The city of Guanajuato, the capital of the state of Mexico of the same name, arose from small agricultural farms and small military fortifications, which gradually became a city after deposits of silver and gold ore were discovered nearby in the mid-16th century.
In the 18th century, Guanojuato developed into the world's major silver production center, making it one of the most significant cities in economic and international history. More than one reason why Guanajuato occupies a significant place in Mexican history,— The role the city played in the Mexican War of Independence from Spain, as well as during other important events of the 19th century.
There are not many cities in Latin America that can boast the beauty of Guanajuato, and none has such a specific profile, combining the elegance of architecture with intricate labyrinths of streets, replete with wonderful buildings such as the churches of San Diego and the Society of Jesus and the magnificent Temple of Valenciana.
The historic city of Guanajuato and its nearby colonial-era mining operations were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988.
Guanajuato can be divided into two parts: the center and the surrounding area. The first, in its longest part, is approximately 1 km long, if you count, say, from the Regional Museum (Museo Regional), located in the historical building of the Granaditas Granary (la Alhondiga de Granaditas) in the northwest, to the Cervantes Theater (Teatro Cervantes) in the southeast.
Attractions in the surrounding area are located several kilometers from the center, and generally, to get to them, you need to climb up or cross the hills. In the vicinity of Guanajuato there are ancient mines, estates, the Presa de la Olla and the Museum of Mummies. To visit all these places, it is best to go there by your own car or by public transport. There is a panoramic highway around the city that connects all these points, and it is the best option for moving from one point to another without returning to the center each time. There are magnificent views of the city from various points on the highway.
One of the main stops on this highway is the Monumento al Pípila, a curious semi-legendary figure who played a role in the Mexican War of Independence. From the center you can either walk to the monument or take the funicular, the lower stop of which is located behind the Teatro Juarez and the Temple of San Diego. The funicular operates daily from 8 am to 9 pm. In addition, there are sightseeing buses running along the panoramic highway.
You can travel around the city by bus or collective. Taxis do not use a taximeter. The most expensive trips around the city, in particular from the center to Valenciana or to the bus station, will be around 50 pesos. Traveling through the center will cost around 25 — 35 pesos.
Plaza de la Paz
This triangular square in the center, known as the Main Square (Plaza Mayor) or Plaza de la Paz (Plaza of Peace), which it received in 1903 during the installation of a monument dedicated to Peace here. It is surrounded by various cozy cafes and notable buildings, such as the Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato (Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato), a parish church that received the title of bazaar in 1957. This temple in the early and rather modest Baroque style was erected in 1671 - 1696. and inside there is an image of the same name of the Virgin Mary, sent to Guanajuato as a gift from the Spanish kings Charles I and Francis II in the 16th century.
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There are other luxurious buildings on the north side of the square. One of them — Palace of Legislation (Palacio Legislativo) of the state, designed by the English architect Cecil Louis Long in 1896 - 1900. It can be easily distinguished from other buildings by its facade made of stone of three colors - green, pink and purple. To the right stands the beautiful Palacio del Conde Rul y Valenciana, a unique work by Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras, the famous Mexican neoclassical architect who completed this building in 1803.
Church of the Society of Jesus
One block to the left from Bazorki, following the Estudiante lane (callejón del Estudiante), is the building of the University of Guanajuato (Universidad de Guanajuato), which is one of the most representative and beautiful in, despite the fact that it is relatively young (built in 1950). To the right of it, at the corner of Lascurain de Retana and Sol, is the Church of the Society of Jesus (Iglesia de la Compañía), built by the Jesuits in 1745 - 1765. It is an impressively sized temple with a beautiful Churrigueresque façade with magnificent sculptures and red stone reliefs. Its original dome collapsed in 1808, and the current one was built after that, for this reason, in contrast to the rest of the building, it has a neoclassical appearance. There are no original altar decorations inside, but the choir and two paintings by the famous 18th century artist Miguel Cabrera have been preserved.
Union Square and Juáreza Theater
One block to the right from Bazorki along Luis González Obregón Street is the Jardín Unión, which is an area lined with well-groomed trees and a gazebo-kiosk in the center. There are many cozy cafes, restaurants and bars and remarkable buildings around the square. One of these buildings is the Church of San Diego (Iglesia de San Diego), erected by the monks of the Order of St. Diego (or, as they were also called, the Barefoot Franciscans) in 1784. Its façade also belongs to the Baroque-Churrigueresque style, but is decorated rather modestly. Inside is a painting depicting the Immaculate Conception, made by one of the most famous artists of New Spain, José de Ibarra.
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On the left side of the church rises the majestic Teatro Juárez, built at the end of the 19th century and inaugurated by the country's President Porfirio Díaz in 1903. This building is of an eclectic style, with an eye-catching façade - a colonnade topped with statues of the eight muses. Inside, it is even more captivating with its red and gold decoration in the Moorish style, you can go inside and see it on days when there are no performances, from 10 to 15 and from 17 to 19 hours, paying an entrance fee of 20 pesos.
Other attractions
Next to the small Plaza de los Angeles square is the Kissing Lane (Callejón del Beso) - a very narrow passage between the houses, the balconies of which share a very small space from each other. This place is associated with a romantic legend about two lovers. At Pocitos Street, number 47, is the Diego Rivera Museum, in the house where the famous artist lived the first years of his life (closed Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.).
A little to the north is the small square of San Roque (Plazuela San Roque), where the Cervantes Interludes (Entremeses Cervantinos) were held since 1953, from which the International Festival of Cervantes Guanajuato (Festival Internacional Cervantino) was then born. The square is called so because of the church of San Roque (Iglesia San Roque), which is located nearby.
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Very close from here is another building from the viceroyal era - the Church of Bethlehem (Iglesia de Belén), on the corner of Mendizabal Street and Avenida Juarez, and in front of it — Hidalgo Market (Mercado Hidalgo), a Porfirian-era building that looks more like an elegant train station.
A few steps from here, to the north, there is another place that you can’t help but visit – the Granaditas Grain Store (Alhoniga de Granaditas), on Mendizábal Street, 6. The building, built for grain storage, in the neoclassical style, in the period 1798 - 1809, at first glance, does not fit into the tourist route for its purpose. But it will be enough to say that the most famous battle of the Mexican War of Independence took place here — in 1810 it was besieged by hordes of rebels. Today, the Granary is considered a regional museum, housing exhibits of state history and various works of art (Tuesday - Saturday from 10 to 14 and from 16 to 18, Sunday from 10 to 12).
Neighborhood
To the north of the city is Valenciana, a place famous not so much for its rich deposits of silver ore as for its luxurious church in the Churrigueresque style, built during the heyday of the Baroque, in the 18th century.
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To the east lies Mineral de Cata, another mining village, with the unfinished Temple of Señor de Villaseca, with a dark-skinned image of Christ still worshiped by locals. Another village nearby, Mellado, has a church where monks — Mercedaria, and another mining enterprise, Mineral de Rayas, famous for the fact that the adit in the ancient mine had a depth of 400 m.
At the south-eastern exit from the city is the Hacienda San Gabriel de Barrera Estate, which was built in the 17th century as an enterprise engaged in the beneficiation of silver and gold ore, and today is a museum (closed daily from 9 to 18.30). Very close to here is the village of Marfil, where the ancient ruins of fortress walls, towers and courtyards have been converted into luxury hotels, restaurants, a museum and galleries.
Mummy Museum
In addition, outside the city, next to the Santa Paula Civil Cemetery (Panteón Civil de Santa Paula), there is a Museum of Mummies. It has the right to seem like an eccentric place, but at the same time it acts as a classic attraction of Guanajuato. It displays 108 bodies and 4 heads that, for unknown reasons, were once mummified in the local cemetery (closed daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., admission 60 pesos).
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In the south of the city is the Reservoir de la Hoya, a small and beautiful reservoir surrounded by residential complexes built at the beginning of the 20th century. The State Government Palace, parks and squares are also located here.
Dolores Hidalgo
In this town, Miguel Hidalgo began the rebel movement for state independence from Spain on September 16, 1810.
The central square of the city, also called "Square of the Great Hidalgo" (Jardín del Grande Hidalgo), located in the very center. Hidalgo Square has an impressive appearance thanks to the buildings that surround it. Among them, the Parish Church of Our Lady of Sorrows (Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores) stands out. This is the largest church in the town. The facade is in the Baroque-Churrigueresque style, one of the most refined examples of the last stage of the Mexican Baroque. The altars of the Virgin of Guadalupe and St. Joseph, located in the side nave of the church, belong to the same style. Second style of architecture — neoclassical — is present in the design of the central nave, since the altars are made in this style. The façade of this church is depicted on the 1000 Mexican Peso banknote.
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Another attraction of the town is the Guest House (Casa de las Visitas) - an old 18th-century mansion with balconies in Baroque design. It was purchased by the government of the State of Guanajuato so that it could accommodate famous personalities visiting the city. During the colonial era, this house served as a place for collecting tithes and was called the House of Tithes (Casa del Diezmo). It was once built from materials left over from the construction of the parish church of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Other interesting places in Dolores — Municipal Palace (Presidencia Municipal), Temple of the Third Order and Museum of National Independence.
Statue of Christ on Mount Cubilete and the city of León
Very close from Guanajuato rises the Cerro del Cubilete mountain, which is considered the geographical center of Mexico. At its top, at an altitude of 2579 m, is the Chapel of Christ the King (Santuario de Cristo Rey), closed in 1944. On its top there is a majestic statue of Christ, 20 m high and weighing 80 tons. Previously, in its place stood another statue of Christ the King, blown up with dynamite by order of the authorities in 1928. From here it offers a magnificent view of the southern plains of the Bajío region, to which Guanajuato belongs.
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About 40 km to the west is the city of Leon, the largest city in the region, an important transport hub in the central part of the state, famous for its production of shoes and leather goods. Leon also has the opportunity to boast of attractions and places worth visiting - the Cathedral (Catedral), the Historical Archive (Archivo Historico), the Temple of the Redeemer (Templo Expiatorio) and the Arc de Triomphe (Arco Triunfal) on the Avenue of Heroes (Calzada de los Héroes). Leon's interactive science museum, called Explora, is one of the best in the country.
Santiago Valley in the Bajio region
To the south from the city of Guanajuato extends a fertile and densely populated region called May Bajio, which has supplied food to the mines and enterprises of Guanajuato and Zacatecas since the 16th century. Here you can find interesting places, such as the Church of St. Augustine (Iglesia de San Agustin) in the city of Salamanca, the volcanoes called Siete Lumaniarias (Seven Lamps), located in the Santiago Valley (Valle de Santiago), in particular one of them called La Hoja del Rincon Parangeo (La Hoja del Rincón Parangeo), Monastery in the town of Yuriria (Covento de Yuriria) and colonial architecture in the center of Zelaya.
Based on It's all Mexico!