HISTORICAL ARCHITECTURE
During your
visit to Guanajuato you?ll be impressed by the
splendid monuments and buildings that make up an architectural landscape full
of culture and history. Don?t forget to check out the colonial constructions,
which have been kept intact for hundreds of years.
Universidad de
Guanajuato (University of
Guanajuato). Located on Positos Street.
Founded as an orphanage for educational instruction, it became a university in
1945. This edifice of green quarry stone reminds one of the magnificent
European medieval constructions. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 to
2:00 and 4:00 to 6:00, and Sunday from 10:00 to 3:00.
Alhondiga de Granaditas
(Granaditas Grain Depository).
Located at 6 Mendizabal Street, this building has a
stark neoclassical façade. During Mexico?s War of Independence, a local hero
known as El Pipila burned down the main door.
Currently, the edifice houses the Guanajuato Regional
Museum. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 to 2:00 and 4:00 to 6:00, and
Sunday from 10:00 to 4:00.
Callejon del Beso (Alley of the Kiss). Located in
downtown Guanajuato off Avenida
Juarez, next to the Plaza de los
Angeles. In this small narrow alleyway
you?ll see several balconies above. Legend has it that two young lovers used to
meet here secretly until they were discovered while giving each other a kiss.
The father of the young woman allegedly murdered her. According to
superstition, visiting couples should plant a kiss on the third step for seven
years of happiness.
Teatro Juarez (Juarez Theater).
Located on Sopeña
Street. This classic of Guanajuato is the beautiful work of architect Jose Noriega.
At the entryway you?ll see bronze tigers and pedestals with eight bronze
sculptures of Hellenic muses. Inside you can appreciate a lobby that is part
Moorish, as well as a beautiful crystal lamp.
Presa de la Olla.
Located at the southern end of the city along Paseo
de la Presa, near the Palacio
de Gobierno. This dam was built in 1749 on the La
Olla Ranch, which is how it got its name. It ceased to operate in 1984 and
became one of the city?s most lovely walkways due to the natural beauty.
Currently, it is a recreational area.
Plaza de la Paz. Located in the Historic Center on
Alonso Street, next to the Presidencia Municipal.
This is the oldest square and perhaps the most important plaza in the city, as
it has several houses where famous aristocrats once lived. Here you?ll find
many classic colonial constructions, such as the facades? arches, the main
temple, the current basilica and the Casas Reales, a former city hall building.
Jardin Reforma.
Located between Avenida Juarez and Mendizabal, behind the Belem
church. Inaugurated between 1861 and 1875, this garden has an arch that lies on
top of a smaller one, as well as a series of columns of Ionian order.
Jardin Union. Located
between Avenida Cantarranas
and Sopeña Street, behind the Templo
de Santo Diego. Inaugurated in 1861, this small triangular garden has a
pavilion from the Porfirian era. It?s a preferred
meeting spot among locals.
Monumento El Pipila
(The Pipila Monument). Located on
the top of a hill which you can reach by taking the panoramic highway or on
foot through alleyways near the Plaza de los
Angeles and the Templo de San Francisco. Built in
1939, this monument pays homage to miner Juan Jose Martinez, known as El Pipila, who participated in the struggle for Mexico?s
independence. At the monument you?ll get a gorgeous panoramic view of the city.
Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato. Located
at 7 Ponciano Aguilar Street. This 1771 pink quarry stone
structure blends three styles: 17th-century Baroque, 17th-century
Churrigueresque and neoclassical. Inside is a quilted
wooden image of the Virgin of Lourdes, which stands on a magnificent
Baroque-style silver pedestal.
Templo de San Diego de
Alcantara. Located between Sopeña
and Alonso streets, next to the Presidencia
Municipal. This pink quarry stone structure is ornamented with Churrigueresque-style sculptures. The church has a valuable
collection of 18th-century Mexican art. Open daily from 8:00 to 7:00.
