Iglesia de San Juan Bautista de Sutiaba León

The Subtiaba neighborhood is centered on this church, located about 1km west of the León cathedral. It’s better known as ‘Catedral Subtiaba,’ and is the oldest intact church in the city. Built in the 1530s and reconstructed in 1710, its relatively plain beige facade and precious wood interior are largely unadorned; even the struts are there to stabilize the structure during earthquakes. There are two exceptions: spirals outside, and an extraordinary sun icon mounted to the typical arched timber roof, pay homage to deities far older than the Spanish conquest.