in 1996 and it is the only squad of its type in Mexico. The force has a number of advantages. The horses are permitted to climb the pyramid structure as they cannot damage the ruins underneath. They can access areas of the city cars cannot and they can be used to patrol in small rural areas such as San Rafael, Santa María Tonantzintla and Tehuiloyocan. The municipality states that in addition to security, the squad promotes interaction between the public and the police, and it has been popular with tourists as well. Landmarks of the urban area According to legend, the city of Cholula has 365 churches, one for each day of the year or one for each pre Hispanic temple destroyed by the Spanish, depending on the version. In reality there are only 37, 159 if all the small chapels in the local haciendas and ranches are counted. The architectural styles of the churches vary from Gothic to Renaissance to Churrigueresque and Neoclassical, with many mixing elements of two or more of the above. A number also have Talavera tile as a decorative feature, which is common in Puebla. A few have intricate stucco work done by indigenous hands. Many of these churches contain artwork from the 16th to 19th centuries valued at millions of dollars. Due to the increase in theft of religious art, many of these churches have extra security and some close during the week. The best known church of San Pedro and the entire city of Cholula is the Nuestra Señora de los Remedios Sanctuary, whose bells ring each day at midday from atop the Cholula Pyramid. Just before the Spanish arrived, the pyramid was considered to be sacred to a female rain deity called Chiconahuiquiahuita (Nine Rains). After finding pre Hispanic idols and other pieces on what seemed to be a hill, monks decided to rededicate it to the Virgin of the Remedies and built this church, beginning in 1594. The Virgin of the Remedies was one of four Virgin Mary images which were used to substitute for pre Hispanic female deities in the cardinal directions from Mexico City. This one was placed in the east, with the Virgin of Guadalupe to the north, the Virgin of Mercy to the south and the "Virgen de la Bala" to the south. The image itself measures 27 centimeters tall, similar to those brought by Hernán Cortés