Have you ever seen a Christian church built atop an ancient pyramid with an active volcano in the background? You can in Cholula, Mexico. Updated Mar 2023.
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios
Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de los Remedios (in English – the Church of Our Lady of Remedies) is located on top of what appears to be a large hill in the city of Cholula, Mexico.
The Spanish Conquistadors conducted a battle of occupation with the local Aztec natives in the 1500s. At Cholula, the natives defeated the Spanish at the battle of Sad Night on 30 June 1520. The Spanish retreated, recovered and attacked the Aztecs again, this time victorious, in the Battle of Otumba on 7 July 1520.
After conquering Mexico, the Spanish began building Catholic churches in every town. The construction of the church in Cholula started in 1574.
The Great Pyramid of Cholula
The Spanish thought that they were building their church on the top of a large hill. They did not realize it was not a hill but an ancient pyramid. Not just any pyramid, but the largest pyramid in the world. How was it possible that the Spanish did not discover the pyramid, which remains primarily unknown today?
The Aztec name for the pyramid was Tlachihualtepetl. It is only 66 metres (217 feet) tall, which is slightly less than half the height of the pyramids in Egypt. However, the pyramid’s base is an incredible 450 metres by 450 metres (1,480 feet), making the total area of the pyramid massive in size and covering an area of 54 acres. At 4.45 million cubic metres, it is almost double the volume of the largest pyramid in Egypt. Although not the tallest, it is the largest pyramid in the world in total size.
Construction and Decline
Construction of the pyramid started in the 3rd century. By the 9th century, it was complete, with seven superimposed levels. The pyramids in Egypt were built as tombs for their kings, while the ones in Central America were temples. The Great Pyramid of Cholula was dedicated to the god Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent, who was the god of wind and learning. During this period, Cholula was the second-largest city in Mexico after Mexico City, with a population of about 100,000.
In the 8th century, like in other Central American cities, the population began to decline. The cities of this era suffered from overpopulation, wars with other cities, insufficient food and drought. Like several other Aztec and Mayan cities, they were mostly abandoned long before the Spanish arrived in the 1500s. However, thousands of Aztec people still lived in the area when the Conquistadors arrived and put up a fight against the occupation. By then, the pyramid was overgrown and unrecognizable and appeared to be just a large hill.
The Pyramid Today
Amazingly, the world’s largest pyramid was not discovered until the 20th century. Exploration began in 1931. However, today the pyramid remains mostly overgrown with centuries of dirt, grass, bushes and trees, just as the first Spanish saw it in 1520.
The photo above shows a small portion of the pyramid after removing centuries of dirt and growth. Visitors can now imagine what the entire structure looks like. It must have been beautiful indeed. The pyramid has not been uncovered because of the religious significance of the church on top of it. If you go up the stairs, you arrive at a level area with no other place to go, as this is all of the pyramid that has been uncovered. Initially, you would have crossed this level and continued up another set of stairs to the second of seven levels.
The Tunnels
The pyramid is full of tunnels. Over 25 years, excavation revealed eight km of tunnels. About 800 metres of these tunnels are now open to the public and are well worth exploring.
Popocatepetl
Popocatepetl is an active volcano in central Mexico, south of Mexico City. It has a height of 5,426 m (17,802 ft). In Mexico, it is known as “El Popo”.
On the internet and in Cholula, you will see photos and postcards of the Church with Popocatepetl in the background. Although you can see the volcano from the church, it is far away and not directly behind the church, as shown in the famous photo. This is a compound image made up of two different pictures.
There was a significant eruption in the first century, after which Popocatépetl became dormant and was declared inactive until 1947, when another massive eruption occurred. In 1991 the volcano’s activity increased, and since 1993 smoke can be seen emanating from the crater almost daily. The volcano has become increasingly active in recent years, with 14 major eruptions.
Eruptions since 1900
Minor eruptions: 1363, 1509, 1512, 1519–1528, 1530, 1539, 1540, 1548, 1562–1570, 1571, 1592, 1642, 1663, 1664, 1665, 1697, 1720, 1802, 1919, 1923, 1925, and 1933.
There was a major eruption in 1947.
21 December 1994. An eruption of gas and ash carried 25 km, causing the evacuation of nearby towns.
December 2000, The biggest eruption in 1,200 years.
25 Dec 2005. Smoke and ash rose 3 km into the air, and there was an eruption of lava.
25 Jan 2012. A large explosion of ash
15 April 2012. An explosion of ash and rocks over a period of 24 hours.
8 May 2013. An eruption lasting 3.5 hours covered nearby villages and the City of Puebla with ash. Volcanic rock was flung up to 700 metres from the crater.
4 July 2013. An eruption of steam and ash lasted for 24 hours.
During Aug and Sep 2014, steam and gas rose to 3,000 metres above the crater.
28 March 2016. A column of ash rose 2,000 metres in the air. Since then, a 12 km security ring was established around the volcano in which people are not allowed to live but may visit.
3 April 2016. A minor eruption of ash, rock and lava.
17 Aug 2016. Four minor eruptions over a 24-hour period.
10 Nov 2017. The most recent eruption.
I visit Popocatepetl – Mar 2018
In March 2018, I observed the volcano from the top of the pyramid in Cholula. The volcano was also clearly visible from the City of Puebla, about 26 km away on the east side of the mountains. Steam rose from the crater on most days that I saw the volcano.
Later in the month, I travelled around to the volcano’s east side via Mexico City. From the town of Amecameca, you can drive up to Iztaccihuatl-Popocatepetl National Park for a close look. Steam rises from the volcano on most days, but unfortunately, Popocatepetl was quiet on the day I was there. I had hoped to get some photos with some activity as I was within five km of the volcano. However, a few days later, the volcano was active again.
Camping and washrooms are available in the park at the visitor’s centre.
Popocatepetl Eruptions
Popocatepetl erupts often. Not enough to destroy nearby towns, but can often be seen belching smoke.
Birds at Popocatepetl
Incidentally, Popocatepetl National Park is a good place to look for birds. Steller’s Jay and Striped Sparrow are common.
The Next Eruption
Popopetcatepetl is due for a major eruption at any time.
Warning: Stay on the road or within the boundaries of the park. Do not go hiking in the forest outside of the park. Bandits are known to inhabit the area. It is safe within the National Park as it has a large police presence.