Celaya Attractions
How to get there
By rail in about 6.5 hours; by bus in about 3.5 hours; by car on the MEX 57, about 270km/168mi.
The busy town of Celaya lies north-west of Mexico City in a fertile valley basin known as Bajío. Although not exactly favoured by its location, the town has attractive parks and squares as well as some fine examples of Baroque and Neo-Classical architecture.
History
Founded in 1570 by sixteen families from the Basque country, Celaya (Basque: "zalaya" 5 "lowland") was granted full civic status in the mid 17th c. Its most famous son, Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras (1759-1833), was a man of many parts, an architect, artist and poet of distinction. Like most of Guanajuato's cities, Celaya played a leading role in the Mexican War of Independence (1810-21) and it was here in 1915, during the Revolution, that the bloodiest battle in Mexican history was fought, in which the future president, Alvaro Obregón, finally succeeded in defeating Francisco ("Pancho") Villa.
The main, arcade-surrounded square (Plaza Principal, Jardín) has recently been embellished with a new town hall (Palacio Municipal).
The nearby Plaza de Armas contains three buildings of note, Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras's monument to Mexican Independence (Monumento a la Independencia) and two churches, the Iglesia de la Tercer Orden (Church of the Third Order) and Iglesia de la Cruz (Church of the Cross).
The façade, towers and high altar of the 17th c. church of San Francisco, on the corner of Miguel Doblado and Guadalupe Victoria streets, are also examples of Tresguerras's work, he having been responsible for their redesign.
By rail in about 6.5 hours; by bus in about 3.5 hours; by car on the MEX 57, about 270km/168mi.
The busy town of Celaya lies north-west of Mexico City in a fertile valley basin known as Bajío. Although not exactly favoured by its location, the town has attractive parks and squares as well as some fine examples of Baroque and Neo-Classical architecture.
History
Founded in 1570 by sixteen families from the Basque country, Celaya (Basque: "zalaya" 5 "lowland") was granted full civic status in the mid 17th c. Its most famous son, Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras (1759-1833), was a man of many parts, an architect, artist and poet of distinction. Like most of Guanajuato's cities, Celaya played a leading role in the Mexican War of Independence (1810-21) and it was here in 1915, during the Revolution, that the bloodiest battle in Mexican history was fought, in which the future president, Alvaro Obregón, finally succeeded in defeating Francisco ("Pancho") Villa.
The main, arcade-surrounded square (Plaza Principal, Jardín) has recently been embellished with a new town hall (Palacio Municipal).
The nearby Plaza de Armas contains three buildings of note, Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras's monument to Mexican Independence (Monumento a la Independencia) and two churches, the Iglesia de la Tercer Orden (Church of the Third Order) and Iglesia de la Cruz (Church of the Cross).
The façade, towers and high altar of the 17th c. church of San Francisco, on the corner of Miguel Doblado and Guadalupe Victoria streets, are also examples of Tresguerras's work, he having been responsible for their redesign.
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Church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen
This early 19th C Neo-Classical church is a masterpiece of Mexican architect Tresguerras.
Celaya Surroundings
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Yuriria - San Augustinian Convent, Mexico
One of the main attractions of Yuriria is the mid 16th C San Augustinian Convent. On display here are a number of 17th and 18th C paintings.
Apaseo el Alto, Mexico
Apaseo el Alto, about 25km/16mi south-east of Celaya, is widely known for its blown glass and fine wood carvings.
