Guanajuato Revisited Part 1 of 17: The Jardin Union Plaza

Dressed in 16th century garb, a wandering lutist strikes a pose. Guanajuato is chock full of musicians, most of them strolling about live, but some are statues. We encountered this cheerful fellow at the Plaza Jardin Union in El Centro (the center of the old silver mining city). I always enjoy street musicians because they provide a live sound track to my life in Mexico.

I titled this series of postings "Guanajuato Revisited" because our 2022 visit there was our second. The first was back in 2008, about a year after we moved to Mexico. I was both curious to see what changes might have occurred and to check out some of the things we didn't have the time (or knowledge about) to see during our first visit.

How to get to Guanajuato from Lake Chapala/Guadalajara. It is a relatively easy and fast trip (3.5-4 hours) on high-speed toll roads called cuotas and short sections of libres (free roads) which are also high-speed and divided. Just take the Chapala-Guadalajara carretera (highway) north a few miles past Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos and then get on the Macrolibramiento (the first cuota) at the sign for Zapotlanejo. 

After reaching Zapotlanejo, the cuota seamlessly becomes the 80D cuota until you get to San Juan de Los Lagos. Follow the signs toward Léon, which will put you on the 80 libre (free road). When you exit the 80 libre at the Léon sign, you will be on the 45D cuota. Just past Léon, the road becomes the 45 libre for 33km (20mi) until you reach Silao. There you go north on the 110D cuota. It is 22.8km (14mi) from there to Guanajuato.

Plaza Jardin Union 

Plaza Jardin Union from above. The shot was taken from the base of the huge statue of El Pipila that overlooks El Centro from high on one of the hills surrounding Guanajuato. El Pipila was a hero of the Mexican War of Independence from Spain. You can read his amazing story in Part 1 of my 2008 series. The Jardin Union (Union Garden) is the green area, roughly triangular in shape, just beyond the church in the foreground. 

The church is Templo San Diego de Alcalá, founded by the Franciscan Order in 1667 and completed in 1694. The Plaza was long known as Plaza San Diego because of its proximity to the Templo. In 1861, the Plaza was transformed into Jardin Union, a garden area with platforms, benches and lamps. Electric lighting and other improvements were made during the era of the Porfiriato (the 35-year dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz).

Pedestrians approach Jardin Union along Andador Luis González Obregón. An andador is a walking-only street. This one stretches 4 blocks from the Plaza de la Paz at the Basilica church to the northwest corner of the Jardin. Then, its name changes to De Sopena as it crosses in front of Templo San Diego and continues another 4 blocks until it finally hits Calle Del Calvario and is open to cars again. 

One of the best parts of El Centro areas in Mexico's colonial-era cities are the andadores that often border plazas or connect one or more of them. You can stroll along, enjoy the whole scene and not have to dodge cars, trucks, and maniac motorcyclists, or breath their exhaust fumes.

With no traffic, artists can set up right in the street. The corner above is where Luis González Obregón becomes De Sopena. The vegetation on the right is part of the Jardin Union. The blocks surrounding the Jardin are filled with restaurants and hotels. I wanted to stay at one of these hotels, but the parking was just too problematic. 

We finally decided on a hotel on the edge of Guanajuato in order to avoid driving in El Centro as much as we could. Our solution was to park in a large public parking garage called Estacionmiento La Alhondiga. It is located near the Museo Alhondiga where El Centro begins and we could just walk everywhere from there. It was an inexpensive and convenient solution and we recommend it. In addition to the one where we parked, there are other public garages in the area.

One of several fountains burbles in the midst of the lush garden. On a warm day, Jardin Union is an oasis of green, shady coolness with lots of music. There are several restaurants lining the walkway through the Jardin but they are all pretty up-scale and expensive. We like smaller, homier places, so we just sat on one of the many benches in order to people-watch and listen to the music of the various mariachi bands perform. 

And play they did! Two trumpeters performed our favorite song "Guadalajara!" A mariachi band that is full of good musicians is well worth a pause to listen to a few songs. Restaurant patrons, particularly large Mexican families, will hire a band to entertain them during their meals. There were plenty of ready customers for these guys. 

The bands typically dress in charro outfits. like those shown above. Mariachis originated in the state of Jalisco where we live. Tequila and charros are also among the many parts of ranch culture that originated in Jalisco and have since come to symbolize Mexico.

As soon as one band quits, another starts up. A mariachi band may vary in size, but the typical instruments include 2-3 trumpets, 3 or more violins, a vihuela, guitar, guitarrón, and sometimes a harp. And, of course, the bands often include wonderful singers. The musicians are nearly always men, but we have heard a few women-only bands, who also do a great job.

It is not certain exactly when and where mariachi music began. Some hold that it dates back to the Coca indigenous people in the 16th century. Apparently, they were trying to imitate the singing of the Franciscan friars who were evangelizing them. Others say it came about in the 18th century at rural fiestas. The small city of Cocula in Jalisco claims that the music style originated there and even boasts its own mariachi museum.

Teatro Juarez and the Funicular

Large bronze statues line the top of the Teatro Juarez. They represent some of the nine muses of Greek mythology. The Teatro is considered one of the most beautiful in Mexico. It was built using a variety of styles, including a columned Neo-Classic front and an Art Deco smoking lounge. 

The theatre was inaugurated by President Porfirio Diaz in 1903, only seven years before he fled the country in the face of the 1910 Revolution. For a detailed look inside at this fascinating building, see Part 3 of my 2008 postings on Guanajuato.

The Teatro's steps are a favorite "hang-out" spot for university students. Guanajuato is a college town and young people are everywhere. Over 17,000 students pursue undergraduate, graduate and doctorate degrees while attending the Universidad de Guanajuato (to be seen in a later posting) .

A rather bizarre statue stands between the Teatro and Templo San Diego. I have searched the internet and can't find any information about the statue's meaning or the identity of the sculptor. Anyone who knows anything about it is welcome to add a comment at the end of this posting. The Teatro was undergoing a major renovation during our 2022 visit and you can see the scaffolding on the left. I had photographed it in 2008 and so I didn't take many shots.  

El Pipila stands above the Teatro Juarez and the Templo San Diego. The statue is actually quite huge and the fact that El Pipila looks so tiny in the background demonstrates just how high the hill is upon which it stands. Held aloft in the statue's right hand is a torch. It symbolizes the blazing ember the silver miner carried as he crawled through a storm of gunfire.

With his torch, and protected only by a slab of stone tied to his back, El Pipila set alight the wooden door of the Alhondiga granary in which the Spanish had fortified themselves. This incredibly brave act allowed Miguel Hidalgo's insurgent army to storm the building and ultimately take Guanajuato as their first major victory.

One way to reach El Pipila. The Funicular Railway can take you up to the statue. It can be accessed by way of the alley between the Teatro Juarez and Templo San Diego. Other ways to access the statue include a stone walkway that is steep and narrow, and the Panorámica highway which circles the city.

This concludes Part 1 of this series. In Part 2, we'll take a look at Templo San Diego and the ruins of its Franciscan Convent, called the Dieguino. I hope you have enjoyed Part 1 and, if so, you will leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below or email me directly. As always, if you leave a question, please remember to include your email address so that I can reply in a timely manner.

Hasta luego, Jim