This building is located at the corner of Árciga and Alcantarilla streets, one block south of the Basílica. It was founded in 1540 by don Vasco de Quiroga, who named it Saint Nicholas in honor of the patron saint of his native town, Madrigal de las Altas Torres. Don Vasco’s purpose in establishing this school was to create an educational center for Spanish priests, something lacking not only in his bishopric, but in all of New Spain. It is said that its curriculum was so good, that when years later the Council of Trent ordered the construction of new seminaries to prepare priests, the organization of those study centers was a near-copy of what don Vasco had taught in his own school. It is said that this school is the oldest college in the Americas -although it operates currently with different goals and in a new location. When the episcopal see was transferred to Valladolid, the college transferred also, uniting its faculty and holdings  with the college of San Miguel. Becoming one, both colleges continued operations until the institution was finally moved to the current University of San Nicolás de Hidalgo. Thus, the original name given by its creator has […]

On the express wishes of don Vasco de Quiroga before his death, and later of the elected bishop, Brother Jaime de Chávez, and finally, in 1571, of  King Philip II himself, 15 Jesuits arrived in México around 1572  under the leadership of Padre Pedro Sánchez. So in New Spain, the very first house or convent constructed was in Pátzcuaro, in 1573. So effective were the novices Juan Curiel, Juan Sánchez Baquero and the brothers Pedro Rodríguez and Pedro Ruiz de Salvatierra, that they who later were ordained as priests. Construction on this building was begun in 1585. It belonged to the Jesuits until 1767, the year they were expelled from Spain and the New Spain after several political problems with the Spanish crown (before they were dismissed by Pope Clement XIV and consequently expelled from Portugal and France, being reinstalled  until 1814 by Pope Pio XIV). From then on, the building was put to many different uses, the last of which was as the primary school “Vasco de Quiroga”. Afterwards it fell into ruins and was abandoned nearly 40 years ago. In 1990, a group of citizens organized, forming a society devoted to obtaining funds for the building’s restoration and […]

The Compañía de Jesús was established in Pátzcuaro in 1574 in response to many requests, and expelled by its conflicts with the Spanish crown. This temple forms a physical part (though no longer operational) of what now is the Ex-colegio Jesuita. It is dedicated to San Ignacio de Loyola.

Pátzcuaro was one of the first places where the Franciscans established themselves inside the lacustrine zone, due to its importance as an Hispanic population center. We do not know the exact date of the founding of the convent, but the Franciscan’s own historians affirm that this was the fifth convent of the province of Michoacán, established by brother Martin de la Coruña, one of the first twelve Franciscans to arrive in New Spain. However, is known that it was already here when Vasco de Quiroga moved the Episcopal see of Tzintzuntzan to Pátzcuaro, and therefore assumed to be the oldest convent and temple in the city.

This is located at the intersection of Ibarra and Codallos Streets.  It opened its doors in 1545, together with the temple of the convent of San Francisco, forming part of the hospital which has now disappeared. Christian doctrine was taught there and holy sacraments were administered. Natives were charged with cleaning, maintaining and decorating the church when necessary. The objective of this hospital was similar to that of the hospital of Santa Marta, founded by Vasco de Quiroga and was, in turn, later imitated by the hospital of Santa Catarina, founded by the natives in the neighborhood of San Agustín.

We are referring to the several titles that have been given to this edifice, according  to the original concept in which the Purhépechas needed both material and spiritual assistance.  “Tata” Vasco was already bishop when he founded this hospital between 1536 and 1540, and it had the same functions as the Santa Fe de México and the Santa Fe de la Laguna hospitals. On the east side of this building, opposite the collegial church, stands a lovely arcade that defines Lerín street. North of this arcade is located a sunken fountain that dates from the construction of the main building. The Virgin of Health was located here for 191 years, until 1908 when she was transferred to the Basílica.

This is so named because in the corridor of the upper story of the building is a huge polychrome sculpture of the figure of a soldier. The significance of this figure and why it was placed here are unknown. However it is certain that whoever constructed this mansion was a person with good taste and good humor to have decorated the house with such an artistic but useless figure. The beautiful, manorial design and elegant Corinthian style in the rest of its architecture, as well as its well-preserved state, make this one one of the most beautiful colonial jewels of the city. The Baron of Humboldt stayed here in the 18th century, on his way to the recently born volcano Jorullo.

The oldest civilian construction in Pátzcuaro, built in 1711, is known as the Palace of Huitziméngari. Its facade gives no hint of the magnificence of its interior, but on first entry to the interior court we see the importance of the edifice. In the construction we notice a certain archaic rusticity. Its enormous arches with rectangular pillars support the upper level with rubble-work masonry parapets, and recall poblana architecture while preserving its own personality. This house belonged to don Antonio de Huitziméngari, noble descendant of Caltzontzin, the last Purhépecha Emperor, whose culture and wisdom ennobled forever his race.

This building now serves as a hotel. It is an edifice of grand proportions which demonstrate that its former dwellers were very upper class. Its facade is simple, adorned only with the coats of arms of the family, interlaced with mortar sashes in relief. These seem to give importance to the noble heraldries of Villa Hermosa de Alfaro and of Ortega, who, in addition, was a viscount.

It is said that this building was founded by Brother Alfonso de la Veracruz in 1576 and that the current construction was done by the first Prior Brother Francisco de Villafuerte in 1630. Only the church remains. Elements of the old cloister were used in its construction, as were the three large arches which adorned the cloister’s facade and now form part of a movie theater. The church of saint Agustín was converted into the library and on the wall at the back can be seen an interesting mural painted by Juan O’Gorman. The mural describes the history of the Purhépechas until the Mexican revolution in 1910.

According to  historians, it was in this place that Tanganxhúan Tzintzincha surrendered himself to the Spanish crown, represented by the Maestre de Campo Cristobal de Olid, after whom it is named. True or not, there exists on the site a stone crucifix atop a quarried stone monolith, forming what is known in Spain as a “humilladero” (the humiliation place), a roadside or public crucifix. This crucifix has an effigy of Christ and the pedestal has inscriptions of great interest, such as the year 1553, which is when don Vasco de Quiroga ordered the project built. On another side appears the coat of arms of the city and on yet another is a beautiful Renaissance-style relief. In the 18th century, the roadside crucifix was covered with the chapel which still houses it and which adopted its name. On the severe facade of the chapel can be seen on both sides of a sculpted quarry-stone crown, the images of the sun and the moon– a manifestation of the old religion of the Purhépechas. In addition, the interior houses a  collection of rare and interesting oil paintings.

This chapel was built by Brother Marcos Ramírez de Prado, Bishop of Michoacán, towards the end of 1666, as indicated by an inscription found in the shaft of the tower. According to an old tradition, the chapel is built upon the pyramid containing the remains of Tariácuri, the distinguished Purhépecha chief.

This is one of the grandest colonial plazas in the Americas, surrounded by arched portals and beautiful colonial houses. It is a curious thing that in the plazas of this epoch –and it only happens here in Pátzcuaro that there are no churches on the plaza, only individual homes and buildings around the circumference. This arrangement is due to the fact that the “downtown” (as we’ll call it) in prehispanic times was used for dwellings and shops, leaving the “uphill” areas for ceremonial and ritual sites. As in other cities constructed on top of prehispanic sites, the churches that exist now were built on top of the old ceremonial sites. The main plaza also contains three fountains; the central one includes a statue of the illustrious person for whom the plaza is named.

Catercorner from the old Franciscan convent is this plaza, one of the most beautiful of Pátzcuaro. In the center is a fountain surrounded by a ornate curbstone. On one side, facing the wall of the convent of San Francisco, is portal known as Salazar, notable for its arches of different colored stones and its quarry stone tiles.

This is located to one side of the above-mentioned temple. At one time it was famous and much appreciated for its loveliness and the beautiful maintenance of its gardens and central fountain, however now it is sadly hidden and occupied by market stalls. But it still exists and we hope that someday it will recover its openness and beauty.

The Plaza San Francisco market day deserves a special mention. Each Friday the inhabitants of various towns of the region and of the state converge to sell flowers, plants, large baskets, tools, brightly colored ceramics, all of which can be purchased at reasonable prices and all of which can be difficult to find elsewhere.

This is the name given to the mirador (scenic overlook) located on part of what is now an extinct volcano. It is accessible by a stone-paved path. From this mirador it’s possible to have an impressive panoramic view of the city and Lake Pátzcuaro. There is also a long set of stone stairs to the upper part of the crater.

Tecuena is the smallest of the islands of Lake Pátzcuaro, its name means “good honey” and has a viewpoint from which you can contemplate the lake. Beside it is an islet known as “tecuenita”.

It means “pushing into the water”. This island have a ptivileged location at the middle of the lake. THe center of this island have a natural pond in which the inhabitants cultivate fish for they local needings. It woth it to visit due to it preservation and tranquility.

This small museum displays a unique collection of agricultural implements and paints about the agrarian movement and to the history of corn.

It is worth a visit to the beautiful 17th century church whose vault is made of decorated wood. Known as the “Sixtine chappel of America”

In this church you can appreciate a beautiful atrium, full of flowers and a striking atrial cross. Thanks to its size you can admire even more the temple that dates from the 16th century, with plateresque decorations. Likewise, various modifications can be observed that were carried out from the beginning of its construction in 1695 to 1804.

Ihuatzio in the Purepecha language means “in the house of the coyote.” Originally the area was called Yacatécharo. In the place you can find flora such as pine, oak and cedar, as well as wildlife such as coyotes, squirrels, armadillos, rabbits and weasels. The first occupation of the site corresponded to Nahuatl speaking groups with Toltec influence. Later the Purépecha came to the Lake of Patzcuaro and acquired power with what dominated the region. Ihuatzio was the first seat of the Purépecha empire. The site is distinguished by the huatziri, that is, elevated roads that delimited the spaces and that served as paths to the interior of the site. During its heyday the Ihuatzio nuclear area covered approximately 150 hectares where 84 structures have been identified, of which only seven have been exposed.

Knowing the last great capital of the Purépecha empire that developed parallel to the Aztec, and managed to resist the attempts of conquest of the Mexica, the Tarascos, as they were also known, achieved a social refinement comparable to that of their warlike neighbors who lived in Tenochtitlan. From Tzintzuntzan controlled the political, economic and religious life of this civilization, the place is also known as The Yácatas, which are rounded pyramidal structures on a large platform and of which five are still preserved. Like the great Mexico-Tenochtitlan, the Tarascan capital was geographically linked to a lake, the mythical lake of Patzcuaro, possessing a beauty only comparable to its similar lakes in the central area of ​​the country. Both lakes were generous sources not only of the precious liquid but also of abundant edible aquatic fauna, among which is the exquisite and traditional white fish. At its best, the ancient Tarascan domains extended from the stony and bizarre banks of the Lerma River to the north, to the torrid, singing waters of the Balsas River to the south. A gigantic domain of more than 75 thousand km2, whose nerve center was the euphonic Tzintzuntzan, its haughty capital, which in fact […]

It is an archaeological site of great historical value because in its buildings you can find the influence of Teotihuacan architecture, which means that the site was inhabited before the emergence of the Tarascan culture, from 600 AD to 900 AD. Here you can see a ball game on a slope, ruins of different rooms and squares, remains of an aqueduct and a pyramid of seven levels with a square base.

It is a volcano eye, that is, an extinct crater lake with more than 750 in diameter, this crater houses a beautiful lagoon where beautiful stories and legends have been woven that are part of Tacámbaro’s cultural heritage. Each of these local legends are part of the living cultural heritage that generates identity and belonging among the inhabitants of this natural destination because Tacámbaro is represented in legends that are part of the living history of Michoacán.

Temple of the 16th century, rebuilt in 1733 and consolidated at the beginning of the 20th century.

This park is traditionally known as the Uruapan National Park. It is located in a ravine formed by the Cupatitzio River, which is named as the “river that sings for its falls”. The thick nature that surrounds the eyes of water and the roads that cross the park make this place a very quiet and beautiful space ome of the ponds that are formed are named after old legends. Right at the end of the park is a spring known as “the knee of the devil” for its curious rock formations; This helps to form the Tzarácuara waterfall, with a height of 60 meters. The water around the place is crystal clear with turquoise blue tones. A true natural spectacle. Currently the Park is divided into the Barranca del Cupatitzio National Park, and the Conservation Area.

The Franciscans built a monastery in this place in 1570; later it became the current temple whose façade has a Plateresque style. To the right of the place there is an elegant entrance with several arches supported by columns with capitals in the shape of rams and angels, decorated with fruit and vegetable motifs.

Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most beloved saints and the one most entrusted to him by the faithful because of his great devotion to Christ. In the Temple a festival is celebrated in his honor every October 4, during which the meeting between the patron saint and the Sultan of Egypt, Melek el Kamel, during the siege of the Crusaders in Damieta is represented as a dance.

This temple is located in the town of Santa Fe de la Laguna and is the most important of the place. Its construction dates from the sixteenth century so the style should be characteristic of the colonial era but the current facade retains very little of the original because it has had to remodel several times. It has an atrial cross at the entrance made of stone.

The temple was founded in the fifteenth century, during the colonial era, by the order of the Clarisas nuns. In its architecture highlights its design of dome and large chandeliers made of copper. The building is dedicated to Santa Clara de Asís, who is credited with being the patron of artisans. The place still conserves its original facade of baroque style.

The temple is located in the center of Santa Clara del Cobre, very close to the Sagrario. The building dates from the 17th century and has been preserved with the original details of that time, such as the paintings of saints that adorn the interior of the ceiling. It stands out for its baroque façade and for the oral tradition that, according to the story, in the tower of this temple, the famous Pito Pérez narrated his misadventures to the genre writer José Rubén Romero.

The museum presents the first Purépecha manifestations and works of Mexican popular art. It has artistic workshops in which hammered has been worked; On the other hand, this place has served as the venue for artisan competitions, as well as hosting the National Prize for Science in Arts and Popular Traditions. An excellent option to know the great talent of craftsmen and bring some memory to our loved ones. The attention is very kind.

This small temple is filled with life and joy every September 29, the day in which the patron saint of the site is celebrated.

Baroque style building, dating from the seventeenth century, with porcelain inlays on its side walls.

It is a recreational space, but it also has a great history, in its journey it is still common to find mud, oxidiana and some remains of the Purépecha civilization. If you look carefully when you go through it, you will find little explored yacatas, as well as an endless number of interesting places that allow you to delve into the ancestral culture of the “stone place”.

It is one of the places most visited by local athletes, it has several watery spaces, games, volleyball and basketball courts, as well as a large number of green areas. Some years ago it became famous for the appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe in one of its trees.