The celebration of the entry of the viceroy was the most lavish, costly civic ritual in seventeenth-century Puebla de los Angeles. Staged by Puebla elites to honor the viceroy, this ritual event was orchestrated to assert and display the religiosity and superiority of Angelópolis (the literary title for Puebla). Invoking the journey of Hernán Cortés, the routing of the viceregal entry through Puebla prior to Mexico City heightened the competitive spirit of the Puebla Cabildo. The Puebla Cathedral, erected on the main plaza largely under the influence of Bishop Juan de Palafox y Mendoza from 1640-49, functioned as the centerpiece and scenographie backdrop of this civic spectacle. Ephemeral, triumphal arches featuring allegorical, political emblems framed and gated the ritual entry. Designed by members of the oldest builders’ guild in New Spain, some of these arches were placed within the main portal of the Cathedral marking its role as the sanctum sanctorum of the city.

On the morning of November 19, 1659, the Inquisitors of the Tribunal of the Holy Office in the City of Mexico celebrated Mass. Then, the prisoners were fed and lined up for the procession of the auto de fe that was to be celebrated that day. The procession of the familiares (officers of the Inquisition) and those to be reconciled or relaxed went by some streets, and the Tribunal of the Inquisition by others. The parade of gentlemen, including more than 500 individuals on horseback, was comprised of the nobility, the knights of the military orders, the Consulate, the University, the Cathedral Chapter, the municipal authorities, the Audiencia, and, finally, the Tribunal of the Holy Inquisition with the viceroy riding in their midst.

On November 4, 1640, a ship two months out of Cádiz entered the harbor of Veracruz and dropped anchor opposite the fortress of San Juan de Ulúa. On board was the new Viceroy of the Kingdom of New Spain, the Duque de Escalona, Diego López Pacheco. The viceroy’s arrival in Veracruz was but the first act in the elaborate drama of colonial government. Escalona and his party tarried in the port, passing the time inspecting the king’s troops and fortifications while they recuperated from the crossing and prepared for the journey to Mexico City. Accompanied by a mounted escort, gentlemen from the towns and cities of New Spain, a retinue of priests, servants and relatives, a herd of sheep, cattle, and other livestock, and by a baggage train carrying the stores of food and wines he brought with him from Spain, the viceroy would climb from sea level to the central meseta of New Spain, an ascent of nearly 8000 feet. The trip to Mexico City was a time for introductions, feasts, toasts, and pageants; but, it was also a time for politics, as the local notables, merchants, and government officials who accompanied the viceroy’s party vied for a favorable processional position and attempted to arrange a place at court for themselves, their relatives, and clients. Each village or town through which the viceroy passed would welcome him according to local custom and means. In larger towns like Puebla, this meant sumptuous entertainment, a procession to the cathedral followed by a reception and banquet. The viceroy could expect a more humble, but no less colorful reception when he passed through one of the dozens of smaller Indian communities along the route.

Kind, gentle, humble, mother to all. This is the traditional Catholic image of the Virgin Mary. Beginning in the fifth century A.D., the popular devotion to the mother of Christ increased rapidly in Europe. Numerous apparitions and accompanying shrines during the late Medieval and early modern period demonstrated her new role in folk Catholicism. In Spain, as in other areas of Europe, the Virgin Mary became one of the major intercessional images, protecting believers from drought, floods, and sickness. Considering her role in the popular belief system of the Iberian peninsular, it was only logical that the sacred image of Mary would travel the Atlantic to New Spain and appear to Native American neophytes who years earlier had worshipped Tonantzin, mother earth, among other female deities. The image of the Virgin Mary could easily incorporate diverse groups under a single symbolic entity. Catholicism held that she was open to all, listened to all, aided all of pure heart. Mary was a force of integration; yet, depending upon the circumstances and the believers, such devotion could also fragment society This study analyzes the history of one such symbol; an integrating force that is best remembered as being one of the most divisive: the Virgin of Remedies of Mexico City.