Guanajuato Part 14 of 17: Calle Manuel Doblado and Templos San Francisco and Santa Casa de Loreto

Statue of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. Cervantes (1547-1616) was the author of Don Quixote, which has been called the "first modern novel" and the "first great novel of world literature. He is regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language. This figure stands outside the Museo Iconográfico Don Quixote, across from the main entrance of Templo San Francisco. The statue is impressive, but no one actually knows what Cervantes looked like, because he never had an official portrait.

This posting and the one which follows will focus on the long andador (walking street) called Calle Manuel Doblado. The street has many interesting points along the way. The ones we will focus on in this posting will include the little plazuela with statues of Cervantes and Don Quixote and also the Templos de San Francisco and Santa Casa de Loreto.  The following posting will cover the remainder of Calle Manuel Doblado.

Overview

Google map of Calle Manuel Doblado. The street begins in the upper left where Calles Sopena, Manuel Doblado, and Del Potrero intersect. The Museo Iconográfico is located at this intersection. The first large structure along Manuel Doblado is the Templo San Francisco, followed by Santa Casa de Loreto a few doors down. 

Near the east end of the street is a small plaza devoted to the popular Mexican singer Jorge Negrete and a wonderful little place called the Café Santo across the street. These latter two sites will be featured in the next posting.

View to the south on Calle de Sopena toward Templo San Francisco. Above, a young woman pauses to take a photo of her boyfriend in the doorway down the street. Guanajuato's andadores provide ways to stroll through most of El Centro (Old Town) without having to dodge careening cars or motorcycles or breathe their exhaust fumes. The andadores also tend to abound with many points of interest.

Templo de San Francisco stands near the west end of Calle Manual Doblado. Built at the height of the 18th century mining boom, Templo de San Francisco is an example of the late Baroque style of architecture. Some Neo-Classic elements were added in the 19th century including the clock between the two steeples and some of the interior features. 

It was originally dedicated in 1728 to San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist). In 1828, the Franciscan Order was running a hospice--a place of rest for weary or ill travelers--next door. They took over the San Juan Bautista temple and renamed it for their patron saint, San Francisco de Assisi. The church was closed when we came by, so I don't have any photos of its interior.

View of the church and its large dome from the rear. This shot provides a feel for how narrow and crowded together the colonial-era streets and structures of Guanajuato really are. The dome and much of the rest of the church are made from pink cantera (quarry stone), a popular building material since pre-hispanic times due to the ease with which it can be shaped.

Plazuela San Francisco

View of Cervantes' statue and the little plazuela from the Templo steps. This is obviously a popular spot to hang out and rest in the shade. The building behind the statue is the Museo Iconográfico.

Statue of Don Quixote gesturing dramatically. What made Cervantes' novel unique in its time was its departure from what he called the "vain and empty" chivalric romances popular up to that time. He made Quixote and his paunchy side-kick Sancho into comic figures and shaped his story according to the real life of his day, using everyday language. The innovation was instantly popular. Although Cervantes apparently wrote a great deal besides Don Quixote, much of the rest has not survived. 

Templo de la Santa Casa de Loreto

This church is actually part of the Templo de San Francisco Convento complex. The structure was originally a house bought in 1737 by a priest named José Antonio de Busto.  In 1776, the house was sold to Don Pedro Sereno Covarrubias. His son, José Maria Félix de Corvarrubias, was administering the house as a hospice for the Franciscan Order in 1803 and improvised a temple inside. 

By 1820 the house was in ruins, but the improvised temple continued to function. A priest named Fuentes Lazo de la Vega decided to repair the structure and dedicate the temple to the Virgen de Loreto. In 1845, de la Vega decided to completely demolish the ruined house and its temple and rebuild it in its present form. The construction began on February 2, 1846 after a procession and an elaborate ceremony. 

The templo was built to be a site for prayer and contemplation.  The interior is unusual because it is circular rather than rectangular. Around its circumference are a series of altars containing statues. These include a main altar with the statue of the Virgen de Loreto, along with various saints and a crucifix. 

A wealthy local man named Don Agustín Godoy was among those who furnished resources to build the little temple. The architect was a "humble and simple man" named Professor Cleto Salinas. Tragically, he never saw the completion of his work because he was murdered shortly before finishing. Even so, the opening of the Templo de la Virgen de Santa Casa de Loreto on September 8, 1854 was celebrated with processions, masses, and fireworks.

An unidentified saint is displayed along the circular wall. There was no sign on the glass case containing this figure, but my eye was caught by his rather gaudy attire. If anyone can help me name this saint, I'd appreciate it.

This completes Part 14 of my Guanajuato Revisited series. I hope you enjoyed it and, if so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below or email me directly. If you leave a question, please be sure to include your email address so that I may respond in a timely fashion.

Hasta luego, Jim