The story
Welcome to one of Oaxaca’s most enchanting corners. As you stand here at number 111 Calle Aldama, take a deep breath and look around. You aren't just standing in front of a church; you are at the heart of the Barrio de Jalatlaco, a neighborhood that feels like a village frozen in time, even though the bustling center of Oaxaca City is just a short walk away.
Look up at the Templo de San Matías. Notice the warm, earthy glow of the stone. This is red cantera, a volcanic rock quarried right here in the valley.
Unlike the famous green stone you’ll see at the city's main Cathedral or Santo Domingo, this reddish hue gives Jalatlaco its own distinct, rustic personality. Construction on this current structure began in the late 17th century and was completed around 1713, though the religious history of this spot goes back much further to the mid-1500s. If you look closely at the facade, you’ll see the statue of Saint Matthias, the apostle chosen to replace Judas.
He stands there, watching over a neighborhood that was once the industrial backbone of colonial Oaxaca. For centuries, Jalatlaco was the district of the leather tanners, or curtidores. This church was their spiritual home.
Long ago, the air here would have been thick with the smell of treated hides, and you would have heard the constant splashing of water from the nearby Jalatlaco River, which once flowed openly through these very streets before it was eventually channeled underground. The church itself is built in a modest but beautiful Baroque style. Notice the two bell towers—they aren’t perfectly identical, a quirk common in older Mexican churches that were often repaired at different times following the region's frequent earthquakes.
If the doors are open, I encourage you to step inside. You’ll find a serene, single-nave interior that lacks the heavy gold-leaf excess of the city's more famous temples, reflecting the humble, working-class roots of this community. But Jalatlaco’s story didn't end when the tanneries closed.
As you look around the plaza surrounding the church today, you'll see how history has merged with modern artistic expression. The walls of the buildings are covered in vibrant, world-class murals. This church remains the steady anchor of the community, especially during the Day of the Dead, when the plaza is transformed into a sea of orange marigolds and flickering candles.
Take a moment to walk the perimeter and listen to the sound of your footsteps on the cobblestones. Those stones have been polished by centuries of craftsmen, and now, by people like you, discovering the quiet magic of San Matías.