Visit the Sanctuary of Atotonilco: Mexico’s Sistine Chapel
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Drive just 15-minutes outside of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and you come to a remarkable Jesuit sanctuary.
It’s the Sanctuary of Atotonilco (El Santuario de Atotonilco), dubbed the “Sistine Chapel of Mexico.”
The site is so extraordinary that visiting it is one of the most interesting things to do in Mexico, especially if you love history, architecture and culture.
The Sanctuary of Atotonilco, Mexico
The large church was built in the 18th century by Father Luis Felipe Neri De Alfaro.
Born in Mexico City, he traveled in 1740 to what is now Atotonilco (which means “Place of the Hot Waters” because of the nearby hot springs).
Here, under a mesquite tree, he had a vision of Jesus, wearing a crown of thorns, who told him to build a shrine where people could pray and do penance for their sins.
The church, which is dedicated to the life of Jesus, is also known as the Sanctuary of Jesus Nazareno de Atotonilco. It has six attached chapels.
On the outside, the white church complex is quite plain.
But inside?
Talk about an explosion of color and art!
The walls and ceilings of the main nave and chapels are almost completely decorated with oil paintings, poems, sculptures and frescoes in riotous colors (vivid blues, reds, green and black).
You see mythical creatures, flowers, gilded baroque virgins, horned devils, red-robed priests and biblical figures.
They’re mostly scenes depicting pivotal moments in the life of Christ – from his baptism by John the Baptist to the Last Supper, Judas’ betrayal, Jesus’ crucifixion and his resurrection outside the tomb.
Local Indian artists Miguel Antonio Martínez de Pocasangre and Rodriguez Juárez painted the murals over a period of 30 years.
They did the mural paintings in a rich Mexican Baroque style. And in an intriguing twist, instead of painting Roman soldiers, they painted Spanish conquerors.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site
We visited the sanctuary with Italian architect Roberto Burillo Eguia Lis.
In 1996, at the instigation of Roberto and his partner, the World Monuments Fund added the sanctuary to its list of “100 Most Endangered Monuments.”
With seed money from American Express and more than $100,000 US from the state of Guanajuato (home to Guanajuato’s unique mummy museum), the building’s facade and murals were inspected, analyzed and cleaned – and restoration work was started.
In July, 2008, as a result of the efforts of Roberto and his partner, the Sanctuary of Atotonilco was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Images are still being authentically restored under Roberto’s guidance, retaining their centuries-old character.
“We’re restoring in a way that doesn’t kill the ghosts,” Roberto explained as he showed us around.
We also heard pilgrims singing hymns and saw Mexican nuns washing the altars.
A place of worship and pilgrimage
After, we wandered around the little souvenir stands outside selling corn whips.
“Pilgrims still come from central Mexico and self-flagellate with corn whips,” said Roberto.
“The town here is totally authentic and nothing has changed in 300 years.”
The Church of Atotonilco is especially popular with visiting pilgrims during Holy Week, when adherents engage in fasting, prayer and self-flagellation as part of their devout practices.
Historical connection to independence from Spain
Apart from its fantastic mural work, the Atotonilco church complex is also noteworthy from an historical perspective.
It was from this church that heroic Father Miguel Hidalgo galloped off to San Miguel de Allende in 1810, starting the revolt that ultimately led to Mexico’s independence from Spain.
Also, Ignacio Allende, a Mexican general and Hidalgo’s co-revolutionary, got married in the church in 1802, eight years before the first uprising for independence took place.
Where is the Sistine Chapel of Mexico located?
The Santuario Atotonilco (Sistine Chapel of Mexico) is located in the small rural community of Atotonilco, some 8½ miles (14 km) outside the colonial city of San Miguel de Allende.
See this link to Google maps for its location.
How to visit the Sistine Chapel of Mexico
If you’ve rented a car for your trip, you can visit the village of Atotonilco and sanctuary on your own.
Guided tours of this famous church outside of San Miguel de Allende are also available.
This 3-hour driving tour is highly recommended. It begins with an overall sightseeing tour of San Miguel de Allende and ends with a visit to see the beautiful frescoes at the Atotonilco sanctuary.
Alternatively, you might like this top-rated private tour of both the Atotonilco santuario and the historic town of nearby Dolores Hidalgo.
You can also ask for a guided tour from the San Miguel de Allende tourism office.
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Photo credits: 2 to 6, 8 to 10 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase
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