Founded by the Spaniards more than 400 years ago, Guanajuato grew into a city of wealth and extravagance during the heyday of its legendary silver mines. It saw some of the fiercest fighting of the War of Independence, then went into a long, slow decline, and has emerged today as a small, stately city with a strangely provocative and medieval European air.
A unique feature of Guanajuato is the subterranean street that meanders through and under the city. The stone arched tunnel was built on the dry bed of the Guanajuato River and follows the original course of the river for almost 2 miles. One of the continent's greatest floods occurred in Guanajuato in 1905 when the dams at the south end of the city broke during a stormy night. The rampant flood waters cascaded through the narrow, ravinelike channel of the unassuming Guanajuato River, drowning thousands of residents.
Guanajuato is a city made for walking. Built where three ravines meet, the city offers the delight of random strolls along the narrow, cobbled byways that wind up the hillsides and turn into flights of stairs when the going gets too steep. You'll find yourself drawn on by the unusual facades of houses (no two alike), beckoned by the filigree of street lamps and overhanging balconies, and divertcd by narrow passageways into unexpected squares. And for all your wandering, you're never really lost the center of town is always waiting for you down the hill.
Sightseeing. Jardin de ]a Union a good place to begin a day's exploration is a delicate and graceful plaza. Here you can sit on ornate wrought iron benches and listen to band concerts each week.
Facing the plaza is Teatro Juarez, a theater in the classic style of the late 19th century. One of Guanajuato's few examples of post colonial architecture, it once rivaled the opera house in Mexico City in prestige and splendor. Don't miss seeing its opulent, Moorish interior. (The eight bronze figures that top this building are the work of Ohio sculptor W. H. Mullen.)
Next to the theater is the Franciscan Church of San Diego (1784). Its facade is magnificent, though the interior is not especially impressive. A block away you'll come to Plaza de la Paz, dominated by La Parroquia Church, with its baptistry and sacristy dating back to 1696.
Up a narrow alley from this plaza is a comparatively recent building of the University of Guanajuato, designed with a fine awareness of its visual relationship to the colonial town.
La Compania (1747), a beautiful church inside and out, is a part of the university. Its colonnaded dome will serve as a landmark as you stroll about the town.
Three other destinations require longer walks: the marketplace (Mercado Hidalgo), with local craft products for sale (Sunday is market day); the pleasant parks by the two dams that hold back the Guanajuato River; and the granary, better known as the Alhondiga. The Alhondiga, scene of a bloody battle in revolutionary days, now houses a regional museum reputed to be one of the most informative and well organized museums in Mexico.
A roundabout drive (or a steep climb) takes you up the hill behind Teatro, Juarez to the Statue of Pipila. At the start of the War of Independence of 1810 1821, the miner Pipila, with a flat stone strapped on his back as a shield, braved enemy bullets and molten lead to set fire to the door of a loyalist stronghold at the granary. Guanajuato became the first major city to fall to the forces of independence.
An attraction you may prefer to miss is the collection of well preserved mummies at the Catacombs, doomed to exposure because their descendants fell behind on crypt rental fees.
Three miles from the midtown plaza, a church and mine bear witness to the glories of the past. La Valenciana is considered one of the most perfect and elegant churches in Mexico. Its architecture, the craftsmanship displayed in its intricate facade and carved altars, and the impressive view all merit a visit.
Across the highway you'll find the crumbling ruins of La Valenciana Mine, which for half a century poured millions of pesos annually into the treasury of the Spanish vice royalty and financed the construction of the elegant homes and churches of Guanajuato and its suburbs.
City tours leave from the Juarez Theater in the morning and afternoon. It is best to hire a guide and car you'll save hours of getting lost.
Shopping. Guanajuato offers many fine shops within walking distance of the central plaza. Quality is generally good; prices are reasonable. Look for silver, brass, crystal, mirrors, and jewelry. Brown is the newest color for local pottery; best place to look is at the marketplace.
Lodging.Accommodations are excellent with many converted colonial buildings providing delightful quarters. Restaurants are not so numerous. The best food is usually in larger hotels. Make advance reservations during the following major fiestas: Virgin of Guanajuato, the last part of May; Corpus Christi, the last two weeks in June; San Ignacio, on July 31; and Purisima at La Valenciana, in early December.
From Guanajuato, you can either return to Highway 45 or continue east to Dolores Hidalgo and San Miguel de Allende.
Founded by the Spaniards more than 400 years ago, Guanajuato grew into a city of wealth and extravagance during the heyday of its legendary silver mines. It saw some of the fiercest fighting of the War of Independence, then went into a long, slow decline, and has emerged today as a small, stately city with a strangely provocative and medieval European air.
Up a narrow alley from this plaza is a comparatively recent building of the University of Guanajuato, designed with a fine awareness of its visual relationship to the colonial town.
Shopping. Guanajuato offers many fine shops within walking distance of the central plaza. Quality is generally good; prices are reasonable. Look for silver, brass, crystal, mirrors, and jewelry. Brown is the newest color for local pottery; best place to look is at the marketplace.
