Pedro de Arrieta

Pedro de Arrieta was the busiest master builder of New Spain's transitional baroque. Born at the mining camp of Pachuca on a date the record does not fix, he qualified as maestro in 1691 and in 1720 was raised to maestro mayor of the cathedral and of the kingdom, the highest architectural office in the viceroyalty. His manner sits between the sober seventeenth century and the estípite exuberance that came after it: mixtilinear and octagonal plans, dark polychrome tezontle set against pale chiluca dressings, classical orders used plainly, and almost no estípite pilasters. The old Basilica of Guadalupe, the Profesa church and the Palace of the Inquisition are his, together with bridges, hospital chapels and a Franciscan stair since demolished. He died in Mexico City on 15 December 1738.