HISTORICAL
ARCHITECTURE
In Patzcuaro
you can admire notable examples of colonial architecture in a rural setting.
Among the most important buildings are:
Basilica de Nuestra
Señora de la Salud. Located
on the corner of Lerin and Benigno
Serrato. This is the city?s most important
church. The austere façade has very little ornamentation. Inside you?ll see a
beautiful statue of the Virgin of Health, the region?s patron saint, which was
made of maize paste. Many pilgrims visit the church to ask the virgin to help
cure sick family members or friends. It is said that the body of Bishop Vasco
de Quiroga is buried here. Open daily from 9:00 to 7:00.
Antiguo Convento de Santa Catarina
(Casa de los Once Patios). Located on the corner of Lerin and Jose Maria Coss. Built in the 18th
century, this is Patzcuaro?s only convent built by
the Dominican order. Of its original 11 courtyards, only five remain intact.
The courtyards feature a series of arches. Here you can buy all kinds of
regional crafts. Open daily from 9:00 to 7:00.
Antiguo Templo de San Agustin. Located between Degollado and Zaragoza
streets. Built in 1576, this edifice has its original baroque-style façade
intact. Inside you?ll see an apse with a mural painted by Juan O?Gorman. Here
you also can visit the Gertrudis Bocanegra
Public Library and the Caltzontzin Theater. Open
Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 2:00 and 5:00 to 7:00.
Templo y Colegio
de la Compañia de Jesús. Located
between Arciga and Portugal streets. This 16th-century
construction was the headquarters of the Michoacan
diocese until 1566, after which it was converted into the Jesuit College of Patzcuaro. The most notable features of this austere
baroque edifice are the wide courtyard and the clock tower, which allegedly was
given to the city of Patzcuaro
by King Philip II of Spain.
Open daily from 9:00 to 7:00.
