Spirit of Chiapas: The Expressive Art of the Iron Roof Cross Tradition

The Mexican State of Chiapas, with its large indigenous population and historical connections to Guatemala during the colonial period, offers travelers an experience different from most states in Mexico. Here they see Indians and Ladinos living side by side following centuries-old traditions, each with their own interpretation of Catholicism and a symbolic language that distinguishes their culture and customs. Among the most intriguing of these traditions is that of iron roof crosses, of which l…