Templo de la Compañia de Jesús (Temple of the Holy Spirit), Puebla

The Templo de la Compañía de Jesús, also known as the Temple of the Holy Spirit, reflects the long Jesuit presence in Puebla. After arriving in the late 16th century, the order expanded its site in 1588 by acquiring nearby properties and reshaping the urban grid to create the forecourt still seen today. The present Baroque church was built mainly in the 18th century and completed in 1767, the year the Jesuits were expelled from Spanish territories.

The façade gives the church a strong public presence, with pale stone, carved ornament, and a five-arched portico. Its central clover-shaped arch, carved beneath the Sacred Heart of Jesus, reflects Jesuit devotional imagery. Near the entrance, a Talavera tile plaque recalls Antonio de Benavídez, “El Tapado,” executed in 1684 after posing as a royal inspector; local tradition says his head was later displayed on the church façade as a warning.

Inside, the church has three naves of similar height, a dome over the crossing, and large 17th-century paintings by José Rodríguez Carnero. The sacristy preserves Mudéjar-style woodwork, while the temple’s link to Catarina de San Juan, the “China Poblana,” connects it with local devotion and colonial-era trade routes.