Guadalajara - Historic Downtown

Historic Downtown

The historic downtown of Guadalajara is the oldest section of the city, where it was founded and where the oldest buildings are located. It centers on Paseo Morelos/Paseo Hospicio from the Plaza de Armas, where the seats of ecclesiastical and secular power are, east toward the Plaza de Mariachis and the Hospicio Cabañas. The Plaza de Armas is a rectangular plaza with gardens, ironwork benches and an ironwork kiosk which was made in Paris in the 19th century.

Within Guadalajara's historic downtown, there is a large number of beautiful Squares and Public Parks that are worth the visit. Here is a complete list: Parque Morelos, Plaza de los Mariachis, Plaza Fundadores, Plaza Tapatia, Plaza del Agave, Parque Revolucion, Jardin del Santuario, Plaza de Armas, Plaza de la Liberacion, Plaza Guadalajara and the Rotonda de los Hombres Ilustres, the last four of which surround the cathedral to form a Latin Cross.

The Metropolitan Cathedral began construction in 1558 and was consecrated in 1616. Its two towers were built in the 19th century after an earthquake destroyed the originals. They are considered one of the city's symbols. The architecture is a mix of Gothic, Baroque, Moorish and Neoclassical. The interior has three naves and eleven side altars, covered by a roof supported by thirty Doric columns.

The Rotonda de los Hombres Ilustres (Rotunda of Illustrious Men) is a circular monument made of quarried stone, built to honor the memory of distinguished people from Jalisco. It was built in 1952, and it contains seventeen columns which mark off a circular space, containing ninety-eight urns with the remains of the figures honored here. Across the street is the municipal palace, which was constructed in 1952. It has four façades of quarried stone, and it mostly of Neoclassical design with elements such as courtyards, entrances and columns that imitate the older structures of the city. The Palace of the State Government is in Churrigueresque and Neoclassical styles, and was begun in the 17th century and finished in 1774. The interior was completely remodeled after an explosion here in 1859. This building contains a number of murals done by José Clemente Orozco, a native of Jalisco, and includes "Lucha Social," "Circo Político" and "Las Fuerzas Ocultas." The last one depicts Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla with his arm raised above his head in anger against the government and the church.

The Plaza de la Liberación is on the east side of the Cathedral. It is nicknamed the Plaza de las Dos Copas, referring to the two fountains on the east and west sides. Facing this plaza is the Teatro Degollado (Degollado Theater). It was built in the mid nineteenth century in Neoclassical design. The main portal has a pediment with a scene in relief called "Apollo and the Muses" sculpted in marble by Benito Castañeda. Inside the vaulted ceiling contains a fresco which depicts a scene from the Divine Comedy painted by Jacobo Gálvez and Gerardo Suárez. Behind the theater is another plaza with a fountain called the Fuente de los Fundadores (Fountain of the Founders). The plaza is located in the exact spot where the city was founded and contains a sculpture depicting Cristobal de Oñate at the event (finsemana).

The Jalisco Regional Museum (Ex seminary de San José) was constructed at the beginning of the 18th century to be the Seminario Conciliar de San José. From 1861 to 1914, it housed a school called Liceo de Varones. In 1918, it became the Museum of Fine Artes. In 1976, it was completely remodeled for its present use. The Museum contains sixteen halls displaying its permanent collection. Fourteen of the halls are divided into zones named Paleontology, Pre-History, and Archeology. One of the prize exhibits is a complete skeleton of a mammoth. The other two halls are dedicated to painting and History. Some of the paintings in the collection were done by Juan Correa, Cristóbal de Villalpando and José de Ibarra.

Between the Cathedral and the Hospicio is a large plaza called Plaza Tapatía. It is an important cultural and commercial area which covers an area of 70,000 m2. Its centerpiece if the large Quetzalcoátl sculpture/fountain.(encmuc) Southeast of this plaza is the Mercado Libertad, also called the Mercado de San Juan de Dios. It is one of the largest traditional markets in Mexico. Next to it is the Temple of San Juan de Dios constructed in the 17th century of Baroque style.

At the far east end is the Plaza de los Mariachis and the Ex-Hospicio Cabañas. The Plaza de los Mariachis is faced by a number of restaurants in which one can hear live mariachis play, especially at night. The Ex-Hospicio Cabañas extends along the entire east side of the Plaza. This building was constructed by Manuel Tolsá beginning in 1805 under orders of Carlos III. It was inaugurated and began its function as an orphanage in 1810, in spite of the fact that it would not be finished until 1845. It was named after Bishop Ruiz de Cabañas y Crespo. The façade of the building is Neoclassical and its main entrance is topped by a triangular pediment. Today, it is the home of the Instituto Cultural Cabañas (Cabañas Cultural Institute) and its main attraction is the murals by José Clemente Orozco, which covers the main entrance hall. Among these murals is "Hombre del Fuego" (Man of Fire) considered to be one of Orozco's finest works.

Off this east-west axis are a number of other significant constructions. The Legislative Palace is Neoclassical which was originally built in the 18th century. It was reconstructed in 1982. The Palace of Justice was finished in 1897. The Old University Building was a Jesuit College named Santo Tomás de Aquino. It was founded in 1591. Later, it became the second Mexican University in 1792. Its main portal is of yellow stone. The Casa de los Perros (House of the Dogs) was constructed in 1896 in Neoclassical design. On Avenida Juarez is the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora del Carmen which was founded between 1687 and 1690 and remodeled completely in 1830. It retains its original coat of arms of the Carmelite Order as well as sculptures of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. Adjoining it is what is left of the Carmelite monastery, which was one of the richest in New Spain.