Mexico 2008 Architecture and Buildings

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Guadalajara
	This is the Templo de San Francisco, which was in the block just south of my hotel. I wish Valpo could look like this in December! By the way, "templo" is the most common word I saw for "church." According to wikipedia, "templo" refers to the building, whereas "iglesia" refers to the people. In English we often use "church" to refer to both.
	The Templo de Aranzazú—just a block over from the previous church. There must be a hundred fountains in downtown Guadalajara.
	This is the Instituto Cultural de Cabañas. It was originally built as an orphanage and today serves as a museum.
	The murals inside the rotunda of the Instituto Cultural de Cabañas are by the famous Mexican painter José Clemente Orozco, a native of the state of Jalisco, in which Guadalajara is located.
	The top of the rotunda, looking up from the ground floor.
	This is the Teatro Degollado, one of the main buildings in Guadaljara's downtown.
	This was taken from a second story balcony, looking down on the Palacio Municipal.
	This is the Guadaljara Cathedral. Construction began in 1558. That is almost 50 years before the English landed at Jamestown. I think many Americans, myself included, forget that the Spanish presence in the New World was quite widespread by the time the English arrived. How long was it before a building of this size was built in the English-speaking parts of the Americas?
	Inside the cathedral.
	This is the Palacio de Gobierno. Most of the large colonial buildings were made following this plan, with a large inner courtyard.
	Here there are more Orozco murals, this time featuring Miguel Hidalgo, the primary hero the Mexican revoluation against Spain, which began in 1810.
	This is Miguel Hidalgo, presumably bringing light to the people, by means of his burning torch. In the lower corner you can see Orozco slipping in some more modern symbolism. He was an opponent of both fascisim, communism, and perhaps religion as well.
	I took this picture through the bus window. You can kind of see the smudges on the window in the lower right hand corner of the picture. This church is not important enough to be mentioned in my guidebook. Even this anonymous church would be the highlight of almost any American city.
	One day I took the bus out to a suburb of Guadaljara called Zapopán. This is the main site there, the Basilica de Zapopán.
	The basilica has a nice public park. Nearby there is a market, and a modern art museum.
	This is back downtown at the main cathedral again. Seeing families out and walking around was one of the major themes of my trip. I was amazed at how many people were outside and enjoying the public areas of the city. It was very nice to see.
	The Palacio de Justicia, as you can see. As you can see by the date, it's a modern building, but it fits in well with the older buildings that surround it.
Guanajuato
	This is the University of Guanajuato. The building was built in the 1940s.
	The top of the stairs is a nice place to watch the sun go down over the city.
	This is the view from the top of the university steps.
	The people of Guanajuato obviously take pride in their historic and beautiful city, and many houses and buildings are decorated with flowers, like this one.
	The Teatro Juarez, built around the beginning of the 20th century. Directly across is the Jardin de la Union, covered with trees. This area is the main public square in the city.
	The Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato. This is the Plaza de la Paz. (This church, and the university, are featured in Robert Rodriguez's film Once Upon a Time in Mexico, with Antonio Banderas and Johnny Depp.)
	Inside the basilica.
	Another view of the Teatro Juarez.
	Guanajuato also has many colorful houses.
	Any bright color seems to be acceptable. The variety is wonderful.
	The colors of these houses give the whole street a reddish glow. You can also see the cobblestrone streets in this picture.
	This is the Alhondiga de Granaditas, which was built as a granary around 1800. The building was taken over by the Spanish at the beginning of the revolution by the Mexicans against Spain. Miguel Hidalgo, the man who started the revolution, attacked the building with several thousand troops in September of 1810. A local man set it on fire, an act which turned the tide for the Mexican fighters. Mexico would finally win its independence in 1821.
	The inside of the granary. Today it is a museum.
	Inside the stairwell are these murals by José Chávez Morado, depicting the history of Guanajuato.
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