Oral tradition and documents of the Catholic Church report appearances of Mary in various places around the world. These places become pilgrimage centers where Sanctuaries are built. An example of this is Our Lady of Fátima in Portugal, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico and Our Lady of Aparecida here in Brazil.
Aparecida is the largest Marian sanctuary in the world. But it is the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City that is most visited, receiving 20 million people a year.
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| Original image of the Virgin of Guadalupe printed on Juan Diego’s cloak. It is displayed in the New Basilica. |
>> In 1531, Maria appeared 3 times to the Indian Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin and once to her uncle on the Tepeyac Hill in what is now Mexico City. She asks that a church be built dedicated to her.
>> When he tells the bishop about the apparitions, he is reluctant to believe it and asks for proof.
>> The virgin then asks Juan Diego to go and pick flowers at the top of the hill where it was not common, especially in winter.
>> Juan Diego carries the flowers wrapped in his tilma (a type of cloak made from cactus used by pre-Columbian people). When opening in front of the bishop, the flowers fall and the image of Mary is printed on the fabric.
>> The tilma lasts for 20 years, and the one with the image still exists in the Basilica today.
>> Our Lady of Guadalupe began to enjoy great devotion in Mexico. And her Sanctuary is one of the most visited in the world. It is celebrated on December 12th.
>> Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin was canonized in 2002 by the Catholic Church, making him the first American Indian to become a saint.
>> With indigenous characteristics, Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico and Latin America.
I visited the Sanctuary of Guadalupe on the way back from Teotihuacán. It is located in the north of Mexico City on the route to the ruins of the city of the gods. Therefore, in addition to receiving many pilgrims, the place receives many groups of tourists passing through.
>> How much does a budget trip to Mexico cost?
Tours typically stop first at the sanctuary and then continue on to Teotihuacán. The tip is to do as I did and invert, leaving the Sanctuary of Guadalupe for last. I went on a Monday and it was almost empty.
From Teotihuacán to the Sanctuary of Guadalupe
He left me on a corner of Av Montevideo that gives access to the Sanctuary, I walked about 600m. Closer to the Sanctuary there are snack bars and restaurants with good prices. I took the opportunity to eat, as I hadn’t had lunch.
My visit
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| New Basilica |
I arrived behind the New Basilica, I went in, there was a mass going on so I didn’t wander around. I watched a little and came out ahead in a large square with two more churches. I thought the basilica was more beautiful inside than outside.
The comparison with the Aparecida Sanctuary in São Paulo was immediate. In Aparecida, the Basilica Nova is grand. The one in Guadalupe is big, but not immense. But the Mexican Sanctuary, unlike ours, is made up of several churches with their own stories, and if you want to know it, you have to walk.
I imagined that I would arrive at the Sanctuary, visit a beautiful church, learn the history and leave. And walking was not in my plans. I was tired from the visit to Teotihuacán. But curiosity was greater and I went to find out.
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| Interior of the New Basilica |
The New Basilica (Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe) is from the 70s with an architecture different from other churches from previous eras. It was built due to structural problems in the Old Basilica and also to serve a greater number of people. This is where the fabric with the original image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
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| Old Basilica. |
In front is the large Mariana Square. On one side, next to the Basilica, is the first Basilica built (Expiatory Temple to Cristo Rey). It is a beautiful baroque church from the beginning of the 18th century.
Next to it is the former Capuchin convent from the 18th century. There I discovered the church of Parish of Santa Maria de Guadalupe.
These churches attract people’s attention due to their beauty, but also because they have a bias and this is uncomfortable. Even more so when we are inside it. The region was a lake and the land could not support the weight. In other words, they are sinking.
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| Old Basilica and next to it the Parish of Santa Maria de Guadalupe. |
I continued to the left of the square and other churches appeared, but also a slight climb followed by a staircase that led to the top of Monte de Tepeyac. It was everything I didn’t want. But I was drawn to a song and kept going.
The first church upon leaving the square is the Indian Chapel. From the 17th century, it is the oldest church in the Sanctuary and is in the same place as one of the apparitions and recommended by Juan Diego for the construction of the first church dedicated to the worship of the Virgin by the natives (hence the name). It was where the image of the Virgin remained until the construction of the first Basilica. It contains relics of Juan Diego who also lived there.
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| Pocito Chapel |
The next was the Pocito Chapel, the most beautiful and where I imagined the music came from. But it came from the market on the street behind the chapel, lol.
It is a beautiful baroque building from the end of the 18th century, oval in shape and with a domed roof full of details. It was built to protect the well inside. One of the apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe took place there and that is why the population considered (or considers) the water to be miraculous.
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| Details of the ceiling and facade of the Capilla del Pocito. |
All that was left to do was climb the stairs to the top where the Chapel of the Cerrito erected on the site of the first appearance of the virgin and where the miracle of flowers took place. The place that gave rise to the Sanctuary. I went down the opposite side and arrived at the square again.
In front of the church and on every staircase there are viewpoints with views of the city. You can see the towers of the basilicas, Plaza and Mexico City.
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| Stairway to the hill where the Virgin first appeared. |
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| View from the top of the hill. |
Other spaces
These were the attractions that I saw, and I would say that they are the main ones for a tourist. But the Sanctuary has other spaces open to visitors, such as the Library and a museum with a collection of more than 4000 pieces.
It has spaces for religious services, monuments and has a structure to serve visitors with a restaurant, snack bar, bathrooms, tourist information and medical care. Inside the complex there are few places selling souvenirs and religious items, but there are shops around.
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| Gardens at the Sanctuary. |
Visitation
How to get
* The place is well served by bus, Metro (La Villa-Basílica Station) and Metrobús (several stations). See what’s best depending on the time of day.
* When I left (around 5pm) I asked at the tourist information office next to the Basilica, and they were adamant in recommending the Metrobús due to the Metro being crowded.
* I went to the center and used the Garrido station on line 7.
See where to stay in Mexico City. Travel safely with a rented car here in Brazil, it’s cheaper.
