Acapulco
working together with anthropologists and historians who warn which channels of communication in the community and government bodies.
... And only the devil survived an electric shock 
After an intense anthropological and restoration exercise, which worked INAH November 2006 to February 2007, the morning of July 1, 2007 the Sierra Gorda was illuminated with violet light of a thunderstorm, and just in the thatched roof of the old temple was struck by lightning burned it. The history of the restoration had to start again. Before
it fell to the lightning that burned the temple pame, even before the restoration INAH initiated in November 2006, there was a detail that seems taken from a novel of magical realism: "In the central part of the facade of the temple, only of its kind, was the Virgin of the Assumption and the representations of San Francisco and San Miguel standing over the devil, but was struck by lightning, which destroyed two other sculptures and the devil was only below the two empty niches. "
beam with the second temple was burned completely.
Saving sacred 
Without electricity, with dirt floors and wooden beamed ceiling and woven palm, the temple appeared to be poor, but its decor was rich not only in the mural, the three altarpieces with silver and vermeil coffered but also by its chorus of wood, the baptistery and the baptismal font, made from local materials.
The restoration is being carried out with traditional materials, Renata Schneider warns, "for which we develop an investigation of the components used in the mountains.
Work to return the property value are headed by INAH, which has provided resources and expertise for their care, under the coordination of Schneider and Begoña Garay, architect of Centro INAH-San Luis Potosi.
The work has been carried out jointly with the community of Santa Maria and traditional government and the municipality of Santa Catarina, the state government and the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples.
As regards the architecture of religious buildings, Schneider reported that consolidated the structural windows and doors were restored with mesquite wood, the floors were laid, the altars were replaced and the ceiling with his jacket palm.
In the mural that decorates interiors and facade were carried out restoration work, making rescue most of the interior walls, pending the two pillars of the facade, to be completed this year.
The facade was also operated in structure, and is now in the decoration process, with an increase of 90 percent. Also, a lightning rod was placed to prevent accidents.
With the above actions, last December, the temple was given to the community after being closed since the lightning strike, the opening is adorned with the delivery of altarpiece dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe, reproduced by Cuauhtemoc Soto One of the most important altarpieces Mexico.
also took delivery of 10 sculptures of the eighteenth century, made in polychrome wood, among which the group size Easter. Similarly, interventions were part of the furniture and documentary heritage, within which highlights a set of eight books, composed of seventeenth-century missals and parochial documents of XVIII.
Schneider explained that the INAH has handled all aspects mentioned above on three lines of action: building areas that could be recovered after the action of fire, like the mural, which has meant a lot of detail work and care, and that he had to spend more time. Another relative
to community property that escaped the fire, among which are graphic documents, sculptures, furniture, liturgical objects and religious garments. And the third is oriented to the reproduction of the elements that were completely lost.
The INAH restorer said the decision to reproduce the goods completely deteriorated was taken in a collegial manner, through consultation with a board of specialists who said the rules should continue to replace each missing element.
reiterated that both the compounds that have been restored and the restored and reproduced, have worked with traditional materials. Mural painting was restored with the use of clays in the region and natural binders. While the sculptures are worked according to the techniques involving polychrome and gilded wood.
mystical and architectural jewel 
"The temple is still a gem not only architectural, but also because it retains important traditions and Pame people should keep that mystique," said the specialist, then explained: "Since the secularization the late eighteenth century and during the early nineteenth century, the very remote villages lost their pastors, and many indigenous communities took over their sanctuaries. This is the case pame temple.
"The people who organized the celebration and its use is peculiar. The traditional governor directed the ceremonies, on Sunday people go to make their requests and light candles but no mass. The offices are held every three months, when the priest arrives. "
The rest of the day the people come with offerings to the religious space that leaves some holes in the walls and if you get sick someone is going to the temple to be healed, there also meet traditional authorities to address community issues.
Pames For San Luis Potosi this temple is an important area, having been without him for months was endangering their heritage intangible, says the restorer.
during 2010 will continue the work to complete the restoration of mural paintings and objects involve all missing. At the architectural parts are the chorus and the paneling, and in regard to reproductions of the property, continue with the main altar and the Sorrows.
The restoration project is expected to be completed in its entirety in 2012. In parallel, work continues on the management plan that will allow further conservation of the temple, and the development of community workshops to provide information on caring for their heritage.
