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CITY OF PUEBLA, MEXICO |
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This suggested tour can be completed in a single day if you omit the museums and devote little time to shopping. Addresses are shown in italics. The route starts at the Zócalo and ends ten blocks north at the Iglesia de San José. For a shorter tour, read the descriptions below and pick the sites that most interest you. |
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___Palacio Municipal / City Hall. Zócalo, Portal Hidalgo No. 14 (north side of the central square). Completed in 1906. Exemplifies the Franco-Spanish Renaissance style typical of public architecture in Mexico from the 1870s to 1910. ___Museo Universitario - Casa de los Muñecos / University Museum-"The Dolls House." Avenue 2 Norte No. 2. 17th-century facade alternates handmade Talavera tiles with red brick, a typically poblano style of decoration. The caricatures ("dolls") painted on the tiles lampoon the political enemies of the original owner, Agustín Ovando de Villavicencio. ___Iglesia del Espiritu Santo ("La Compañia") / Holy Spirit Church. Avenue 4 Sur No. 102. Built in 1578 for the Jesuits. Burial place of the 17th-century celebrity, La China Poblana, whose last home is across the street at M.A. Camacho No. 400. Sacristy features marquetry in the Mudejar (Ibero-Moslem) tradition. The Italian-style portico was added in 1746. Next door at 4 Sur No. 101 is the former Jesuit college, now owned by the Universidad de Puebla. ___Museo del Arte Virreinal / Museum of Viceroyalty Period (Colonial) Art. 4 Norte No. 203. New museum, inaugurated in the late 1990s, showcases both permanent collections and temporary exhibitions of outstanding colonial-period art. ___Casa del que Mató el Animal / House of the One Who Killed the Animal. 3 Oriente No. 201. Medieval-looking doorway in carved stone depicts the adventures of a hunter with his dogs. This is all that remains of the original house, constructed in the 1530s for Spanish conquistador Martín Pérez de Badajoz. The building is now the headquarters of the García-Valseca newspaper chain, publishers of El Sol de Puebla. |
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___Catedral de la Concepción Inmaculada / Immaculate Conception Cathedral. 16 de Septiembre, corner of 5 Oriente. One of Mexico's largest churches, completed 1649. Interior features onyx main altar, 14 chapels, wood inlay choir loft, and colonial religious art. ___Biblioteca Palafoxiana - Casa de la Cultura / Palafoxian Library-House of Culture. 5 Oriente No. 5. 17th-century residence of Bishop Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, now used for cultural events. Magnificent second-floor library, founded by Palafox in 1646, is a must-see. Vast room holds 50,000 volumes, features carved cedar bookshelves, red tile floors, and onyx-inlay reading tables. |
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___Museo Amparo / Amparo Museum. 2 Sur No. 708. Among the nation's most extensive private collections of prehispanic and colonial Mexican art. ___Plazuela de Los Sapos / Plaza of the Toads. 4 Sur, corner of 3 Oriente. Shops surrounding this plaza specialize in antique furniture and quality reproductions. A nearby tavern serves homemade fruit cordials, including a justly famous raisin liqueur. On Saturdays and Sundays the plaza fills with vendors selling antiques and collectibles. If visiting on a weekend, allow one to two hours, or stop here after your walking tour. ___Escuela de la Talavera Poblana - Patio de los Azulejos / Puebla Talavera Craft School - Glazed Tile Courtyard. 11 Poniente No. 111 (one block west of 16 de Septiembre). Artisans from Talavera de la Reina, Spain, brought their ceramic techniques to Puebla in colonial times. Today, dozens of workshops and studios in the city continue to produce vividly colored tiles and dishware in the Talavera style. The school's tiled courtyard is an especially vibrant example. ___Casa del Deán / The Dean's House. 16 de Septiembre No. 505. Possibly the oldest surviving house in Puebla, built circa 1580 for Tomás de la Plaza. Carved stone facade displays Greco-Roman style. The rare 16th-century frescos on the second floor were not discovered until about 1930. |
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___Museo Bello y González / Bello y González Museum. 3 Poniente No.302. Major collection of colonial decorative arts includes furniture, pottery, marquetry and works in gold, as well as paintings. The Talavera Room is extraordinary. ___Museo UPAEP / UPAEP Museum. 3 Norte No. 3. Museum of religious art, operated by the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Puebla, displays permanent and temporary exhibits from various periods. |
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___Taller de Cerámica Uriarte / Uriarte Ceramics Studio.
4 Poniente No. 911. Oldest Talavera ceramics studio in
Puebla. Tours available at 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 1:00 p.m.
Closed Sundays. ___Iglesia de Santa Domingo - Capilla del Rosario / Saint Dominic Church - Rosary Chapel. 5 de Mayo, corner of 4 Poniente. Church dates to 1534, but interior chapels were built later. The Rosary Chapel, built in 1690, is a must-see. Outstanding example of Mexican Baroque architecture, with dazzling use of onyx stonework and gilded plaster. ___Galería J.L. Bello y Zetina /Art Gallery J.L Bello y Zetina. 5 de Mayo No. 409. Located next door to Iglesia de Santo Domingo. Primarily 19th-century fine and decorative arts, featuring paintings by José Agustín Arrieta and Gerardo Murillo Cornado ("Dr. Atl"). ___Museo de La Revolución - Casa de Aquiles Serdán / Museum of the Revolution - Aquiles Serdán House. 6 Oriente No. 206. Birthplace of the Mexican Revolution. Depicts the life and times of Aquiles Serdán (1877-1910), killed on this site, November 18, 1910, following a 14-hour gun battle with police and federal troops. His sister, Carmen Serdán (1873-1948), was also a leader in the Revolution. |
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___Iglesia de San Cristobal / Saint Christopher Church. 4 Norte, corner of 6 Oriente. Begun in 1604. Noted for its Plateresque facade and early use of detailed plaster work. Decor includes Images of angelic musicians and an onyx-covered pulpit. ___Teatro Principal / "Principal Theater". 8 Oriente, corner of 8 Norte. Among the oldest theaters in Mexico, completed 1761. |
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___Barrio del Artista / The Artists Neighborhood. 6 Oriente, corner of 6 Norte. Located along a passageway behind the Teatro Principal. Consists of some 50 studios, open to the public, where local painters produce, display, and sell their work. ___Mercado de Artesanías El Parián / El Parián Handicrafts Market. 6 Norte, corner of 4 Oriente. Established 1796. One-stop shopping for poblano crafts, including clothing and textiles, Talavera ceramics, onyx items and traditional candies, plus crafts from the neighboring states of Tlaxcala, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Mexico, Morelos, and Hidalgo. Vendors expect you to bargain for a good price. Allow one to two hours, or stop here after your walking tour. ___Museo Regional de Puebla-Casa del Alfeñique / Regional Museum of Puebla- "Alfeñique House". 4 Oriente No. 416. Built 1791. Beautifully restored Baroque residence of Antonio Santa María Icháurregui. Dubbed alfeñique because the eccentric plaster work resembles a meringue candy of whipped egg whites, sugar and almonds. The first two floors are the city history museum. The third floor is the home itself, with period furnishings and family chapel. ___Centro de Convenciones Puebla-William O. Jenkins / Puebla Convention Center. Blvd. Héroes del 5 de Mayo, one block south from the corner of 14 Oriente. This six-acre complex combines historic renovation and public parks with a postmodernist version of colonial architecture. The result is unexpectedly elegant. The grounds include four historic textile factories (La Guía, La Esperanza, La Mascota and La Pastora), and the ruins of colonial buildings. ___Templo de San Francisco - Tumba de San Sebastian / Saint Francis Church - Tomb of Saint Sebastian. Blvd. Heroes del 5 de Mayo, corner of 14 Oriente. Completed 1555. Pilgrims come to venerate Blessed Sebastián de Aparicio (1520?-1600), whose mummified corpse is displayed in a glass coffin. Not yet canonized, this Franciscan monk and colonial road-builder is the patron saint of all who drive for a living. The poblano church facade combines red brick with Talavera tiles depicting religious themes. |
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___Ex-Convento de Santa Rosa / Former Convent of Saint Rose. 14 Poniente No. 305. Baroque-style edifice, partially restored, dates to 1698. Formerly a Dominican convent, now the state Museo de Artesanías (Museum of Arts and Crafts). Legend has it that the nuns here invented mole poblano. The exquisite 18th-century tiled kitchen is actually a museum exhibit built in 1926. The government-owned gift shop sells unusual items (e.g., fine embroidery, lace) in addition to poblano crafts found elsewhere. |
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___Templo de Santa Mónica - Señor de las Maravillas / Saint Monica Church - Our Lord of the Marvels. 5 de Mayo No. 1607. Pilgrims come from all over the city to this image of Christ on the road to Calvary. ___Ex-Convento de Santa Mónica / Former Convent of Saint Monica. 18 Poniente No. 103, near 5 de Mayo. Entrance is through a house and passageway. Mexico abolished convents and monasteries by law in 1857. This convent, now the Museum of Religious Art, continued operating in secret until its discovery by authorities in 1934. Admission charged. ___Iglesia de San José - Capilla de Cantería / Saint Joseph Church - The Quarry Stone Chapel. 2 Norte No. 1803. Dates to the 1590s. The chapel features superb stonework, carved entirely by hand with hammer and chisel. |
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Graphics Credits Baroque angel, Rosary Chapel (1690), Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla, Mexico. ©2000 E.M. Mulhare. |
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Information Sources |
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Copyright ©1998, 2000-2006 by E. M. Mulhare, Hamilton, NY 13346 USA. All rights reserved. All
text, graphics and artwork are by the author unless otherwise
noted. Published electronically as part of Visitors Online
Guide to the City of Puebla, Mexico. Original text, 04-Mar-1998.
Web site created 03-Feb-2000.
Last modified 05-Jan-2006. This Web site is a service of ixeh.net. Report any problems to ixeh.net webmaster. |
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