© Copyright 2000 by Tony Burton. All rights reserved.
Queries: 433, Baden Powell St., Box 4, Ladysmith, B.C. V9G 1A1, Canada
Tel/Fax:(250) 245-0772
E-mail - His Home Page
(Each image is an active link to an enlargement)
The city of Zacatecas in northern Mexico is not only a veritable labyrinth of winding streets but also a fascinating labyrinth of artistic and cultural treasures.
Built between hills and on steep slopes, Zacatecas (the name is derived from zacatl = grass and tecatl = people) is one of the few Mexican cities to have a maze-like street plan which makes wandering it a delight, even if it is easy to become disoriented!
The people of Zacatecas are especially proud of having preserved and restored so many ancient architectural and artistic monuments that the city was designated a "Cultural Treasure of Humanity" in 1993 by UNESCO. The result is a happy city, with relatively few above-ground utility poles and no billboard advertising in the historic center.
The following is a suggested self-guiding walking tour of the city center, beginning from the main plaza, by the Cathedral..
The Cathedral was built between 1730 and 1760. The facade, depicting Christ and the twelve apostles, is one of the finest examples of Churrigueresque architecture in Mexico. The rosette window in the center shows especially masterful carving. Inspired by the Holy Trinity, the cathedral has three naves, three doorways, three levels on the main facade with three columns defining the niches. The interior of the cathedral is nowhere near so spectacular, though in former times it included a font of solid silver, donated by a local countess.
The main square, or Plaza de Armas, has surprisingly few trees or flowers due to the difficult climate. On its south side is the State Government Palace, an eighteenth century building, originally the dwelling of the Count of Santiago de la Laguna.
Across the main street and on the left as you stand with your back to the Government Palace is the Palacio de la Mala Noche, (The Bad Night Palace), the house of a Spanish miner, Manuel de Rétegui. The discovery of the mine that brought vast, if quickly spent, wealth to the owner, occurred just as he was on the point of committing suicide. Almost next to the Bad Night Palace is the former Hotel Frances, now a tourist information office.
Several blocks walk along Hidalgo Avenue to the east is the former convent of San Francisco, dating from the seventeenth century, now the Rafael Coronel museum with many fine collections including a world-class collection of masks and a display of nineteenth century puppets. (Closed Wednesdays).
Returning towards the center, but on the street above Hidalgo avenue, brings us to the Plaza de Santo Domingo. The church of Santo Domingo, built as a Jesuit church (1746-9) but turned over to the Dominicans when the Jesuits were expelled in 1767, has a particularly interesting interior with eight Churrigueresque gilded wooden "retablos" or altarpieces, with fine sculptures and paintings.
On the north side of the plaza is the former Jesuit College, now the Pedro Coronel museum displaying this Zacatecan painter's fabulous collection of art from around the world, donated near the end of his life to his native city. Coronel's collection has been described as a "unique example of its kind in Mexico, indeed in all Latin America." The ground floor houses the Elías Amador Library, some 25,000 volumes full of history. The building was at various times in its history a Jesuit college, a Dominican convent, military headquarters and a gaol, before becoming a museum in 1984.
Two short blocks away is...
Tony Birton has much more to say. For the entire walking tour of one of Mexico's most beautiful colonial cities, we invite you to join our family of subscribers... it isn't expensive. A monthly subscription is just $5.00 USD - that's $1.15 per week. An annual subscription costs $30.00 USD - only $2.50 per month or 58 cents per week. We think you'll find it's money well spent.
To see more of Tony's articles and tours, click
