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Leon travel and tourist
information.
The city of León, formally León de los Aldama is the fifth most
populous city in Mexico and the first in the state of
Guanajuato. It is also the seat of the municipality of León. It
has a strong leather industry, offering shoes, boots, belts,
jackets, and other leather accessories both to national and
international markets.
Notable sites
Cathedral
Spires of the main cathedralThe main church is called the
Basilica Cathedral of Our Holy Mother of the Light and is the
seat of the Archdiosis of Leon. Construction of the church was
begun in 1746 by the Jesuits and is a combination of Baroque and
Neo Classic architectural styles. Construction was halted only
eight months after it began when the Jesuit order was expelled
from Mexico by the Spanish Crown. The Obregon family, however,
took over its construction, continuing into the 19th century.
The Archdiosis of Leon was created in 1864, with its first
bishop, José María de Jesús Diez de Sollano y Dávalos helping to
get the towers and cupola completed as he chose the church as
the seat. It was finally completed and consecrated on 16 March
1866.
Expiatorio
View of the Templo Expiatorio
Inside the TemploIts full name is the Santuario Expiatorio del
Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Expiatory Sanctuary of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus). Construction of this temple was begun in 1920
by Bernardo Chavez with the support of Bishop Emeterio Valverde
y Téllez. It is neo Gothic in design, based on the old European
medieval cathedrals but much of the outide wallspace is without
decoration. Its work was halted by the Cristero Wars. Since then
construction has continued off and on and it is considered 80%
complete. An important source of income for the temple's
construction is the sale of crypts. This practice was begun in
1924. A chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Lourdes was begun in
1935 and later a chapel dedicated to the Virgen of Guadalupe,
which is separate from the main building, built between 1935 and
1939.
Municipal Palace
Casa MunicipalThe current Municipal Palace is of Ionic
architectural style and occupies part of the site of the old
"Colegio Grande del Seminario de los Padres Paulinos" (Grand
Seminary College for Pauline Priests) who had to abandon the
city in 1860.
From 1861 to 1867 it was a military barracks. After the French
Intervention, it was remodeled to conserve its original
architecture by Coronel Octaviano Rosado to become the seat of
government on 21 March 1869. The patio of the building contains
a bronze statue of Benito Juarez to commemorate the centennial
of his death in 1972. Since then, the building has had a number
of additions such as the dome that now covers this patio, and a
number of murals. These murals were painted in 1972 and 1973 by
Jesus Gallardo covering the walls of the main stairwell and the
hallway of the upper floor around the patio.
Portal of the Millennium
This monument was built to celebrate the arrival of the new
millennium and has become a landmark for arrival into the city.
There was some concern that the monument would not be ready for
New Year's 2000, however the 45-meter tall tower on five plinths
was completed on time. It was built in a 5,400 square meter
plaza, planted with trees. The project cost 4.5 million pesos.
Arch of the Hero's Pathway
The arch with its signature bronze lionThis arch (Arco de la
Calzada de los Héroes in Spanish), topped by a bronze of a lion,
was begun in 1896 and has been modified a number of times in the
hundred years or so since then. The first lion was added in 1943
by Francisco Lozornio Castillo made of bricks and mortar. This
was replaced by the bronze one in 1958. The idea for a bronze
lion was that of famous matador Antonio Velázquez, a native of
Leon, whose bravery in the ring earned him the nickname of the "Heart
of Leon". Not long before his death in 1959, he complained that
the brick lion should be replaced with a better work of art,
causing something of a commotion in the Leon community. This
caught the attention of sculpture Humberto Peraza Ojeda who made
the one that sits on top of the arch today.
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