COLONIAL GUANAJUATO (1)Guanajuato is one of Mexico's most beautiful colonial gems. In 1558 silver was discovered here, and at one time it produced 20% of the world's silver supply. The enormous wealth resulted in the construction of lavish churches, mansions and public buildings. The city has been declared a colonial monument by the government, thus preserving its unique atmosphere. Unlike the more famous colonial town of Taxco, Guanajuato does not depend upon tourism for its livelihood. It is the capital of the state of Guanajuato, a university town, and still a center for silver mining. Thus, the traveler does not feel as if he were in a "colonial theme park" but in a living city which just happens to be one of the most picturesque on the continent.

Guanajuato is located in a ravine. Its buildings and narrow streets form a labyrinth climbing up the hillsides. The "Panoramic Highway" above the city provides a spectacular view.
 

Space is at a premium in Guanajuato. Unlike most Mexican cities which are centered around a spacious town square, the center of Guanajuato is a small, irregularly shaped park called the Jardin de la Union.
 

Guanajuato was the scene of one of the first battles in Mexico's war for independence from Spain. In 1810 an army of 20,000 Mexican rebels led by Miguel Hidalgo attacked the city. The Spanish troops and royalists barricaded themselves in the Alhondiga, or grain storehouse. The large, square building was an ideal fortress which the rebels found impossible to capture.
 

It seemed as if the rebels would be unable to take the Alhondiga. The Spanish troops fired down on anyone who approached the building. Then an Indian known as Pipila tied a stone slab to his back, took a torch and crawled to the entrance. Protected by the slab from Spanish bullets, he managed to burn down the door to the Alhondiga. The Mexicans were then able to storm into the building and win their first important victory in their struggle for independence. This monument to Pipila stands along the "Panoramic Highway."
 

You are visitor number

to Guanajuato.