MEXICO CITY (AFP).- Mexico's institute of history condemned the recent demolition of an eighteenth century Franciscan chapel in the state of Tlaxcala, calling the destruction a "barbaric act."

The turquoise and gold Chapel of the Holy Christ, located on the slopes of a volcano, was a fine example of traditional religious architecture and colonial history before it was torn down, the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico said.

The agency said it had filed a criminal complaint against whoever carried out the demolition that occurred last weekend.

The building was a historical monument under the care of the Catholic Church and its destruction is "an act of barbarism that affects the cultural heritage of Mexicans," the organization said.

The chapel was on the old road that connected Mexico City to the port of Veracruz.




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