Desierto de Los Leones National Park - History

History

The park's name, Desierto de los Leones, is largely due to the Carmelite monastery situated just north of its center. Carmelite monks called their residences “deserts”. but the exact origin of “de los Leones” is not known. The first monastery complex was constructed between 1606 and 1611. By 1711, this structure had deteriorated greatly. It was demolished and a new one was built in its place adjoining just south of the original complex. By the end of the 18th century, the cold, damp weather and increasingly frequent visitors forced the monks to move their monastery to Tenancingo in 1801. The monastery was declared a national monument on 16 May 1937. The 18th-century structure has a number of areas that have been restored and opened to the public. In addition to the old monastery, the park attracts visitors for the nature that surrounds the complex. The park offers activities such as day camping, overnight camping, hiking, and mountain biking. The forest area of the park has deteriorated due to natural and man-made reasons. There is an insect plague in many of the trees, and insufficient vigilance and control of access has led to the park being used for pasture, garbage dumping, logging, and off-path mountain biking by the park’s neighbors.

The monastery was built in the very early 17th century for a group of Carmelite monks who came from Italy to evangelize the Native Americans. They received the financial backing of Don Melchor de Cuéllar. Originally Melchor stipulated that the monastery be built ten leagues from the city of Puebla. However, in these mountains, then known as Santa Fe, an image of John the Baptist reportedly appeared in San Mateo Tlaltenango before Friar Juan de la Madre de Dios. This caused Cuellar to accept this location for the monastery. Pedro Cortés, the Marquis de Valle de Oaxaca and grandson of Hernan Cortes, objected to the appropriation of the land before the vice royal government. However, he was overruled, and the monks obtained the rights to the land and permission to build from the vice royal government in 1604. The monastery was constructed by Friar Andrés de San Miguel between 1606 and 1611. The first stone was laid on 23 January 1606 by then-Viceroy Juan de Mendoza y Luna. It was a relatively simple structure of two stories, with a wood shingle roof, narrow corridors and small rooms called “cells” for the monks to sleep and study in. A 12,570-meter wall was built with only one opening facing the town of Cuajimalpa which still remains.

By 1711, this structure had deteriorated greatly due to the area’s dampness, a number of fires and a strong earthquake. It was demolished and new one built in its place. A one-story structure was built adjoining south of the old site, with the old site becoming a large patio area just outside the main entrance of the new structure. On 8 February 1712, Brother Pedro del Espiritú laid the first stone of the new monastery. Work continued under Manuel de Herrera and was finished by José Antonio de Roa. At the same time, ten small hermitages were built in the forest outside of the monasteries walls.

By the end of the 18th century, the inclement weather and increasingly frequent visitors forced the monks to move their monastery to Tenancingo in 1801, taking with them the remains of their original benefactor Don Melchor de Cuéllar. The ceded their rights to the land to the newly independent Mexican government in the early 19th century. In 1845, General Santa Anna began to use the area for military exercises and as barracks for his artillery corps. Later, the main church of the complex was gutted, and in its place was a glass factory, which also operated as a foundry for counterfeit coins.

During the Mexican Revolution, the site was occupied by rebel forces. The monastery was declared a national monument on 16 May 1937. The 18th century structure has a number of areas that have been restored and open to the public. Just inside the main entrance is the Patio de la Hosteria. In one of the walls surrounding this patio there is a stone from the 17th century structure inscribed to the memory of its patron Melchor de Cuéllar. In the middle of the structure is the dining area. Here, there is a prominent shelf on which was displayed a human skull to remind the monks of the fragility of mortal life and to encourage them not to enjoy their food too much. For many years, the displayed skull belonged to a Brother Damian de San Basilio, a brother of the monastery, which was put there in honor of his virtue. Only the outside of monastery’s church can be seen as the interior has not been restored. On its façade, the shield of the Carmelite Order and a stain glass window depicting Mount Carmel can be seen. In the center of this façade, there used to be an image of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel with niches containing statues of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The first stone from the earlier monastery is embedded here, inscribed to honor Viceroy Mendoza y Luna, who authorized the monastery’s founding. The choir had an altarpiece with a life-sized crucifix and served as the main altar. This crucifix was called the “Lord of the Seven Fortunes” and was surrounded by paintings depicting the crucifixion.

Under the monastery is the basement area, which is almost completely dark, damp and cold. Although widely believed to have been used for punishment, they were built to allow water from nearby springs to flow underneath and be used for mundane purposes such as watering the gardens and cleaning. This cold running water also allowed them to use parts of the basement area to refrigerate foods. Outside the main gate of the monastery, just beyond the traces of the walls of the original monastery, is the “Chapel of Secrets.” It has a domed roof and its acoustics allowed monks face into the corner to speak to another monk during the long stretches of imposed silence in the monastery. Surrounding the entire complex is the “Barda de la Excomunicacion” (Wall of Excommunication) named so because supposedly any woman that crossed it was subject to excommunication from the Catholic Church.

Ten small hermitages were built with the monastery and are named San José, San Elias, San Juan Bautista, Santa María Magdalena, Santa Soledad, San Alberto, Getsemaní, de la Trinidad, San Juan de la Cruz and Santa Bibiana. They are small, with an oratory, a bed, a small kitchen and a wall surrounding the building. The hermitage of Santa Bibiana was replaced with a chapel. Three of the closest hermitages are La Soledad, La Trinidad and Getsemani with a path leading to them from the monastery. The structure furthest from the monastery is the chapel/hermitage built at the top of San Miguel Peak.