Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio and Temple and Former Convent of the Assumptio
Plan this ride
Recorded distance
233 km
Riding-time estimate
4 h 19
Journey
Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
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Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
From Cuernavaca it runs 233 km to Cuernavaca; allow about 4 h 19 of riding. The stops in between: Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th, Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t, Temple and Former Convent of the Assumptio and back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t. The stored terrain estimate reaches about 2,650 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio
The Franciscans arrived in Cuernavaca in the 1520s, just a few years after the Spanish conquest, and the fortress like convent they built here, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin, is now the city's cathedral. Its massive church, with walls thick enough for defence and an open chapel for preaching to crowds of indigenous converts, is one of the earliest sixteenth century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl listed as a World Heritage Site in 1994. Inside, murals uncovered in the twentieth century show the martyrdom of Christian missionaries in Japan in 1597, a striking reminder of how far the Franciscan world reached; one of the martyrs, Felipe de Jesús, was born in Mexico City.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio is where the day begins. Next is Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th.
2. Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th
Tlayacapan lies in the north of Morelos, among dry hills, with Popocatépetl, the smoking volcano, standing in the distance. Its convent of San Juan Bautista is one of a number of fortress-like monasteries built by Augustinian, Franciscan and Dominican friars in the sixteenth century, within a few decades of the Spanish conquest, and they are among the earliest European buildings in the Americas. UNESCO listed the group in 1994. The church has a plain, heavy front and an open-air chapel, where the friars preached to crowds who were not yet used to indoor services.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th comes up about 49 km into the recorded legs. Next is Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t.
3. Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t
Ocuituco claims the first Augustinian convent built in Mexico, begun in the 1530s on the southern slopes of Popocatépetl, and the church of Santiago Apóstol with its cloister belongs to the same World Heritage group of early convents around the volcano as Cuernavaca's cathedral. Its cloister keeps a rare carved stone fountain, and the convent's thick walls and simple lines show the early, almost defensive style of the first missions.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 83 km into the recorded legs you reach Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t. Next is Temple and Former Convent of the Assumptio.
4. Temple and Former Convent of the Assumptio
Tochimilco sits high on the southern slopes of Popocatépetl, the great volcano that towers over central Mexico, and on clear mornings the snow-capped cone seems close enough to touch. Here, in the sixteenth century, Franciscan friars built a monastery dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin, one of the early missions established to convert the indigenous population after the Spanish conquest. Its fortress-like church, with thick walls, battlements and a large atrium where crowds once gathered for open-air mass, is part of the UNESCO site of the Earliest Sixteenth-Century Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatepetl, listed in 1994. In the town square, an old aqueduct and fountain built by the friars still bring water from the mountain.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t sits at 129 km, about halfway. Next is back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th.
6. back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th comes up about 183 km into the recorded legs. Next is Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio closes the day.
Leg by leg
Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio to Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th
Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio → Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th is 49 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th to Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t
Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th → Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t to Temple and Former Convent of the Assumptio
Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t → Temple and Former Convent of the Assumptio is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Temple and Former Convent of the Assumptio to back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t
Temple and Former Convent of the Assumptio → back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t to back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th
back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t → back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th to Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio
back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th → Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio is 50 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.