Neo-Gothic Temples in Western Mexico. Church, Space, and City
摘要
This chapter focuses on western Mexico—particularly the states of Jalisco, Michoacán, and Guanajuato—as a key region in the development of Neo-Gothic religious architecture. It analyzes how the Catholic Church used the style to reshape urban landscapes and reaffirm its spiritual and cultural dominance. The chapter distinguishes two interpretive axes: the ecclesiastical vision, through which bishops and clergy promoted the construction of monumental temples as expressions of atonement, resistance, and faith; and the urban vision, where Neo-Gothic temples acted as central landmarks, redefining the spatial organization and symbolic structure of growing cities. The text also discusses the phenomenon of architectural incompleteness, identifying it not as a failure, but as a defining feature of many Neo-Gothic constructions in the region, shaped by economic limitations, shifting priorities, and the long-term nature of such projects. The chapter considers the quest for monumentality and the deliberate manipulation of scale and proportion as emblematic characteristics of these temples. Through a blend of architectural, urban, and religious analysis, it shows how Neo-Gothic constructions in western Mexico operated simultaneously as sacred spaces, civic icons, and spatial declarations of Catholic endurance.