Sights in Guanajuato
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Ex-Hacienda San Gabriel de Barrera
To escape Guanajuato's bustling streets, head 2.5km west to this magnificent colonial home which is now a museum, Ex-Hacienda San Gabriel de Barrera, with stunning gardens. This tranquil retreat is well worth a couple of hours.
Built at the end of the 17th century, this was the grand hacienda of Captain Gabriel de Barrera, whose family was descended from the first Conde de Rul of the famous La Valenciana mine. Opened as a museum in 1979, the hacienda, with its opulent period European furnishings, provides an insight into the lives of the wealthy of the time.
The large, shady grounds, originally devoted to processing ore from La Valenciana, were converted in 1945 to a serie…
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Alhóndiga de Granaditas
The site of the first major rebel victory in Mexico's War of Independence, Alhóndiga de Granaditas is now a history and art museum. Originally a massive grain-and-seed storehouse built between 1798 and 1808, the Alhóndiga became a fortress for Spanish troops and loyalist leaders in 1810. They barricaded themselves inside when 20,000 rebels led by Miguel Hidalgo attempted to take Guanajuato.
Just when it looked as though the outnumbered Spaniards would hold out, a young miner named Juan José de los Reyes Martínez (aka El Pípila), under orders from Hidalgo, tied a stone slab to his back and, protected from Spanish bullets, set the gates ablaze. The Spaniards choked on sm…
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Museo de las Momias
The famous Museum of the Mummies at the panteón (cemetery) is a quintessential example of Mexico's obsession with death. Visitors from all over come to see scores of corpses disinterred from the public cemetery. The first remains were dug up in 1865, when it was necessary to remove some bodies from the cemetery to make room for more. What the authorities uncovered were not skeletons but flesh mummified with grotesque forms and facial expressions.
The mineral content of the soil and extremely dry atmosphere had combined to preserve the bodies in this unique way.
Today, more than 100 mummies are on display in the museum, including the first mummy to be discovered, the 'sma…
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Museo y Casa de Diego Rivera
Diego Rivera's birthplace is now a museum, devoted to the painter and his work. Rivera and his twin brother were born in the house in 1886 (the twin died at the age of two). He lived here until the family moved to Mexico City six years later. In conservative Guanajuato, where Catholic influence prevails, the Marxist Rivera was persona non grata for years. The city now honors its once blacklisted son with a small collection of his work.
The first floor contains the Rivera family's 19th-century antiques and fine furniture. On the 2nd and 3rd floors are portraits of peasants and indigenous people, a nude of Frida Kahlo and sketches for some of Rivera's memorable murals. Ther…
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Monumento a El Pípila
The monument to El Pípila honors the hero who torched the Alhóndiga gates on September 28, 1810, enabling Hidalgo's forces to win the first victory of the independence movement. The statue shows El Pípila holding his torch high over the city. On the base is the inscription Aún hay otras Alhóndigas por incendiar (There are still other Alhóndigas to burn).
It's worth going up to the statue for the magnificent view over the city. Two routes from the center of town take you there via steep, picturesque lanes. One goes east on Sopeña from Jardín de la Unión, then turns right on Callejón del Calvario (you'll see the sign). Another ascent, unmarked, goes uphill from the sm…
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Templo La Valenciana
Near the mine is the stunning Templo La Valenciana (aka Iglesia de San Cayetano). One legend says that the Spaniard who started the mine promised San Cayetano that if it made him rich, he would build a church to honor the saint. Another says that the silver baron of La Valenciana, Conde de Rul, tried to atone for exploiting the miners by building the ultimate in Churrigueresque churches.
Whatever the motive, ground was broken in 1765, and the church was completed in 1788. Templo La Valenciana's facade is spectacular, and its interior dazzles with ornate golden altars, filigree carvings and giant paintings.
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Cristo Rey
Cristo Rey is a 20m bronze statue of Jesus erected in 1950 on the summit of the Cerro de Cubilete, 15km west of Guanajuato. It is said to be the exact geographical center of Mexico. The statue is a popular attraction for Mexican tourists; there is a special significance in having Jesus at the heart of their country. Tour agencies offer 3½-hour trips to the statue, but you can go on your own for from the center.
Buses marked 'Cubilete' or 'Cristo Rey' depart every hour or so from in front of the Alhóndiga, Calle Alhóndiga (around $15).
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Callejón del Beso
The narrowest of the many narrow alleys that climb the hills from Guanajuato's main streets is the Alley of the Kiss, where the balconies of the houses on either side practically touch.
According to local legend, a fine family once lived on this street, and their daughter fell in love with a common miner. They were forbidden to see each other, but the miner rented a room opposite, and the lovers exchanged furtive besos (kisses) from these balconies. Of course, the romance was discovered and the couple met a tragic end.
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Teatro Juárez
Don’t leave without visiting the magnificent Teatro Juárez. It was built between 1873 and 1903 and inaugurated by the dictator Porfirio Díaz, whose lavish tastes are reflected in the plush red-and-gold interior. The outside is festooned with columns, lamp posts and statues; inside the impression is Moorish, with the bar and lobby gleaming with carved wood, stained glass and precious metals. It’s only open when no performances are scheduled; video/camera use is M$60/30.
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Museo del Pueblo de Guanajuato
Located beside the university, this fascinating art museum displays an exquisite collection of Mexican miniatures, and 18th- and 19th-century art with works by Guanajuatan painters Hermenegildo Bustos and José Chávez Morado, plus temporary exhibitions. The museum occupies the former mansion of the Marqueses de San Juan de Rayas, who owned the San Juan de Rayas mine. The private church upstairs in the courtyard contains a mural by José Chávez Morado.
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La Valenciana Mine
For 250 years, La Valenciana mine produced 20% of the world's silver, in addition to quantities of gold and other minerals. Shut down after the Mexican Revolution, it reopened in 1968 and is now run by a cooperative. It still yields silver, gold, nickel and lead, and you can see ore being lifted out and miners descending the immense main shaft. Guides will show you around the compound (they expect a tip), but you can't go inside the mine.
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Universidad de Guanajuato
The main building of this university, whose ramparts are visible above much of the city, is one block up the hill from the basilica. The distinctive multistory white-and-blue building with the crenelated pediment dates from the 1950s. The design was (and, some might say, continues to be) controversial as this dominating structure impedes the characteristic, historic cityscape.
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Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato
The Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato, a block west of Jardín de la Unión, contains a jewel-covered image of the Virgin, patron of Guanajuato. The wooden statue was supposedly hidden from the Moors in a cave in Spain for 800 years. Felipe II of Spain gave it to Guanajuato in thanks for the wealth it provided to the crown.
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Museo Iconográfico del Quijote
This excellent and surprisingly interesting museum fronts the tiny plaza in front of the Templo de San Francisco. Every exhibit relates to Don Quixote de la Mancha, the notorious Spanish literary hero. Paintings, statues, tapestries, clocks and even chess sets feature the quixotic icon and his bumbling companion Sancho Panza.
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Boca Mina San Ramón
The Boca Mina San Ramón is part of the famous Valenciana mining district. Silver was discovered here in 1548. There’s not a great deal here. The most interesting thing is to descend via steps into a mine shaft to a depth of 60m (note: not for claustrophobics).
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Jardín de la Unión
Pretty Jardín de la Unión, surrounded by restaurants and shaded by Indian laurel trees, is the social heart of the city. Here, tourists and well-to-do locals congregate in the late afternoon, along with buskers, shoe shiners and mariachis.
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Teatro Cervantes
The Teatro Cervantes hosts a full schedule of performances during the Cervantino festival and less-regular shows at other times. Statues of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza grace the small Plaza Allende, in front of Teatro Cervantes.
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Templo de la Compañía de Jesús
The large Templo de la Compañía de Jesús was completed in 1747 for the Jesuit seminary whose buildings are now occupied by the University of Guanajuato.
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Teatro Principal
The Teatro Principal hosts a full schedule of performances during the Cervantino festival and less-regular shows at other times.
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Templo de San Diego
A fine colonial churche, the Templo de San Diego is opposite the Jardín de la Unión.
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Galería Mariana
The small Galería Mariana is dedicated to images of Mary and other Catholic relics.
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Plaza Alhóndiga
Plaza Alhóndiga is a usually empty space with wide steps leading up to the Alhóndiga.
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Plazuela de los Ángeles
The steps and ice-cream stands are popular gathering spots for students.
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