Articles about Morelia
Culture

Templo de San Francisco y Casa Artesanías (Temple and Crafts House )

by: Travel by México

Templo de San Francisco y Casa Artesanías (Temple and Crafts House ), Morelia
Culture

Templo de San Francisco y Casa Artesanías (Temple and Crafts House )

by: Travel by México

(Temple and former college of San Buenaventura) This architectonic ensemble that now is in front of the Plaza Valladolid is the oldest in the city. In fact, Valladolid was built as of this site.
In 1531 came the Franciscans to Guayangareo and built a chapel of adobe. The temple and monastery was founded in 1536 and for 1610 the works had already been completed.
The temple was planned similar to the course in Spain.

Besides being a religious site, the monastery became a school where the Indians gather together and were taught to read, write, arts and crafts of the Spanish culture.
The main facade of the church has a high door in the form of an arch, supported by columns. Above the door is a rectangular window to which receive the name of "Window of the choir" also with columns on the sides. At the top of the arch of the door there is a sculpture of the Virgin with a child coming out of a flower. This sculpture in stone is the oldest of Morelia.  The tower of the temple was built later.
The facade is Plateresque style and maintain the design of the temples of the sixteenth century, a single rectangular nave bounded by high walls that support the vault.  The ensemble had a cemetery which became the Plaza de la Constitucion, called Plaza de Valladolid since 1968 adorned by a monumental fountain.  The temple was restored in 1948 and the plaza in 2004, it was added with wheelchair ramps and benches.

HOUSE OF CRAFTS (EX CONVENTO FRANCISCANO )

At the south side of the temple was built the Franciscan convent at the beginning of the seventeenth century.  The Convent of San Buenaventura in 1972 became House and the Museum of Arts and Crafts of Michoacan.  The ground floor has a main door with arcade where currently there is a crafts market . The top floor has small windows which light and ventilate the cells where artisans are located of each region of the state.  The style of the gatehouse is Renaissance and the windows are Plateresque style.  It has a first courtyard surrounded by corridors and arches Renaissance style.

In the sixteenth century the architectonic ensemble was formed by the temple, monastery, a large garden and an atrium with an ancient cross. The last ones disappeared during the nineteenth century.
It is located on San Juan de San Miguel street and Fray Bartolome de las Casas street