Streets and neighborhoods
San Clemente, San Luisito, Cata and Mellado are considered the most traditional mining and ceramics-making neighborhoods in Guanajuato. With the first gold and silver lodes discovered, these neighborhoods sprung up along the river beside the mineral processing haciendas. At the start, the only residents were mine workers from the Rayas, Cata and Mellado mines. Much later, when mine production began to decline in the post-independence (1820) period, these neighborhoods survived by becoming centers of handmade ceramics.
The neighborhood of San Clemente, known for its ceramics shops, borders the traffic circle at Dos Ríos and extends in the direction of Mineral de Cata. If we keep going along the Cata River past San Clemente, we come to the neighborhood of San Luisito. This neighborhood, where both sides of the main street are lined with small ceramics workshops, is known nationally for the quality of its wares. The neighborhood was named "San Luisito" for the mine-processing Hacienda de San Luisito located here, a majestic edifice today reconditioned as a vocational school.
This neighborhood ends at the intersection of its main street, Calzada de San Luisito, with the Panoramic Highway. If we veer to the right at this intersection, we come to the neighborhood of Mineral de Cata, one of the oldest in Guanajuato.
Further along the Panoramic Highway , we arrive at the neighborhood called Mineral de Mellado. This neighborhood is named for the mine established here in 1558, originally owned by the Marquis of San Clemente. During the second half of the 18th century, the mine produced great amounts of silver and gold, and it is said that this is the only mine that remained profitable throughout the entire colonial period, even through the torrential rains that occasionally flooded its shafts. The deepest mineshaft at Mellado extends down 500 meters. The mine includes other, secondary shafts, notably those of San José and San Telésforo, and it is connected to the Rayas Mine by a network of horizontal tunnels. Aboveground, the church and plaza of Mellado crown the elaborate tunnel system.
The neighborhood known as Tepetapa is among the oldest in Guanajuato. The name, from a local indigenous language, means "flat top on the hill." This hill was where four 16th century forts were built to protect the colonists from the native Mexicans, known as the Chichimecas. Back then, Tepetapa was home to miners and merchants. Located here is the bridge called Puente de Tepetapa, which dates back to the 1800s. It was built to connect the neighborhood of Tepetapa with the rest of the city across a deep gorge, completing the road to Marfil.
Although the bridge was originally designed with two arches, the final construction was built with only one, measuring 19 meters wide and about the same height. These dimensions place it among the largest bridges in the city. The top of the bridge is built of green cantera, and stone spheres resting on short, wide bases adorn its four corners.
Streets Juan Valle and Positos. The intersection of Calle Alonso, Avenida Juárez and Calle Juan Valle sits atop what is known as the Bridge of Our Lady of Solitude, or, in Spanish, "Nuestra Señora de la Soledad." Also known as Puente Nuevo, the bridge was built in 1820. Calle Juan Valle was laid during the 19th century to connect Calle Positos with Avenida Juárez. Juan Valle, also known as Calle Nueva, runs some 30 meters before feeding into Tunnel Santa Fe de Guanajuato, which, in turn, feeds into the neighborhoods of San Clemente , San Luisito and Cata.
We know that one of the houses on this street was the birthplace of renowned poet Juan Valle, born in 1838. Politically liberal - and, as fate would have it, also blind - Valle stirred up his share of political turmoil during the period, to such an extent that he earned the moniker of "the reform poet."
Where Calle Juan Valle hits the tunnel, it intersects with Calle Positos, which runs from Lascuráin de Retana, the name of the street that passes in front of the University of Guanajuato , to the Alhóndiga de Granaditas Museum. At the turn of the 17th century, this street was known as Calle Real, and other roads were reserved for mine works transportation. In 1696, when the image of the Virgin of Our Lady of Guanajuato arrived to Guanajuato, it was carried along Calle Positos on its way to the Basilica. The name, "Positos," may come from corn stores that were once here, as the story goes. Or perhaps the street is named after the well, or "pozo" of Father Busto, a neighborhood resident. What we know for sure is that Calle Positos is lined with houses in every architectural style popular since the city's founding. Especially important buildings include the Museo del Pueblo de Guanajuato, and the Diego Rivera House Museum.
Calle de Alonso covers a short stretch from behind the Teatro Juárez to the Puente Nuevo bridge, at Avenida Juárez. The street was named for Alonso Rodríguez Correas, owner of what was called the Hacienda de Menores, located here. At number 12, we find the Mesón de San Antonio , an impressive 18th century inn. We know that the building once belonged to the Marquis of San Clemente, though the idea of turning it into a guesthouse came from Marquis San Juan de Rayas, who acquired the building in 1761. He built on top of the arched bridge covering the river, joining this property with others he owned. This particular section was known as the San Nicolás Bridge. The Mesón lodged weary travelers passing through Guanajuato until the turn of the 20th century, when it became a student house. Later on, it was reconditioned as a private school. In 1978, the state government bought and restored the building, conserving ninety-nine percent of the original architecture. The building was then donated to the University of Guanajuato , and is now home to the university's cultural outreach offices.
Across from the Mesón is a building originally designed in 1875 to be a girls school. The architect was José Noriega, also responsible for the façade of Jardín Reforma. A few meters' walk down the street brings us to a small triangular plaza. Here we find an interesting vaulted niche in an old house, displaying an image of Nuestra Señora de la Luz - in English, "Our Lady of Light" - which also happens to be the name of the narrow street adjacent. Where Callejón de la Luz meets another alleyway, Callejón de Bustos, is one of the places where tours through the twisting side streets begin.
Calle Juárez. The avenue called Avenida Juárez, among the main arteries of the city, starts at Puente Nuevo and ends at the streets Calle Tepetapa and Pardo. Walking a few meters down the avenue, you can choose to either turn left into Plazuela de San Fernando , or continue further along, where the avenue opens onto Plaza de los Ángeles. Here is an exit to the underground tunnels, across from which is a fine Roman Arch, resting on another, smaller arch, complemented by series of Ionic columns. This is the main entrance to Jardín Reforma. Next, we come to Unidad Belén, part of the University of Guanajuato. We also see the Church of Belén and the Mercado Hidalgo, the town market.
Unidad Belén was part of the Bethlehemite convent established in Guanajuato in the last quarter of the 18th century. Construction of these buildings, together with the hospital and church, was completed in 1775. Belén today houses the university schools of architecture, engineering and design.
Next to the Unidad Belén, and across from the Mercado Hidalgo market, is the Church of Nuestra Señora de Belén , or "Our Lady of Bethlehem." Moving down the street to house number 25, the intersection with Calle Tepetapa, we find one of few palatial late nineteenth century properties: this is where modernist poet Rafael López was born in 1873. At the end of Avenida Juárez is a plaque announcing that this was the site of Hacienda de Cobos, a mine reduction works.
Calle Sopeña.The street called Calle de Sopeña stretches from the Don Quixote Iconographic Museum to the Teatro Juárez. At the turn of the 18 th century, a wealthy local miner by the name of Captain Juan de Sopeña y la Herrán made his home here, and it is for him that the street was named.
Calle de Sopeña is lined with residences of neoclassical splendor, most built in the 19 th century. There is no doubt that this street shows off some of the most elegant architecture in the city.
One of the most attractive buildings along the route is the former mint house, La Casa de la Moneda de Guanajuato, which has a fascinating history that matches its classic beauty. Captain Juan de Sope ñ a y la Herr á n bought the building in 1714, and went about rebuilding it.
Years later, the mansion passed into the hands of the Royal Tobacco Monopoly, and it was known during the latter part of the 18 th century as the Casa del Estanco, or "the tobacconist's.
Calle Subterranea. This street, which winds underground through the oldest parts of the city, was inaugurated by President Adolfo López Mateos in September, 1964. An ambitious project stretching over a kilometer, the street was built on the bed of the Guanajuato River. Along its subterranean route, 127 cantera stone arches have been erected, some finely sculpted in the shape of fans.
Stone walls give an old-world feel, and as the roads and bridges covering the street cede at several points, we are treated to one-of-a-kind views of high colonial structures blanched by the sun. There are many pedestrian and vehicular entrances to Calle Hidalgo , among them the ones at Plaza de Gavira, Ex-Hacienda El Patrocinio, Jardín de la Unión and Plaza Allende. Calle Miguel Hidalgo, in turn, feeds into an entire network of tunnels beneath the city.
