Visit Temple of San Francisco, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico

Add to My List Check Off

The Temple of San Francisco is a former convent church in Mexico that served for a time as the cathedral of Querétaro . The convent was begun in 1589, although the temple was completed in 1640 and the cloister in 1698 for cultural reasons. It featured important and beautiful gold-plated Baroque altarpieces that adorn it. 1 It houses important artistic pieces, including a Baroque lectern and the high choir stalls, the work of the 18th- century  architect Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras from Celaya , and sculptural works by Mariano Montenegro and Mariano Arce . The main altarpiece was removed to be replaced by the current neoclassical style one, which was blessed in October 1990. The Franciscan convent occupied several of the areas and buildings surrounding the San Francisco temple. The current Querétaro Plaza was once the convent's large orchard. The Zenea Garden (formerly the Obregón Garden) was part of the atrium. In what was once the atrium of the Great Convent of San Francisco,  a large number of 16th and 17th- century churches and chapels were demolished in the mid -19th century . Among the buildings affected were the Temple of the Third Order, the Chapel of the Holy Order of Loreto, the Chapel of the Lord of Villaseca, the Chapel of Christ of San Benito, the Holy Scale of Christ, and the Chapel of the Brothers of the Cordón.

Write a Review

No Ratings Yet

Flag as inappropriate ›