Guadalajara — The Lost Cathedral's Secrets

Your quest for the plans begins at the Catedral de Guadalajara, whose construction was initiated in 1561 and completed in 1618 after interruptions due to earthquakes. The tomb of Bishop Juan de Santa María, the first bishop of Guadalajara who died in 1600, rests here. Exploring the secret catacombs beneath the cathedral, you discover human remains dating from the 16th century, silent witnesses to the city's early inhabitants. This exploration of Jalisco's cultural heritage confronts you with the architectural challenges of the colonial era in western Mexico.

After this first immersion, the Plaza de Armas, founded in 1542 by Cristóbal de Oñate during the city's creation, offers a striking contrast. Surrounded by colonial arcades built between 1790 and 1810, the square was the site of historical gatherings, including Mexico's declaration of independence in 1821. The central fountain, installed in 1952, reflects Spanish Baroque styles. It is here, in this central location of Guadalajara, that the first clues to your investigation into the lost cathedral emerge, amidst the monuments of the occidente.

Your journey then leads you to the Templo de San Felipe Neri, erected between 1696 and 1705 in a Churrigueresque Baroque style. Its interior houses a 15-meter high main altar, adorned with gilded sculptures. This place of worship, linked to the Company of Mary active since 1682 in Guadalajara, is an example of resilience: it survived intact the 1868 earthquake that destroyed other structures. The history of Jalisco is written in these stones, and every architectural detail could hide a key for your investigation.

Plaza de la Liberación, formerly Plaza Mayor and renamed in 1989 to commemorate independence, spans 2 hectares. Surrounded by 19th-century neoclassical buildings, it is dominated by the equestrian statue of Miguel Hidalgo, independence hero (1753-1811), inaugurated in 1890. It was in this square that the Constitution of Jalisco was proclaimed in 1824. This visit to Guadalajara plunges you into the founding moments of the state, where the GPS scavenger hunt makes perfect sense for discovering the city's secrets.

Finally, the Instituto Cultural Cabañas (Hospicio Cabañas), founded in 1791 and a UNESCO site since 1997, reveals José Clemente Orozco's frescoes painted in 1938-1939 in its 54-meter-sided central patio. This colonial historical monument, designed by Manuel Tolsá, housed up to 500 children in the 1820s. By completing your thematic circuit of the occidente, you have not only discovered the secrets of the cathedral but also the extent of Jalisco's heritage, from the Rotonda de los Jaliscienses Ilustres to the Museo de las Artes Universidad de Guadalajara, founded in 1791.