PLAZA PRINCIPAL | This central plaza is, in more ways than one, the heart of the city. To the south loom the spires of San Miguel’s landmark Parroquia, to the east and west lie colonnades of arches and historic buildings from the colonial era, to the north stands the Presidencia, or city hall. But it is the park itself that draws visitors to sit and gossip on the wrought iron benches shaded by boxy laurel trees, to pause and listen to musicians playing from its central gazebo or to line the stone walls and cheer as one of the many parades that the town enjoys so much passes by.
And while this may all sound a bit old-fashioned, the Jardín is also a great place to stay connected to the outside world. Recently the park has become an internet ‘hot spot’ with wireless internet service available to anyone with a portable computer.

The Presidencia was originally constructed in 1736, but little of the original architecture remains; it has been partially destroyed and rebuilt a number of times. Nonetheless, it remains historically significant as it was the site of the formation of Mexico’s first independent city council, installed by Father Hidalgo and Ignacio Allende and led by Ignacio Aldama, on September 17, 1810. To honor this important occasion, the former jail has been transformed into a museum detailing the role of the council in Mexico’s history.

PARROQUIA SAN MIGUEL ARCANGEL | The original Parish church, built in the late 17th century, was of relatively conventional and modest design. This changed quite dramatically in 1880 when the master stone mason, Zeferino Gutierrez was commissioned to create a new facade. A self-taught architect, Gutierrez is reported to have taken the inspiration for his design from drawings, engravings and postcards of European cathedrals. The resulting neogothic fantasy, whose soaring turrets can be viewed from almost any spot in town, have made the Parroquia one of the most photographed churches in Mexico.

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CASA DEL MAYORAZGO DE LA CANAL | This neoclassical mansion, once the home of the wealthy and influential De la Canal family, now houses a branch of Banamex. Its enormous carved wooden main door (located on Canal Street) is evidence not only of the skill of colonial woodworkers but of the status and heritage of the family.

TEMPLO DE LA CONCEPCIÓN | This church is known locally as “Las Monjas” (the Nuns), as it was originally constructed as part of an extensive complex housing, as it does today, a convent for the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. The church was built between 1755 and 1842, and the elegant dome was added by Zeferino Gutierrez in 1891. Again he modeled his construction on that of a European landmark – the dome is remarkably similar to that of the Church of Les Invalides in Paris.

PLAZA CÍVICA | Built in 1555, and named Plaza de la Soledad, it was this plaza, not the Jardín, that was the hub of the town’s activity – it has been both market place and meeting place in its time. Today the renamed plaza is dominated by a large equestrian statue of Ignacio Allende. The building on the northeast corner was once the College of San Fransisco de Sales attended by the revolutionary heroes Aldama, Umarán and Allende.

TEMPLO DE NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA SALUD | The church of Our Lady of Health dates back to the 18th Century when it served as a chapel for the adjacent college. It’s entrance is crowned by a gigantic carved seashell centered by a single eye enclosed in a triangle; an ancient symbol for God’s all-seeing presence, not, as some believe, for the church’s ability to cure eye disease.

ORATORIO DE SAN FELIPE NERI |Construction of this church began in 1712, when an older chapel, owned by the town’s mulatto population, was ‘appropriated’ for the purpose. The original chapel now makes up the eastern end of the church, the more modern baroque facade of soft pink stone is to the south. The church also houses a side chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Loreto by the De la Canal family in 1735, a replica of the Santa Casa (Holy House) found in Italy. It is noted for its fantastically ornate decoration and elaborately gilded walls and altars.

TEMPLO DE SAN FRANCISCO | Beginning in 1778, this church was over 20 years in construction and the changing tastes of the times can be clearly seen in its architecture. The facade is pure churrigueresque, with a plethora of carved stone figures and downward tapering columns. However, the bell tower, built in 1799 by the famed architect Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras, is of the neoclassical style that was then fashionable.

PARQUE BENITO JUAREZ | A leafy green park founded at the turn of the 20th century and designed in the French style with fountains, ponds, wrought iron benches and broad walkways.

EL CHORRO | Built around one of San Miguel’s more ankle-twisting streets, this small peaceful park climbs to the natural spring and church located atthe top of the hill.

CASA DEL INQUISIDOR | This house dates back to the end of the 18th Century and is believed to have been owned by a retired magistrate of the Holy Inquisition. The building on the north side of the street, marked by an inset stone cross, was once used as a jail for the Inquisition’s victims.