|
Guanajuato Churches
Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato
This venerable parish church, now the Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato, was begun in 1671 and completed in 1696. It is one of the finest examples of seventeenth century mannerist-baroque architecture. In its interior, one can admire the antique figure of the Virgin, patron of Guanajuato, which was a gift from King Charles I and his son, Phillip II, of Spain.
Ponciano Aguilar 7
Church of La Compañía de Jesús
The Church of La Compañía, or Society of Jesus, is the best example of golden age architecture in Guanajuato, marking the most mature stage of churrigueresque design in New Spain. Construction of this church began in 1747 and was completed in 1765. Restored religious paintings can be seen in the sacristy.
Church of Hospitales
In 1560, construction of a hospital for the Tarascan natives was begun. Five years later, it was inaugurated and dedicated to the veneration of the Virgin of the Rosary. In 1913, the image of Immaculate Mary was brought from Europe. This is the image that is venerated today.
Church of Santa Casa
A small chapel dedicated to the veneration of Saint John the Baptist since its inception. Later, in the nineteenth century, it was the church of the Franciscan Order until they were granted their own church.
Church of San Cayetano or Valenciana
This churrigueresque church, built of pink cantera stone, features three wooden altarpieces covered in gold leaf. In 1775, construction was begun in an area near the Valenciana Mine, and the church was completed in 1778. Initially, the church belonged to the Hospitaller Order of the Latins. That same order built a convent adjoining to the church which they never occupied and which today houses the School of Philosophy and Letters of the University of Guanajuato.
Barrio of Valenciana
Church of San Diego de Alcántara
The Franciscan Order began the construction of this church in 1763, but the flood in 1780 destroyed it. The reconstruction project was financed by the first Count of Valenciana, and was concluded in 1784. The façade, carved in pink cantera stone, is an important example of churrigueresque architecture.
Church of San Francisco
When the Franciscans arrived in Guanajuato, they founded a hospice next to the Church of San Juan Bautista, which was later conferred to them in 1828. They built the Convent of San Francisco there, which was concluded in 1792. The Franciscans decorated the interior with stone altars, carved in the neo-baroque style of the period.
Church of San Javier
This church had its beginnings in the second half of the seventeenth century as a simple chapel in the hacienda and ore-concentrating mill "San Francisco Javier", where the sacraments were received by the owners and miners.
Barrio of San Javier
Church of San Jose
On the street known as San Jose, next to the lane and town square called Carcamanes, towards the barrio of Cerro del Cuarto, one finds the strikingly beautiful Church of San Jose, or Saint Joseph .
Church of San Jose Santiago
This church is located in Marfil, a town which grew on the banks of the Guanajuato River in the eighteenth century and was the site of various haciendas and ore-concentrating mills. Built in 1854, here parishioners venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception as well as Saint Joseph.
Barrio of Marfil
Church of Santa María de la Asunción
Construction of this church dedicated to Saint Mary of the Assumption began in April of 1873, with funds and land granted by then governor Florencio Antillon, and as designed by architect Jose Noriega. The church's central tower has a German clock which was installed in 1875.
Church of Pardo
Built during the early seventeenth century, it was then a simple chapel dedicated to the Virgen of Guadalupe, and it was part of the mine-hacienda of Our Lady of Guadalupe, also known as "Pardo".
Parish Church of Belén
In 1727, the Bethlehemite Order requested cooperation and assistance to found a hospital with a hospice-convent and parish church in this city. Soon after 1773, construction began on the lands of the old hacienda and ore-concentrating mill known as "Cervera". The church still maintains its original churrigueresque baroque façade.
Church of San Sebastian
During the colonial period, there were as many cemeteries in Guanajuato as there were churches, seeing as the courtyards of the churches were, in fact, cemeteries. At that time, the San Sebastián Cemetery, which dates back to the eighteenth century, was outside the city limits. In 1782, a parishioner by the name of Moratin, with the help of alms he received, built the church which is situated on the grounds of this cemetery.
Barrio of San Sebastian
Back to:
Spanish in Mexico
Spanish in Latin America
Spanish courses
|
|
|
Send to a friend
