Mexico: State of Jalisco: Guadalajara and Tlajomulco (February 2024)

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This site shows photos I took in February 2024 during a short trip to Guadalajara and the adjacent municipality of Tlajomulco. Guadalaraja is the capital of the state of Jalisco and Tlajomulco is part of the Guadalajara metropolitan area. I previously visited Guadalajara (and other parts of the state of Jalisco) several times in the early 2000s, mostly for work. Photos I took during some of these visits can be seen in a different webpage (link) I created several years ago, which also contains photos taken in the states of Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Queretaro, Jalisco, Colima, and Michoacan. On this 2024 trip I also traveled to the states of Guanajuato and Oaxaca. I put photos of these two trips in these two sites: Guanajuato-2024 and Oaxaca-2024.

Palacio de Gobierno:

Located on the Plaza de Armas, the Palacio de Gobierno was constructed between 1750 and 1790. Here, in 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (who started the Mexican War of Independence) proclaimed the abolition of slavery.

Arcaded courtyard. The pointed twin towers and a dome of the cathedral are visible in the photo on the right.

Mural by renowned Mexican artist Jose Clemente Orozco (1883-1949) on the walls of the main staircase. It depicts Hidalgo holding a torch against dark forces represented on the two lateral walls of the staircase, while destruction is represented below his feet.

Left: View of the staircase from the second floor. Right: Former congress hall on the second floor.

Another mural of Orozco in the former congress hall, representing Hidalgo signing the bill (Libertad) abolishing slavery. In the lower part of the mural, Benito Juarez signs another document entitled Reforma.

Museo Cabanas:

This museum is housed in the former Hospicio Cabanas, which was founded in the early 19th century as an orphanage. The building, which opened in 1810, is huge and contains multiple structures bordering 23 patios of various sizes. The most imposing structure is the central chapel, the interior of which now houses numerous murals by Jose Clemente Orozco. Combined with the cross-shaped architecture of the chapel, these murals form a truly impressive sight.

View of the central chapel from the entrance of the hospicio.

The chapel seen from the opposite side.

Patios and corridors of the hospicio.

Interior of the central chapel, with the Orozco's murals. They depict the impact of nationalism, oppression, militaristic ideologies, and rapid industrialization on the human spirit.

[The mural in the dome is the famous El Hombre de Fuego.]

Cathedral:

The cathedral of Guadalajata is an imposing building topped by two pointed twin towers covered with yellow and blue tiles. Its construction, which started in 1561, took a century to complete. As a result, it mixes different styles.

View of the cathedral's towers from the nearby Rotonda de los Jaliscienses Ilustres.

Views of the exterior of the cathedral at different times of the day.

Interior of the cathedral.

Other churches:

Guadalajara is home to many churches. The following three are a small sample of these churches.

- Templo de Santa Maria de Gracia.

- Templo de Santa Monica. Its facade is covered with intricate stone carvings.

- Templo Expiatoro del Santissimo Sacramento, built at the end of the 19th century.

Teatro Degollado:

It was built in the second half of the 19th century. Left: Facade of the theater. Right: Back of the theater with its long bas-relief at the base.

Frieze depicting Apollo and the nine Muses above the columns of the facade of the theater.

Bas-relief on the back side of the theater representing historical events.

Panteon de Belen:

This quiet, ancient cemetery is located 1.5km north of the cathedral. Closed in 1896, it reflects the old history of Guadalajara. Numerous old graves and mausoleums stand in an enclosure overgrown with weeds. The enclosure is surrounded by an impressive columbarium in a covered walkway lined with columns. I visited the cemetery with Adrian Escobedo. A native of Guadalajara, Adrian is a free-lance guide. He is also a former US Marine, who served in Saudi Arabia, among other places. He speaks fluent English and knows many great stories and legends about the various graves and their occupants in the cemetery. We spent 1.5 hours together in the cemetery. He can be contacted at adrian@taboonatgeo.com.

Tombs in the cemetery. The column-lined columbarium is visible in the background.

Views of the columbarium.

A few graves with names in the columbarium.

Left: Central mausoleum in the cemetery, built by famous architect Manuel Gomez Ibarra. It contains the remains of distinguished people of Guadalajara from the 19th century. The two statues at the base of the tiled cone represent mourners, who used to be hired by rich people to participate in burial ceremonies. Center and right: Other mausoleums.

Left: Family tomb. Right: Mausoleum.

Panteon de Mezquitan:

This is another historical cemetery located 3km north of the cathedral. More recent than the Panteon de Belen, it was open in 1896.

Two portions of a long mural at the main entrance of the cemetery.

Statues and other stone carvings in the cemetery.

Mausoleums.

Street sights:

Statue on Avenida Fray Antonio Alcalda, a short distance north of the cathedral.

Murals in different parts of the city.

Old-fashion carousel.

Horse-drawn carriages on Plaza Guadalajara, next to the cathedral at night.

Music kiosk on the Plaza de Armas, with the Palacio de Gobierno in the background.

Chapels of Tlajomulco (Ruta Franciscana):

Tlajomulco is a municipality in the southwestern corner of the Guadalajara metropolitan area. It is home to 10 Franciscan missions built in the 17th and 18th centuries, forming the so-called Ruta Franciscana. Below are photos of the baroque-style chapels/temples of 6 of these missions.

- Capilla de Nuestra Senora del Refugio.

- Capilla de Nuestra Senora de Santa Anita.

[Stone carving on the facade of the chapel.]

[Stone carvings inside the chapel.]

- Capilla de la Santa Cruz, a baroque jewel built in 1594-1692. Unfortunately, the chapel was closed.

- Templo de Nuestra Senora de la Soledad.

- Capilla de San Juan Evangelista.

- Capilla de San Lucas Evangelista.

[Carved stone blocks in the facade of the chapel.]

[Tombs in the cemetery adjacent to the chapel.]

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