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| Yesterday. . .
To put things into historical perspective, "In the 1770s, when
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was little more than a frontier outpost with twenty
log cabins, San Miguel de Allende already had a population of over 30,000,
fattened by the rich gold and silver trade. Not even Boston with 16,000
or New York City and its 25,000 were as big. In the United States only
Philadelphia of the time rivaled San Miguel de Allende in size." Today,
San Miguel has some 80,000 inhabitants while those other cities have...
well, grown a bit larger.
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The Parroquia (right), is the pseudogothic church that stands in the very heart of San Miguel de Allende. The present church was built at the end of the 17th century on the site of the previous church. The present facade was added in 1888 by the master builder, Zeferino Gutiérrez. According to local legend, Sr. Gutiérrez had never seen a gothic church and had to take his ideas from picture postcards of the gothic cathedrals of Europe. Apparently not much of a draftsman, he supposedly drew pictures of his concept in the dirt in front of the church to show his workmen what he envisioned. In the tombs beneath the main altar of the church are the remains of former bishops of the church and many dignitaries who once lived in San Miguel, including a former President of the Republic of Mexico. The tombs are open to the public just one day of the year, November 2, Día de los Muertos - The Day of the Dead.
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| Today. . .
San Miguel de Allende is home to two major art institutes,
numerous galleries and too many artists-in-residence to count. Attracted
by this artistic atmosphere and the year-round moderate climate, there's a sizable foreign community, lending a cosmopolitan flavor to its activities.
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In the middle of the plaza is a statue of Ignacio Allende for whom San Miguel de Allende was named. Allende was one of the leaders of the insurrection against Spanish domination which began in 1810. He was captured, executed and beheaded in 1811; his head, along with those of Padre Hidalgo, Aldama and Jimenez, hung in cages on each the four corners of a building in Guanajuato from about 1811 until 1824 when Mexico finally gained its independence. The white building in the background was a school in the 1700's and several of the leaders of the insurrection against Spain went to school there (including both Allende and Aldama). The church (seen just in front of the horse) was the chapel for the school at that time; it's now the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Salud - the Church of Our Lady of Health.
The plaza has had two different names through the years and has also served as a space for an open-air market. In 1994, the market stands were moved to a new location and the plaza was renovated to what we see today.
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Right next door to the Plaza Civica is yet another of San Miguel's many outstanding churches, known locally simply as El Oratorio. This church was founded in 1712 and its facade is an original example of the baroque style, executed in stone of a rare pink color. But the church is truly remarkable for what's inside - La Santa Casa de Loreto, a chapel with beautifully ornate, gilded walls and altarpieces in what may be termed a prime example of "exuberant baroque." Manuel Tomás de la Canal founded this chapel in 1732 and dedicated it to the Virgin of Loreto.
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A Mexican casa can best be described as a flower garden surrounded by a house, as is evident in this composite photo of the interior patio of one of the many georgeous colonial homes in the center of San Miguel. This house is located at Calle Reloj #23, a block from the main jardin of San Miguel.
| Continue Your Virtual Visit to the Colonial Cities of Central Mexico |
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Founded in 1542 by Fray Juan de San Miguel, a Franciscan monk, San Miguel de Allende retains a rich colonial charm with its cobblestone streets and beautiful Spanish colonial mansions. The middle of the 18th century was a period of great prosperity for the town and the stately, lordly residence became common. Many of San Miguel's residences of that period have been restored to their former splendor. San Miguel is now a protected national monument; all new construction in San Miguel must conform to the colonial archictecture.