Morelia
Morelia is one of modern-day Mexico's most beautiful Colonial cities. Despite that, because it doesn't boast a tropical beach and its not located in the Tuscan countryside, it is probably unknown to most norteamericanos. We expect this situation to change very soon, as more and more people travel to Morelia, discover its charm and even move here to retire.
Morelia was originally named Valladolid, after the Spanish town of the same name, and was founded by by Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza in the early 1500's. In 1540 the state capital was officially moved to Morelia, though it kept the name of Valladolid until 1828. The city is located on the "altiplano" of Mexico, the central plain, and is 1950 meters above sea level. Morelia was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998.
The historic center of Morelia is reminiscent of similar cities in Spain or Italy. The town square is large, and actually divided into roughly half by the imposing Cathedral, which faces Avenida Madero, the main street through the center of town. The Plaza de Armas is the larger half of the central park-like space and it has been a favorite meeting place for the inhabitants of Morelia since 1546 when the Spaniards finished constructing it, making it probably the oldest formal space in Morelia. The kiosk in the center was added in 1887. There are almost always people in the plaza, quietly reading or visiting with family or engaging in some of the many events that take place here. Every Saturday night on the plaza there are fireworks over the Cathedral, a beautiful sight that is well attended by locals.
As with any city that is almost 500 years old, there is much to see and do and history is both obvious, as in the Cathedral and other structures, and hidden, as in the little Museo de Cera de la Ciudad.
Starting in the center of town, the most obvious building to visit is the Cathedral of Morelia, a majestic edifice made of the rose-colored stone for which Morelia is known. Construction on the cathedral began in 1660 and was finally completed in 1744. Among the many treasures that are guarded in this beautiful building is the largest silver-plated "Manifestador" done in the baroque style. There is also a 4600-pipe organ and a likeness of Christ done in maize-paste from the 16th Century. The baptismal font is also done entirely in silver and it is said that Agustín de Iturbide, one of Mexico's Revolutionary heroes, was baptized in it.
Just opposite the Plaza de Armas and behind the Cathedral is the Palacio de Justicia, Palace of Justice, built in 1884. The interior patio is octagonal, and there are several unremarkable murals on the interior walls. The Antigua Alhóndiga or Corn Exchange, built a century earlier, is next door and worth glancing at for the beautiful facade.
The most important son of Morelia is of course José Maria Morelos y Pavon, for whom the city was eventually named. The Colegio de San Nicolás de Hidalgo on Avenida Madero west of the Cathedral is the school where Miguel Hidalgo taught the young José Morelos, and where their partnership was born. Not far away is the Museo Casa de Morelos, the beautiful house which Morelos bought in 1801. It now functions as a museum, with paintings, documents, photographs, furniture and other objects from the era before the Revolution. The museum also houses the archives of the Archbishop of Michoacán.
Directly across from the Cathedral is the Palacio de Gobierno, the Governors Palace. The palace was built over a period of ten years, ending in 1770. Inside are three murals by the Michoacan artist Alfredo Zalce showing various episodes of Mexican history.
Across the street is the Museo Regional Michoacana, the Museum of the Michoacan Region. This building was built in 1772 and was once a private residence and was visited in 1864 by Emperor Maximilian. In 1886 the museum was founded, making it one of the oldest museums in Mexico. It is divided into three sections: Archaeological, Ethnological and Historical.
Down the street a block away from the main plaza is another kind of museum. For $25 pesos (about $2 USD) you can go back in time to what Morelia (and much of Mexico) was like a few decades ago. The Museo de Cera de la Ciudad de Morelia is a well-preserved but not in the least renovated home. Each room has furniture and accoutrements from the past, along with rather gruesome (sometimes) mannikins dressed in period costumes. There is a typical dry goods general store, a pharmacy, a drawing room, and a barber shop. Upstairs there is even a room where a nun lies inside an open casket for viewing. If you are a kid or just remember being one, you'll love this museum.
A few blocks away, on the other side of the Plaza de Armas, is the beautiful Palacio Clavijero. This was originally the College of the Jesuits, but now houses government offices and is open to the public. The courtyard is enormous with a large fountain in the center. This is one of Morelia's most beautiful buildings and a lovely place to sit and rest in the middle of a long day.
The Conservatorio de Música de las Rosas is a Baroque edifice one block from the central square dating from the 18th Century. The cloisters have graceful arches around a central fountain. There are old washbasins in the courtyard, and in the adjoining church, three gold-leafed wooden altarpieces which are quite astounding. This music conservatory is now home to the famous Morelia Boys Choir. For a lovely story (the Etude magazine article) and more information about the choir, please follow this link to the Morelia page of boyschoir.org.
After taking in all that history, a typical visitor might want a little break. That would be a perfect time for a visit to the Mercado de Dulces y Artesanías, the Candy and Handcraft Market. Virtually every type of regional candy and sweet is available in this market, all of them laid out in beautiful pyramids of plenty at the various stalls. If you aren't going to be traveling outside of Morelia to visit the various towns of the region, this is a great place to pick out a handmade guitar or some copper pots after you have filled up on edible treats.
You may be tempted to spend all your time in Morelia walking around downtown. But if you did that, you would miss out on some important monuments and places worth seeing that are a little farther outside of the Centro.
The "Las Tarascas" fountain has become a symbol of Morelia. The sculpture in the center of the fountain is of three indigenous women holding a basket of fruit typical of this region. It is located next to the Plaza Villalongín, a beautiful garden named for the revolutionary Manuel Villalongín who rescued his wife from imprisonment by the Spaniards. This garden was the place where they met and fell in love. Both of these are located at the west end of the Aqueduct, which was built in 1785 to bring fresh drinking water into the city and was a way that the Bishop Fray Antonio de San Miguel thought to give work to the indigenous indians. There are 253 arches left standing today.
At the east end of the Aqueduct are two important museums located in the Bosque Cuauhtémoc, a city park that is the old forest once called "San Pedro". It is the traditional center of recreation in the city. The Contemporary Art Museum "Alfredo Zalce", named after the famous Michoacan artist, is located there, as is the Museum of Natural History, named after Manuel Martínez Solórzano, a famous naturalist and physician from Morelia.
The Benito Juárez Zoo and the Planetarium are also not within walking distance of the Centro, but are located not far from each other on the south end of town, on Avenida Camelinas. The Zoo has over 400 species represented in its animal population and boasts a large collection of primates and felines. The Planetarium has a large hemispheric dome, 20 meters or almost 60 feet in diameter. It is open Friday and Saturday evenings at 7 pm, and Sundays at 6:30 pm.
More Than Morelia