Church of San Francisco

As you can see, the Church of San Francisco comes straight out of the 18th century, once part of one of the largest convents in New Spain—the vast colonial territory established by the Spanish in the 16th century. Only a few pieces remain today, but at the time, the complex was much bigger, including both a church and monastery that welcomed the first twelve monks to come participate at the evangelization process after the Spanish conquest. Rebuilt several times due to the city’s unstable ground, the church’s architectural style has long been debated—some consider it baroque, others rococo. Regardless, this church holds deep historical significance: this is where residents came to celebrate the end of the War of Independence, which took place from 1810 to 1821, and where the funeral mass for Hernán Cortés was held more than two centuries earlier. An authentic historical monument!