- Art Museum of Queretaro: It was inaugurated in 1988.
Painting works of renowned Mexican artists, specially from Queretaro,
and foreigners, is exhibited in its 18 rooms.
It has important painting collections of mannerism, baroque, neoclassical, neo-Hispanic and modern styles, where an attractive display of 380 works of art from the XX century stands out.
-Temple and Former Convent of Santa Rosa of Viterbo: It is one
of the greatest expressions of neo-Hispanic baroque. Its construction
begun in 1670 and was finished in 1752, being inhabited and administered
by the Mothers Rosas, a group of religious women dedicated to teaching,
who in 1727 opened the Royal School of Santa Rosa.
The building of the Temple and the Convent were financed by José Velasquez de Lorea, being the design entrusted to local architect Ignacio Mariano de las Casas. Later the installations would be enlarged with the addition of a new oratorio, though this time with the sponsorship of Juan Caballero y Osio.
The Temple is much admired for its over-elaborated interior decoration, provided with exquisite altar-pieces, a magnificent pulpit with silver, turtle caparison and ivory incrustations, and a splendid tubular organ that dates back to 1759.
But one of its major treasures is the anonymous portrait of Sor Ana Maria de San Francisco y Neve, a singular image full of sensuality that rests at its ante-sacristy.
The cloisters of the Convent, adjoining to the Temple, are sober and have a restful patio, which is surrounded by solid columns with Doric capitals.
During the government of the Reform (XIX century), the nuns were expelled and the Convent closed. In 1863 its cloisters became the rooms of the Civil Hospital of Queretaro.
It is currently the seat of the Mexican-Italian Centre of Studies of Design and Graphic Arts. It is situated on Ezequiel Montes Avenue, corner with Arteaga, in the Historic Centre of Queretaro.
-Temple and Convent of The Cross: In 1531 the Chichimecas
clashed with Spanish troops at the top of the Sangremal Hill. In
the midst of the battle, the Mesoamerican warriors saw a huge and
formidable cross appear in the sky. The inexplicable event disconcerted
them… and they were defeated.
In gratitude to the divine help, the conquistadors put an immense cross on top of the Sangremal. Little after, a series of miraculous deeds were attributed to it, so the ecclesiastic authorities ordered the construction of a modest chapel which soon would become a Convent, then it was the House of Recollection of San Buenaventura (1666) and, since 1683, the seat of the Apostolic College of Propaganda (FIDE), from where the missioners who were to evangelise the natives set off. It was the first of its kind in America.
The Temple of The Cross presents a façade of sober and classical style, and it holds a massive cross of stone on the inside; on the other hand, the cells and the garden of the Convent, where several trees with thorns in the shape of a cross call the attention, are worth a visit.
In 1867 the religious installations turned into the headquarters of emperor Maximilian of Habsburg, though after his defeat they were his prison.
It is located between Independence Avenue and Manuel Acuña Street, in the Historic Centre.
-Temple of Santa Clara: It is a splendid baroque
construction of the XVII century that was part of the homonymous
Convent, one of the largest and most important in New Spain (Mexico's
name during the colonial period).
Unfortunately, today only the Temple and a small annex are still standing like architectonic traces useful to imagine the grandiosity of this religious compound, built with the contribution of Diego de Tapia, a wealthy native who asked for one condition only to sponsor the work, that his daughter Luisa del Espíritu Santo were taken by the nuns.
The Temple shows an austere façade with frugal ornamentation, which neatly contrasts with the lavishness of its baroque altar-pieces, the engraved doors and the superb choir (a masterpiece) that adorn its interior.
A few steps away from the Temple, a small plaza with the so called Neptune Fountain, designed in 1797 by architect Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras, stands out.
It is located on Francisco Madero Avenue and Allende Street, in the Historic Centre.
-Temple and Former Convent of San Francisco: It
is one of the first religious compounds that the Franciscan Order
built in Mexico, being, moreover, the most ancient Temple of Queretaro
and, up to 1922, the Cathedral of the City. Its extended construction
process started in 1540 and ended only in 1698.
During the government of the Reform (XIX century), the Convent was closed and it lost its chapels, its atrium, a small orchard which later would be converted into the current Constitution Square and the Zenea garden. Likewise, the baroque façade of the Temple would be changed for a neoclassical one.
The frontage of San Francisco stands out for the magnitude of its
belfries (amongst the tallest in
Queretaro) and
the bas-relief of the Saint Patron of the Order, Saint James, which
crowns its façade. The valuable wooden choir stalls, designed by
architect Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras, belong to its early days.
Since November the 6th of 1936 the cloisters of the Convent are the exhibition rooms of the Regional Museum. It is situated between Corregidora and 5 de Mayo Avenues, in the Historic Centre.
- Regional Museum: It houses one of the most important
painting collections of colonial Mexico and valuable canvases
of the XIX century; besides, it exhibits various carved sculptures,
religious relics such as a singular Cross from Guadalepe, and
historic documents, among other pieces of great artistic value.
Its seat, the Convent of San Francisco, was refurbished in 1935 thanks to the collaboration of engineer Ignacio Figueroa and architect Enrique A. Cervantes. The cloisters were closed during the government of the Reform (XIX century).
-Temple of James and the Royal Schools of San Ignacio and San Francisco
Xavier: It is a religious compound of the Company of Jesus,
built thanks to the economic contribution of benefactor Juan Caballero
y Osio. It was founded in 1625, but in 1689 a process of enlargement
and refurbishing was started.
The Temple juts out for its frontage sculpted in pink quarry stone, its tall three body belfries, a baroque patio with a splendid archway with several sculptures of cherubs, and a well ornamented fountain of water.
In 1767 the Spanish crown expelled the Jesuit Order of the American territory, thus the Temple and the Schools were closed. It was not until 1778 when they reopened the classrooms under the sponsor of king Charles the III.
Later the Royal Schools were transformed into the so called Civil
Schools, institutions that formed professionals on diverse areas
of expertise, being the embryo of the Autonomous University of
Queretaro,
created in 1951.
It is currently the seat of the University Gallery, the Museum of Mathematics and of two faculties. It is situated between 16 de Setiembre Avenue and Pasteur Street.
-Temple and Former Convent of the Capuchins: Sober
and plain, it opened its doors in 1721 to house the Capuchin nuns,
religious women who, faithful to their vow of poverty, lived austerely
and without leaving the cloisters, except to assist the ill.
It is said that this building, built thanks to the contribution of Juan Caballero y Osio, was the third and last prison of emperor Maximilian of Habsburg, before his execution at the top of the Hill of the Bells.
It is currently the seat of the City Museum. It is located on N° 29 Guerrero Norte Avenue, in the Historic Centre.
- City Museum: It was inaugurated in 1977. Its rooms
exhibit diplomas, certificates and recognitions granted to Queretaro,
as well as cloaks, clothes and the diverse objects that adorn
the Virgin of El Pueblito.
The Museum has no collections of its own but it is an alternative space for the exhibition of the most diverse samples of popular culture.
