WHV - Monastères sur les pentes du Popocatépetl (Tochimilco)

PROJECT: Over the past 18 years, the World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) initiative has grown due to the increasing interest in and appreciation for the protection and preservation of World Heritage sites. For the first time, an international volunteer camp will be held at the former Convent of the Assumption, located in the municipality of
Tochimilco. It was built in two phases, the first between 1530 and 1540, and the second between 1590 and 1600. It was designed and overseen by Friar Juan de Alameda with the assistance of Friar Diego de Olarte. It features an atrium surrounded by a crenellated wall, giving it the appearance of a fortress. A large stone cross stands in the center. It also includes an open chapel, pool chapels, and a pilgrims' portal. Tochimilco will host national and international volunteers to carry out awareness-raising activities about the importance of preserving local cultural heritage, supporting the preservation of the 16th-century former convent on the slopes of Popocatépetl. This project anticipates collaborative work with heritage management agencies in the state of Puebla, as well as with the community and academic institutions.

ACTIVITIES: Volunteers will participate in awareness-raising activities and promote the World Heritage Education Programme and its activities in local schools and surrounding communities. They will also learn and practice traditional restoration techniques, which they will apply to the restoration of an aqueduct inside the convent and its perimeter walls, as well as the partial cleaning of niches in the former convent. In addition to promoting World Heritage sites, they will have the opportunity to give a presentation on their country/state's heritage to students and local residents and will conduct a survey for the site's managing authorities by interviewing tourists and community members. They will visit symbolic locations within the municipality and discover the city's culinary heritage.