"The late Robert J. Mullen has written a reliable, readable, and well-illustrated book that covers, in six chronological chapters, a selection of the major monuments of Mexican colonial architecture during the period from 1521 to independence."

—Hispanic American Historical Review

"This book is the first I know that addresses this architecture in one concise, readable volume.... It will be useful to students and travelers or simply people interested in the architecture of Mexico—a vast group."

—Hal Box, W. L. Moody, Jr., Centennial Professor in Architecture, University of Texas at Austin

From monumental cathedrals to simple parish churches, perhaps as many as 100,000 churches and civic buildings were constructed in Mexico during the viceregal or colonial period (1535-1821). Many of these structures remain today as witnesses to the fruitful blending of Old and New World forms and styles that created an architecture of enduring vitality.

In this profusely illustrated book, Robert J. Mullen provides a much-needed overview of Mexican colonial architecture and its attendant sculpture. Writing with just the right level of detail for students and general readers, he places the architecture in its social and economic context. He shows how buildings in the larger cities remained closer to European designs, while buildings in the pueblos often included prehispanic indigenous elements.

This book grew out of the author's twenty-five-year exploration of Mexico's architectural and sculptural heritage. Combining an enthusiast's love for the subject with a scholar's care for accuracy, it is the perfect introduction to the full range of Mexico's colonial architecture.