GUANAJUATO
A Testament to Faith and Beauty
Guanajuato’s Iconic Landmarks:
San Miguel de Allende
It owes its current name to the fact that it was founded in the 16th century by the Franciscan Friar Juan de San Miguel, but also to the fact that it was the birthplace of Don Ignacio Allende, the hero who initiated the Independence of Mexico. Today it is a tourist attraction with a cultural bias. The city owes its fame to its mild climate, its springs and its architecture. San Miguel has numerous Catholic churches with beautiful stone facades.
Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel
It has become a symbol of the city due to its 19th century Neo-Gothic façade. Its interior contrasts greatly with the façade, as it displays beautiful neoclassical stone altarpieces and large paintings from the viceregal era.
Templo de San Francisco
It is a large temple that surprises with its main and side facades, which resemble large baroque altarpieces projected outwards, made of stone.
Oratorio de San Felipe Neri
This 17th-century temple was part of a vast convent complex built by the Philippine brothers. Inside, the chapel of the Virgin of Loreto stands out, as do its beautiful altarpieces and its baroque organ.
Santuario de Cristo Rey
The Sanctuary of Christ the King (Cristo Rey) in Guanajuato, Mexico, is a majestic religious site perched atop Cerro del Cubilete, the geographic center of the country. At 2,579 meters above sea level, it features a towering 20-meter statue of Christ the King, symbolizing peace and faith. This iconic monument draws thousands of pilgrims each year, especially on November 20, the Feast of Christ the King. The sanctuary offers breathtaking views and a profound spiritual atmosphere, making it a perfect destination for prayer, reflection, and renewal.
Guanajuato City
It emerged as a mining town of Santa Fe de Guanajuato around 1540, following the discovery of rich veins of silver. Its name comes from the Tarascan language and means “place where frogs sing”; a name that alludes to the river that flowed at the bottom of the ravine where the city later emerged.
The city of Guanajuato, apart from being an administrative center as the capital of the state of the same name, is also a university city with an intense cultural life whose culmination is the International Cervantino Festival. The city has several magnificent churches built during its mining heyday in the Viceroyalty.
Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato
This is the main church of the city, built during the last third of the 17th century. Its splendor is due to the donations it received from mining barons in past centuries.
On the main altar is the statue of Our Lady of Guanajuato. The sculpture was donated in 1557 by King Charles I of Spain, better known as Emperor Charles V.
Templo de la Compañía de Jesús
Although this temple retains its original name, it now houses the Congregation of the Philippian Fathers.
The temple was consecrated in 1765. The Jesuit order could only use it for two years, since in 1767 they were expelled by decree of King Charles III of Spain.
The temple was perhaps the largest work undertaken by the Jesuits in what was New Spain; a basilica-shaped temple with three very wide and very high naves. Its façade, in Baroque-Churrigueresque style, despite having remained unfinished, impresses with its elaborate and delicate carving in pink stone.
Parroquia de San Cayetano de la Valenciana
Parish of San Cayetano, better known as “de la Valenciana” is located in a suburb, on a hill above the city. It is one of the most beautiful baroque temples in Mexico. Its interior is notable for its beautiful gilded altarpieces.
The church was built in the last third of the 18th century by the mining entrepreneur Don Antonio de Obregón, Count of Valenciana. Today it is frequently used for organ concerts and early music.
Santuario de Jesus Nazareno de Atotonilco
It is also known as the “Sanctuary of God and Country” because in 1810 the priest Miguel Hidalgo celebrated a mass here and took the banner of the Virgin of Guadalupe as the flag of the Insurgents.
The Sanctuary was founded in 1740 and served as the House of Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. The building consists of the main nave and seven adjoining chapels. The walls are almost completely covered by mural paintings that are a masterpiece. This place is known as “the Sistine Chapel of Mexico”. Due to its extraordinary artistic value, it has been included in the list of Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The Religious Tourism & Pilgrimage Specialists
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