San Miguel De Allende

A charming and historic town founded in 1542, San Miguel de Allende, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico is a destination worth visiting! Known for the artists who have migrated there for inspiration, and the large expatriate communities from the United States and Canada, San Miguel de Allende offers a welcoming community, and a beautiful landscape. San Miguel de Allende is located in the eastern part of Guanajuato in Mexico's mountainous bajío region. The bajío (low place) is a relatively flat region about 2,000 m (7,000 ft) above sea level surrounded by mountains; it is a part of the Mexican altiplano and average temperatures are a comfortable 70-78 degrees fahrenheit.

La Parroquia, Church of St. Michael the Archangel in San Miguel de Allende was founded in 1542 by the Franciscan monk Fray Juan de San Miguel. San Miguel was a stop on the "Antiguo Camino Real" a trail to Zacatecas at the height of silver mining. The town, prominently, named for one of San Miguel’s native sons General Ignacio Allende, was historically recognized in the war against Spain for independence. Allende, captured in battle and beheaded, is a national hero. San Miguel el Grande renamed itself "San Miguel de Allende" in 1826 in honor of his contributions to the War for Independence.

San Miguel de Allende was not always a prospering town, however. By 1900, San Miguel de Allende was in danger of becoming a ghost town. In 1926, San Miguel de Allende was recognized by the Mexican government, and proclaimed a historic district in order to preserve the town's colonial character.

In the 20’s there was an uprising in Mexico, known as the "Cristero Uprising". A controversy between church and state, it was a time when clergy and their families were persecuted. The grandchildren of Gen. Mariano Escobedo came to San Miguel de Allende, then a conveniently secluded location, for safety. Of the six children of the daughter of Mariano Escobedo, Donna Maria del Refugio, the eldest child was a "Cura", a charismatic head priest, Don Jose Lopez Escobedo, and it was for his practices the entire family was persecuted. Refuge was found in the quaint little town of San Miguel de Allende.

Today, The Cura, Jose Lopez is interred at the main altar under St. Peter in the main Parroquia church of San Miguel, with a beautiful dedication to his work restoring the church in the 20th century. Lopez Escobedo is interred in the Church by the world-famous Christ of the Conquest. The family fled their native hacienda, Hacienda de los Lopez, to San Miguel Allende, where the Escobedos had a home, on Calle de Mesones and where a historical market and plaque still identifies the house.

Few descendants from this influential and historical family still live in San Miguel, as only Don Ezequiel Lopez Escobedo had children. However the eldest of his grandchildren is Marcela Andre Lopez, an international teacher and designer of jewel garlands who currently resides in the historic district in one of Don Ezequiel Lopez Escobedo's homes. San Miguel is full of mystery and intrigue. With stories of lost fortunes and falsified documents, discovered hidden treasure, and gold and a rich history, San Miguel de Allende brings to life the perfect location for a Commitment Ceremony of grandeur, old world charm, artistry and romance.

La Parroquia, Church of St. Michael the ArchangelIn the 1950s, San Miguel de Allende became a focal point for its beautiful colonial architecture and its healing hot springs. After World War II San Miguel began to see a renewed interest in tourism, seen as an attractive community for residency, many demobilized United States G.Is discovered that their education grants stretched further in Mexico at the U.S.-accredited art schools, the privately-owned Instituto Allende, founded in 1950, and the Bellas Artes, a nationally chartered school.

The last week of July, San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato, Guanajuato, are co-hosts to the "Expresión en Corto" International Film Festival, Mexico’s largest competitive film festival and the most prestigious of its kind in Latin America. The internationally renowned festival is free to the public and screens over 400 films from 10am until 4am each day in 16 venues, which include such unusual locations as San Miguel's Jardín Principal (Main Plaza), the subterranean streets and tunnels of Guanajuato, the Guanajuato Mummy Museum and interestingly in the municipal "Panteones" (graveyards).

In 2008, San Miguel was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

In the reputation of San Miguel De Allende as an artist’s haven, In 1941-42 at age 25, Eleanor Cohen painted a Mural in fresco seen today at the Escuela Universitaria de Bellas Artes. While it was originally damaged, great efforts have been made to restore the mural. Eleanor was the first woman employed by TGP, Mexico City where she worked with the founders in 1941 for the artistry of the infamous mural. At that time her work was influenced by Jose Clemente Orozco however the subject matter, women washing at a river with children, shows a woman's perspective of life.

San Miguel de Allende is renowned worldwide for its mild climate, healing properties of the natural hot springs and the glorious details and romance of the colonial-era architecture.

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