-Museum of Alhóndiga de Granaditas: The garrison
and prison that
functioned in the current installations of the museum
were captured by the liberating forces on October the 28th of 1810,
in one of the most significant events in the liberating history
of this country.
Although it was built between 1798 and 1809 to be a public corn exchange house, in 1810 Alhóndiga de Granaditas was both a colonial garrison and a prison, so it became one of the military objectives for those fighting for Mexico's independence.
The incursion of the insurgents was a success thanks to the heroic deed of Juan Jose Martinez, nicknamed El Pípila, a brave miner that managed to set fire to the doors of the military site, thus facilitating the capture of the Spaniards that were holding the building.
Several of the instigators of this emancipating action would be later executed in Chihuahua. The authorities hung the heads of father Miguel Hidalgo, Ignacio Jose de Allende, Ignacio Aldama and Jose Mariano Jimenez on the façade of the garrison with the intention of intimidating the population.
The museum was founded in 1949 with 18 exhibition rooms, three of which are dedicated to temporary shows. Its collection of pre Hispanic seals and archaeological objects of Mesoamerican art, its valuable colonial and republican objects, as well as an exhibition regarding the development of Guanajuato since the XVIII century, stand out.
The ceramics, photographs and murals by renowned local artist Jose Chavez Morado, which represent the struggle for independence, also calls one's attention.
The museum is located between Mendizábal and Pocitos Streets.
-Museum of the People of Guanajuato: Painters Jose
Chavez Morado and
Olga Costa founded a museum in 1979 in the former
mansion of the Sardineta y Legaspi family, marquises of San Juan
de Rayas, with appreciable Mexican artworks from the XVIII and XIX
centuries; holding interesting temporary exhibitions at the same
time.
The family chapel built in 1776, whose style is that of Spanish architect Churriguera, stands out in this mansion of the XVII century. You should pay especial attention to the carvings of its doors.
It is located on 7 Pocitos Street.
-House Museum of Diego Rivera: It exhibits more
than one hundred original works by famous Mexican muralist Diego
Rivera, who was born and grew in this house that is currently seat
of the museum, founded in 1975.
Inside this house of neoclassical architectonic features from the XIX century, visitors will appreciate one of the most relevant collections of paintings in the country, not only for the number of artworks on exhibition, but also for the variety of techniques and styles they display, which reflect the different creative stages of the renowned muralist.
In addition, the museum has an interesting collection of suites and objects from the late XIX an early XX centuries, which recreate the ambience in which Rivera might have grown. It also holds temporary exhibitions of fine arts.
It is located on 47 Pocitos Street.
-Museum of the Mummies: It is a chilling collection
of more than 100 mummified remains that were accidentally discovered
in 1865, when works to enlarge the public cemetery were underway.
It was a macabre finding that has become one of the main attractions
in Guanajuato with the passing of time.
Impacting rigor mortis on the cadaverous faces and bodies in weird positions that eternise a profound pain are characteristics similar in most of the mummies, which still have the clothes and shrouds they were buried with.
Studies have determined that the bodies were mummified in a natural manner due to a series of fortuitous conditions, such as the absence of water in the subsoil, the salinity of the terrain and the presence of nitrates and alums.
The museum is located on 20 Teapa Street, beside the Municipal Pantheon.
-Iconographic Museum of Cervantes: Paintings, etchings,
drawings, tapestries and sculptures, amongst other artistic manifestations
inspired on Quixote of La Mancha, the chevalier of the sad figure,
and his loyal squire Sancho Panza, universal characters created
by the most famous Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, are exhibited in
its rooms.
The works are fruit of the geniality of creators such as Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and Mario Orozco Rivera, amongst others, which are on exhibition in an elegant two-storey big house and an ample patio with Toscana columns and stone arches, similar to the constructions from the XVIII century.
Inaugurated on November the 6th of 1987, the museum came to be thanks to the donation of Eulalio Ferrer, a Spanish refugee who adopted Mexico as his second home country. The opening ceremony was part of the XV International Festival of Cervantes (the most important cultural event in the country) and had President of the Republic Miguel de la Madrid, and his Spanish colleague Felipe Gonzalez, besides the governor of Guanajuato, Rafael Corrales, as its main guests.
The museum is located beside the San Francisco Plaza, following the prolongation of Sopeña Street.
-Monument to El Pípila: It is an impressive sculpture
in honour of Juan Jose Martinez, nicknamed El Pípila,
a key player
in the capture of the garrison of Alhóndiga de Granaditas, one of
the main battles in the struggle for independence, led by father
Miguel Hidalgo.
El Pípila was a miner turned freedom fighter who set fire to the doors that protected the Spanish soldiers, thus allowing an important victory in the revolutionary effort.
A monument, which allows enjoying a panoramic view of the city and appreciating its different buildings, was built in 1939 in order to remember his heroic deed.
It is accessed through the Panoramic Highway.
-Alleyway of the Kiss: It is a picturesque barrio
neighbourhood from the XVIII century that has a narrow alleyway
68 centimetres wide, in which the balconies nearly touch one another.
According to an ancient legend, the place was the setting for the encounters of a young couple of lovers, Don Carlos and Doña Rosa. They would exchange caresses positioned in facing balconies until the day the father of the bride to be discovered them, killing her on the spot.
The myth and the passing of time turned this narrow passageway into an inspiring place for couples in love. It is said that couples who kiss at the third step would have 7 ensured years of happiness.
It is located in the centre of the city, nearby Juarez Avenue, and a few blocks away from the Legislative Palace
