visiting the churches. The cathedrals are generally provided with two towers, from which a fine view of the city may be obtained. These religious edifices are usually built in the form of a Latin cross, and the interior is seldom frescoed. The traveler soon grows weary of the white plastered walls, on which indifferent paintings are frequently hung.
The cathedral of Puebla has a stone floor, while that of Mexico is of wood, which seems out of place in comparison with the solid magnificence of the building. The objects of interest in a Spanish church are: the high altar, the stalls in the choir, the lateral chapels, and the relics and vestments in the sacristy.
The following terms applied to different portions of churches will be found useful:
Fachadas, façades; lonja, a long platform, which often surrounds the churches exteriorly, and which is ascended by steps or grees, escalinata or gradas.
The font is pila bautismal.
Pila de agua bendita is the stoup, or font, containing holy water; coro, is the choir; trascoro, the back to it, often profusely decorated; the respaldos del coro are the lateral sides of it.
The stalls are sillas, forming sillaria alia, or baja, as the case may be.
The choristers' desks are called atriles; the lectern, facistol, and the transept, crucero. Over it often rises a dome or lantern, which is called cimborio, and, from its shape, media naranja.
The purclose, or railings, rejas, are often beautifully executed, and made of silver.
The abside contains a capilla mayor, with the high altar, altar mayor; the reredos, or screen rising from it, is named the retablo. The latter are commonly exquisitely gilded. The right side of the altar—i. e. , the right of the
