Guanajuato is commonly known as the cultural capital of Mexico. The historic town of Guanajuato is part of UNESCO’s world heritage list. It was discovered by the Spanish in the 16th century and became a silver-extraction centre in the 18th century. The town’s neoclassical and baroque style of architecture has influenced parts of central Mexico.
Because of its valley area, Guanajuato’s streetscape is one of narrow, winding paths and alleys, regularly suitable just for pedestrian traffic because of their width and trips of steps, a portion of these paths are even found underground.
Adding to the incredible attractions and spots to visit in this magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site cityscape are various little squares, pilgrim period chateaus, and temples assembled utilizing pink or green sandstone, alongside numerous amazing historical centres and art exhibitions.
Here are some of the spots an architect must visit in this magnificent town.
1. La Valenciana Mine
The silver mining capital of Mexico and liable for 80% of the country’s formation of this significant metal, Guanajuato’s historical relationship with mining runs significantly. Today, some of these old mines, dating to the mid-1600s – are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and can be visited while staying in Guanajuato as they lie some minutes’ drive outside the city in the town of La Valenciana.
La Valenciana was, by and large, liable for a lot of Guanajuato’s bounty and the brilliant architecture that went with it.
2. San Cayetano Church
The San Cayetano church is an eighteenth-century Mexican church that worked at the opening of the La Valenciana mine. An ornate eighteenth-century basilica is acclaimed for its luxuriously plated special stepped areas, carvings, and work of art.
The church is a significant example of the Mexican Churrigueresque style. The interior layout is that of a Latin cross, with a remarkable octagonal vault at the intersection.
3. Teatro Juárez
The magnificent Juárez Theater (Teatro Juárez), the city’s theatre house opened in the 1930s roughly after 30 years of improvement, this neoclassical construction is exceptional for its tremendous Doric columns supporting a Romanesque corridor decorated with nine bronze sculptures of the Greek dreams, similarly as the methods making ready to the design, a most-adored assembling place for nearby individuals and tourists the equivalent.
The design’s lavish Art Nouveau inside is additionally worth seeing for its rich plated style theme, finely cut wood, and completed glass, especially in case of one of the setting’s standard melodic or dance displays.
4. The Jardin de la Union
The Jardin de la Union is the heart of the historic town of Guanajuato and fills in as the town’s primary square. Continually bustling, this lovely plaza, with its fountains and blooming flower beds, is surrounded by various lodgings and eateries, making it an ideal spot to wander out to explore the other parts of the city.
5. Exploring Guanajuato’s Tunnels
A tunnel passage in Guanajuato is the highlight feature of a walking visit through Guanajuato jumping into the city’s astounding network of underground roads and rear entryways.
The broad organization of tunnels that remained was effectively utilized as streets, mitigating the congested streets over the ground while making them more secure and more intriguing for walkers.
6. San Diego Church
Situated nearby the Juarez Theater, San Diego Church is an incredible illustration of the Baroque and Churrigueresco style, built-in 1663.
To begin with, the Barefoot Franciscans came to the region and battled to build this church against the desires of the King at that point. It had to be rebuilt and raised 6m after the eighteenth-century floods.
7. The Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato
Built-in the seventeenth century and much modified from that point, this appealing structure houses one of Mexico’s most significant relics, the much-venerated seventh-century sculpture of the Virgin of Guanajuato. This cut wooden figure on a silver base was introduced to the city by King Philip II of Spain in 1557. By a long shot the biggest structure in Guanajuato.
8. Templo de Belén
The 1773 built temple, eminent for its Churrigueresque façade, and Templo La Valenciana, prominent for its three mind-blowing enormous altars, each one of which has been lavishly enhanced in gold leaf.
9. Alhóndiga de Granaditas
Constructed in 1809, the Alhóndiga de Granaditas is one of the biggest and generally fascinating of Guanajuato’s historic secular buildings. Built as a granary and furthermore serving for a spell as a market center.
The structure currently serves as the home of the Guanajuato Regional Museum with its displays identifying with the battle, as well as the eventual execution of Hidalgo when his head and those of his countrymen were set on the structure for all to see. In addition to its displays, the museum also has a large collection of Pre-Columbian materials.
10. The University of Guanajuato
Worked by the Jesuits in the eighteenth century as a school, the University of Guanajuato’s downtown centre opened its entryways in 1828 and remains the most established college in Latin America. Located only a couple minutes’ stroll from Peace Square (Plaza de la Paz), the college is well worth setting aside the effort to visit if just to see the popular flight of stairs paving the way to this fine neoclassical construction.
11. The Diego Rivera House and Museum
A visit to Guanajuato isn’t finished without a stop at The Diego Rivera House and Museum. He was born in this structure in 1886. The structure was reestablished during the 1970s under the direction of his daughter, Guadalupe Rivera Marín, and turned into the authority Diego Rivera House Museum in 1975.
Inside its dividers, guests can find the rebuilt rooms intended to depict the primary long periods of Rivera’s life. Show-stoppers incorporate representations of Frida Kahlo, just as his special lady, Dolores Olmedo. Other rooms consist of his paintings, murals and artworks.
12. El Jardín, San Miguel de Allende
The focal point of social activity in San Miguel De Allende, right opposite to the lovely Parroquia, offers a lot of energetic public occasions. You can enjoy tuning in to music and watching people dancing, with merchants and bistros encircling the garden. Depending upon whether there’s a wedding or some other party, you may catch mojiganga (a show with huge moving manikins), or even firecrackers.
13. Cerro del Cubilete
A great mountain transcending approximately 2,700 meters above ocean level, stands Cristo Rey, a huge sculpture of Jesus Christ. Found simply outside Guanajuato and making an awe-inspiring half-road trip, the site is the geographic focus of the nation and is viewed as quite possibly the main religious site in all of Mexico.
The 23m tall sculpture was finished in 1950, and worked in an Art Deco style. Striking highlights incorporate a special stepped area under an enormous metal arch from which is suspended a huge crown, connoting that said to have been worn by Christ. The shining normal light that leaks through holes in the arch adds an extraordinary gleam to the experience.
14. Templo de San Roque
The Templo de San Roque is situated between the San Fernando Plaza and Reform Garden. It was constructed in 1726 by the minister Don Juan Jose de Cervera Sopeña. Today, it is portrayed by its simple facade and its neoclassical altarpieces.
15. Monumento El Pípila
Juan José de Los Reyes Martínez Amaro born in 1782, was the local town hero. His nickname was El Pipila, he was a miner and the monument was built for his heroic actions during the second world war. The sculpture depicts a muscular man holding a torch, known as ‘the torch of liberty’.
