This Jesuit church with a 1767 Churrigueresque facade is also called Espíritu Santo. Beneath the altar is a tomb said to be that of a 17th-century South Asian princess who was sold into slavery in Mexico and later freed.
She was supposedly responsible for the colorful china poblana costume – a shawl, frilled blouse, embroidered skirt and gold and silver adornments. This costume became a kind of ‘peasant chic’ in the 19th century. But china (chee-nah) also meant ‘maidservant,’ and the style may have evolved from Spanish peasant costumes.
