To celebrate Lois’s birthday we took a weekend excursion to San Luis Potosi, a 3 hour bus ride from Querétaro. We arrived midday on Saturday and checked into the Hotel De Gante, with a view of the beautiful Plaza de Armas. The tourist office next to the Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas had some very useful materials to give us: maps and an excellent small guidebook to the city. We visited the SLP Cathedral several times Saturday and Sunday, with different activities going on and different lighting conditions. A common tradition in Mexico is to celebrate a daughter’s 3rd birthday with a blessing in church for which the girl gets very dressed-up. There were several families participating in this ritual at the Cathedral on Saturday. 

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On the opposite side of the Plaza de Armas is the Palacio del Gobierno. And alongside the Cathedral is the Palacio Municipal, with a cultural center decorated with kites. We enjoyed the blossoms on the magnolia trees in the Plaza, and joined others posing with the statue of “g”, commemorating the miner José Moreno Díaz who fed the pigeons in the Plaza so consistently that they flocked to him whenever he arrived. This is one of a number of “popular statues” placed around the downtown area with no pedestals. On Sunday we had a lovely breakfast at the Posada del Virrey in the 18th century “House of the Vicereine” – Doña María Francisca de la Gandara, the only vicereine (wife of the Viceroy) of New Spain born in Mexico (colonial royalty was always imported from Spain).

• Palacio Gobierno Palacio Gobierno
• Palacio Municipal Palacio Municipal
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• El Señor de las Palomas El Señor de las Palomas
• El Señor de las Palomas El Señor de las Palomas
• Posada del Virrey Posada del Virrey
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We found many of the buildings in the historic center of SLP interesting for their unique architectural designs, often carefully preserved. Some also had historical commentary posted by the city, such as the Botica de la Alhóndiga (Drugstore of the Exchange Building) – opened in the 1870s by the Valdiz, Alvarado, and Anaya families. The Museum of Contemporary Art is housed in the early 20th century building that used to be the city post office.

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• Botica Alhondiga Botica Alhondiga
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The architect Enrique Campos designed and built a magnificent structure as the family residence for the Martí family in 1894. The building is now restored and since 1981 it is in use as the National Museum of Masks. It houses the superb collection assembled and donated by the local philanthropist Victor José Moya Rubio of ceremonial, historic and contemporary Mexican popular culture masks. The building itself is equally fascinating.

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Two Jesuit churches from around 1700 face the Plaza de Fundadores (Founders), next to the 1624 building the Jesuits built for their colegio (seminary). Today it houses the main offices of the Autonomous University of SLP. Saint Louis (San Luis) is the patron saint and namesake of the city. King Louis IX of France, 1214-1270, a Franciscan who had 11 children, was canonized in 1297 by Pope Bonifacio VIII; he died leading the catastrophic 8th crusade in Tunis, North Africa. On Saturday evening we were fortunate to be able to attend a concert in the Auditorio Rafael Nieto of the main university building. The Ensamble Cantiga Armónica, playing period instruments, presented religious and secular music of the 16th to 18th centuries, by composers in New Spain. We had heard the Cantiga in years past in Querétaro at the Museo de Arte. They were accompanied for the second half of the concert by the Children’s Choir of Tilaco, one of the mission towns in the Sierra Gorda of northern Querétaro State. A fascinating program; we loved seeing this Querétaro group in SLP.

• San Luis San Luis
• Capilla Loreto Capilla Loreto
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• Parade Parade
• San Luis San Luis
• Templo de la Compania Templo de la Compania
• University Main Building University Main Building
• Cantiga Armonica with Chorus of Tilaco Cantiga Armonica with Chorus of Tilaco
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A block east of the Plaza de Armas is the beautiful Plaza del Carmen, complete with two popular sculptures (a tribute to fathers and a statue of “El Cofrade” (the Friar), honoring the tradition of the Holy Week “Silent Procession”). The highlight is the Churrigueresque Templo del Carmen, a spectacular sight. Even the unused side door to the church is glorious. Also part of the plaza are the Peace Theater and the National Mask Museum. The fountain is outstanding. Boy Scouts make good use of the plaza on Sunday.

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• El Cofrade El Cofrade
• Homage to fathers Homage to fathers
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• Cathedral from Plaza Carmen Cathedral from Plaza Carmen
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We saw a fine art show in the Caja Real, the old Royal Bank building.

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Sunday morning after breakfast at the Posada del Virrey, we took the long walk out the Calzada de Guadalupe to the Basilica Menor de Guadalupe. The pedestrian streets Hidalgo and Zaragoza downtown continue on to the Calzada, making a completely pedestrian walkway some 2.2km long, the longest such in Latin America. The Calzada is a stone-paved path built for carriages and lined with trees. Several landmarks are positioned along the way – a statue of Morales, a water tank from 1835 (there was an aqueduct under the Calzada), a former prison now become an arts center, and, at the end, the magnificent Santuario Guadalupe. On Sunday morning, it was filled to overflowing.

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• Morelos Morelos
• Water Tank (Caja Agua) Water Tank (Caja Agua)
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• Lois with Aguador Lois with Aguador
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• La Penitente La Penitente
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The Museo Federico Silva was a pleasant surprise. The 17th century hospital of the San Juan de Dios Convent is beautifully transformed into a modern sculpture museum, featuring the works of Federico Silva, born in 1923. He started out as an assistant to David Alfaro Siqueiros. Superb work, superbly presented.

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We visited the San Agustin church several times. It was always busy. Here are photos of a wedding party … and then a shot of mass under way, the only time we could actually get inside.

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Everywhere we went on Sunday, there seemed to be mass going on. In the Santuario Juan de Dios there was a seeming charismatic music event happening.

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A few blocks to the west of the Plaza de Armas is the site of the San Francisco Convent. In front of the San Francisco church is a pretty garden, with a lovely fountain. The church itself was closed, a disappointment as it has a famous crystal chandelier in the shape of a ship. But the garden has another nice popular sculpture, Juan del Jarro (1793 – 1859), a local homeless man who was friends with everyone. On the other end of the church is the Regional Museum, in the former Convent, with a later chapel (Aranzazu) added.

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• Juan del Jarro Juan del Jarro
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• Juan del Jarro Juan del Jarro
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• Juan del Jarro Juan del Jarro
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