The San Miguel Town Square: Jardin Allende
	Posada Corazon: Greg's Lodging
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The Parish of San Miguel Arcángel is a parochial temple that is located in the center of old San Miguel de Allende. It is just across the plaza to the south from the town square- Jardin Allende. The complex also has a smaller church- the Iglesia San Rafael.

The Church of San Miguel Arcángel

The Parish of San Miguel Arcángel

The building was built in 1709, but its current façade was constructed between 1880 and 1890 by Zeferino Gutiérrez. It is currently the main symbol of the city, being one of the most representative religious buildings in Mexico.

The towers built between the 17th and 18th centuries were demolished to build the towers that exist today. In general, the portal, the niches, the choral window, the atrium, the bell tower of the clock and the altars inside were all transformed during those ten years.

The Plaza and Parish of San Miguel Arcángel

In the very good picture that Fred took of the Parroquia from across the plaza to the northwest, you can see the main church- the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel- and, off to the side to the left, the smaller Iglesia San Rafael.

The imposing Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel (the Church of the Arcangel Michael) is the first image that comes to the mind of anyone who has visited San Miguel de Allende; the church is the main attraction of San Miguel de Allende, the colonial jewel of Guanajuato.

The history of this beautiful church begins in 1555 with the founding of the Villa de San Miguel el Grande, now known as Allende, and the construction of its parish church. That church deteriorated over the next century and, according to a document from 1649, it almost totally collapsed.

The town of San Miguel could not long be without a religious focal point; the Church was the most important institution in this area of Central America at the time. Much of the social and political activity of any town or city revolved around the the church, which was usually the most imposing building in the town and also usually at its center. So San Miguel had to replace the collapsed structure.

A plan for a new structure was developed, and by 1709 a new hurch, built in the baroque style that prevailed at the time, was completed. The project was under the control of the architect Marco Antonio Sobrarías. The church's Neo-Gothic style would last until the end of the 19th century, when a new façade was built, apparently at the request of a bishop, turning the structure into the church we see today:

Views of the Parroquia de Miguel Arcangel

Today, the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel is San Miguel's most famous sight- characterized by its pink 'wedding cake' towers that soar above the town- the towers created by indigenous stonemason Zeferino Gutiérrez in the late 19th century. Gutiérrez reputedly based the design on a postcard of a Belgian church and instructed builders by scratching plans in the sand with a stick.

The parroquia, and the side chapel named for the arcangel Rafael, are at their most imposing, I think, at night:

Apparently, the Parroquia has been outfitted with a lighting system that shows off the intricate stone facade to its best advantage. When these lights are on at night, the buildings' stone detail is much more pronounced than it is in the daytime.

At left are a couple of views of the Parroquia at night; I think you can see how interesting the lighting is. On quite a few nights during our stay, there were events of one kind of another in the plaza between Jardin Allende and the Parroquia, and having that church overlook these events lent them a backdrop like no other.

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On one of these evenings, we walked over to the plaza just to experience the music and the crowds. We stood on the steps of the church for a while, and eventually I went down to the square to get some movie footage of the two churches and the show going on in front of them.

I think this movie is particularly good, and I hope you will use the movie player at right to watch it.

We found the inside of the church to be beautiful as well, but what struck me was that the decoration seemed more understated than many other churches we've been in. There were lots of statues, many of which seemed to have been donated to the church by wealthy patrons.

Inside the Parroquia de Miguel Arcangel

Of course, the first picture I took was just inside the main doors and the view looks straight down the main aisle to the altar in the distance. That photo is at left. Then I started walking down the main aisle, making a movie as I went; you can use the player below to watch that movie:

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Click on the Image Above to View the Slideshow

In the chapel to the left of the main altar is the much-revered image of the Cristo de la Conquista (Christ of the Conquest), made in Pátzcuaro from cornstalks and orchid bulbs, probably in the 16th century. In other chapels, some donated by wealthy patrons, there were numerous artworks, carvings, and objects. The interior architecture of the church was itself interesting and beautiful.

I hope you will take the time to have a look at the ten best interior pictures we took here in the parroquia. You can do so quickly and easily by clicking on the image at left. I'll open up a short slideshow in a new window and you can go through the pictures at your own space. To move from one picture to another, just click on the little arrows in the lower corners of each image. Don't forget to close the slideshow window when you're done.

The Iglesia de San Rafael

To the left of the Parroquia as one faces it after entering the main gates, is the Iglesia de San Rafael. This more rough-hewn church was founded in 1742. I both outside and inside appearance, this church is simpler; it gives the appearance of having been the church of the lower classes, while the parroquia may have catered to those of higher status.

The Church at Night The Daytime View The Fountain

The Iglesia San Rafael, also know as the Santa Escuela de Cristo, was founded by Father Luis Felipe Neri de Alfaro and constructed in the late 18th century. The facade of this church is divided in two parts. The first part has semicircle arches, pilasters with floral motifs and cushioned frieze. The second part contains a coral window framed by an ogival arch of rose quarry. The interesting architectural component is the bell that is in imitation Moorish style.

Like the parroquia that shares the same complex (which is dedicated to the militant arcangel Michael), this church is dedicated to another archangel, in this case Rafael.

The tower was refaced by Ceferino Gutierrez after he added La Parroquia's iconic facade. He feared that San Rafael's original baroque style would clash with his "Gothic" masterpiece.

Long ago the town decided that the clock on the tower of the The Iglesia de San Rafael would be the official time in San Miguel de Allende. It chimes on the quarter hour, with the number of chimes indicating which quarter-hour it is. Many other bells in the town do so as well, and this can be cacophanous, but Miguelinos accept Raphael's bell as gospel.

The clock we see today is not the original, which was given by the city of Madrid in 1762. That original clock is still here in San Miguel though, at El Charro.

At right is a good view of Iglesia de San Rafael. The view was taken from just down the street that is the southeast corner exit from the Jardin Allende (Town Square). So the view actually looks southwest along the side of the Iglesia and generally towards the parroquia.

Before we head inside Iglesia de San Rafael, here are a couple of pictures Fred took outside on one of our visits to the church:

This view looks towards the front of Iglesia de San Rafael from a point right in front of the Parroquia. The view looks southeast.

Here I am in my "Mexico hat" standing outside the Iglesia de San Rafael.

I find the inside of churches to be revealing- sometimes by what I see, and sometimes by what I don't. Inside the Iglesia de San Rafael, what I found were decorative elements that reflected a basic faith- the kind of faith the the working class might display. Not present were the gold statues, fine tapestries, huge stained-glass windows, and personal chapels that are often donated by the rich and powerful.

Click on the Image Above to View the Slideshow

One prominent guidebook calls the inside of San Rafael a "waxworks" because it is often used as a storage place for a lot of the statues that are used in religious parades. But ever since its construction in the early 18th century, after La Parroquia, it has been a chapel for the common people, and the decoration inside reflects that. For example, near the main door rise steps to the choir with "lockers" for the remains of those who could afford even the very small space required for them to spend eternity here. Over in La Parroquia, the wealthy build whole chapels for the same purpose.

So I hope you will click on the image at left to view the slideshow of the pictures that Fred and I took inside Iglesia de San Rafael. When you do, the slideshow will open in a new window. In the slideshow, you can use the little arrows in the lower corners of each image to move from one to the next, and the index numbers in the upper left of each image will tell you where you are in the series. When you are finished looking at the pictures, just close the popup window.

I found the inside of the Iglesia de San Rafael very interesting; there was lots to look at. Indeed, the whole parroquia complex was pretty neat, and it was certainly the focal point of San Miguel de Allende.

At left is a particularly good picture of both La Parroquia and the Iglesia de San Rafael as seen at night. It was interesting to walk over here most evenings; either there was something going on in the square, or it was just to come see the churches lit up and to people-watch.

I might also mention that between the Iglesia and La Parroquia there was a doorway that led into what was apparently a kind of administrative area or perhaps a rectory. One could walk into the ground floor courtyard, although there was no obvious way up to the second floor.

And for one last picture of La Parroquia, here is a picture that I took on our very first afternoon here of Greg and Fred and La Parroquia.

You can use the links below to continue to another photo album page.

	The San Miguel Town Square: Jardin Allende
	Posada Corazon: Greg's Lodging
	Return to the Index for Our Mexico Trip