Stability and construction of the 16th century Mexican rubble masonry vaults in Jiutepec Morelos

16th century vault construction in convents in Mexico has rarely been studied from a technical standpoint. In fact, the preservation of such cultural heritage has been endangered due to poorly implemented interventions, lack of maintenance and a mostly inadequate understanding of the building's construction history and structural behavior. Furthermore, the field of the history of art studies has focused almost exclusively on describing the orders and styles of these buildings. The present paper goes beyond a mere description of these structures, aiming at their architectural survey and the application of limit analysis to understand their behaviors and construction processes.