Abstract
The contribution deals with the architecture of conversion of 16th century New Spain. It focuses on the introduction of this unique monastic architecture and its individual elements (such as the open chapel, posa chapel and atrium cross), as well as the artistic decoration and its iconographic program.
The aim of this contribution is to present this architecture and its plastic decoration and interpret them from the point of view of the conversion of the native population of America. The methodology of the contribution draws from anthropology and art theory, in particularfrom the iconology of Erwin Panofsky and from the symbolic anthropology, namely from the concepts of "transitional rituals" of Arnold van Gennep and structure, communitasand liminalityof Victor Turner.
The analysis is based on photographic material recorded in Mexico in 2013 during field researchfunded with the support of the Mexican government. The results have shown that the monastic architecture of New Spain in relation with the Christian liturgy became part of the ritual of transition directed towards Indians adopting a new Western worldview and the cult (the Christian faith) associated with it, and thus being integrated into early colonial society.