Barrio La Luz Chapel, Villa Milpa Alta

The Chapel in Barrio La Luz is probably the least visited of those in Milpa Alta, as is Barrio La Luz itself. It’s one of the five earliest recorded official barrios of the Villa Milpa Alta. But that same long stretch of history was never kind to La Luz. As far away as it might seem, it’s barely a ten-minute walk south from the town center.

Steps lead guests up to the small irregular atrium. This is surrounded by a low stone wall. The atrium is still often used for community meetings. The chapel is slightly elevated above the atrium floor with a simple façade. The west and south walls are reinforced by large buttresses and give the appearance of volume to the otherwise tiny building.

The church is built over a single nave divided into two sections with mosaic tile covering the floors. The first is covered by a barrel vault with the interior illuminated by oculi in the side walls. The second section, the presbytery is covered by a saucer vault capped by a lantern.

The chapel was slightly damaged in the 2017 earthquakes. It’s not often open. But the Barrio la Luz chapel, like others in the town, is nicely positioned on a small hill. As such, it offers panoramic views of the entire valley, including of many other chapels to the north and east.