San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco

Por: Alfonso Valente Ruiz Jacobo

 

Jalisco

The state of Jalisco is in the western part of the country. It has an area of 80,137 km ², which represents 4.09% of the total area of Mexico. It borders the state of Nayarit to the northwest, Zacatecas and Aguascalientes to the north, Guanajuato and San Luis Potosí to the east and Colima and Michoacán to the south. To the west, Jalisco has a significant coastline on the Pacific Ocean.

 

San Juan de los Lagos

San Juan de los Lagos is located in North Altos region of Jalisco, northeast of the state, at coordinates 21 º 04 '25'' to 21 º 24' 50'' north latitude and 102 º 06 '40'' to 102 º 10' 30'' west longitude, at an altitude of 1,750 meters above sea level. It limits the north with the municipalities of Teocaltiche and Encarnacion de Diaz, south Jalostotitlán, San Miguel el Alto, San Julian and San Antonio Union, east with Lagos de Moreno, Union of San Antonio and west with Teocaltiche and Jalostotitlán.

 

Travel Experiences

I went to San Juan de los Lagos with some of my family in the fall of 2006 I stayed one day and it was the first time I went to visit San Juan de los Lagos. Just visited few places, because we did not have much time to spend there. I went to the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos, to see the image of the Virgin of San Juan de los Lagos. I watched everything I could in the short time we had. I was also looking at the stalls and steep streets that cost me a little up, but not down. Also, I went to try the delicious CAJETA preparing there. The weather is a bit warm due to the geographical elevation. While I spend the little time I was there.

Things to do in San Juan de los Lagos

Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan. Municipal Palace the eighteenth century, Plaza de Armas , Calvary Temple , Temple of the Lord of the Five wounds , Parish of St. John the Baptist Chapel The Virgin Pocito ; Post Office building ; parish of the Blood of Christ Culture House “Idolina Gaona de Cosio”; Cihuapilli Museum , the Meson de la Virgen ( current school " Rita Perez de Moreno" ) Hospital Dr. Manuel Montero , Chapel Child Peanut , Calvary Chapel , temple of the Third Order , Chapel of the First Miracle and watch the chapel.

Sites of major interest

·         Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos: Is the great religious seat of the municipality and the second most visited after the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The Basilica “Sanctuary of the Virgin of San Juan de los Lagos" Cathedral is the most representative of the municipality building and the headquarters of the world famous Virgin of San Juan de los Lagos , whom thousands of pilgrims arrive annually to visit originating in very different sites. Eighteenth century, its pink stone facade is Baroque with two slender towers and scored three parts, in which pairs of Tuscan columns and cornices moves are observed, as well as geometric and anthropomorphic reliefs. Its construction began in 1732 and was until 1790 when the work was completed. Inside the ship beautiful stained glass windows and paintings on the pendentives of the dome are seen , the main altarpiece is quarried , neoclassical , with cypress center housing the image of the Virgin of San Juan de los Lagos ; in the sacristy there are oil paintings and carved wooden furniture and inlaid . The entire interior has a rich golden decoration on the capitals, pilasters, cypress and other ornamental elements, besides being one of the most visited churches in Mexico, also one of the most beautiful and respected.

·         Chapel of the First Miracle: Dedicated as the name says to worship the First Miracle of Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos, it is also a beautiful temple quarry. Built in the eighteenth century, this magnificent religious building shows a sober stone facade with a tower of a body that boasts magnificent Corinthian columns and a decorative vegetable carvings. The cover is of a body and has a round arch framed in stone , in its upper part has niches containing religious and attached to the Chapel sculptures, the imposing facade of the former hospital, whose cover is clearly highlighted a lintel and key in relief. The interior of the chapel is a single nave with a flat roof, which boasts a Baroque altarpiece front in white quarry where Solomonic columns support the entablature and a semicircular pediment decoration is simple, with statues of saints on the walls. In the sacristy are two paintings alluding to the first miracle of the Virgin of San Juan de los Lagos, with a text that describes oil.

·         Cihuapilli Museum: An enclosure where hundreds of related highlights of the Virgin of San Juan de los Lagos exposed objects. Museum of Sacred Art of the Cathedral, opened the first of August 2004, to commemorate the centenary of the Coronation of the Virgin, consisting of 25 small rooms ranging from pre-Hispanic times to the present day, reviewing outstanding stories and facts about devotion to Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos, from War to Mixtón Cristera Gesta and of course, the visit of his Holiness John Paul II. Visit provides an insight into the world of devotion to the Virgin and the sizing not only religious but social and historical importance it has had for the Municipality.

·         St. John the Baptist Parish: In addition to its beauty, it is an important religious grounds for being the second shrine erected to the Virgin. Its construction began in 1653 by order of His Excellency Bishop Dr. Ruiz Colmenares and finished 40 years later. It was the second image Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan and in 1769 was changed to the current image. Retains the original pink stone facade and has an altarpiece in its portico topped by a pediment with a niche. Two towers in pink and purple bell tower in the quarry with three Renaissance levels are found. The interior has three naves covered by ribbed vaults in stone, supported by arches. In the chancel is an original altarpiece quarry with four columns of compound capital, with gold bezels holding a baroque pediment topped by the sculpture of San Juan Bautista.

·         House of Culture “Idolina Gaona de Cosio” culture has its history, its construction and style and also, in their current roles as a local cultural center. This beautiful house dating from the eighteenth century was the first office of the western zone, where the first religious altercation took place, resulting dead Lt. Mark Coit federal army (the Black Panther), also served as home diocese and housed federal offices from 1935 to 1990. The construction is of Spanish Baroque style. The facade is made of pink stone and rajuelada abode with cornices and polished frames richly decorated. The main two pilasters framing the portico whose frieze is decorated with plant motif key and a crowning a balcony and a door frame having carved frieze in the key of an angel and a niche that has twisted columns at the sides. It has two balconies with decorated frames quarry and Baroque elements, where the indigenous hand notes. At the top of a cornice topped spiral and gargoyles. Among the activities that are offered are: guitar lessons, music, painting, dance and theater, language classes, computer, etc. . . . Open daily from 9:00 to 16:30.

Basic information about traveling to San Juan de los Lagos

·         Hotels: Quinta Caesar Hotel http://www.zonaturistica.com/hotel/20256/quinta-cesar-san-juan-de-los-lagos.html/ ; Hotel Royal Stay http://www.zonaturistica.com/ hotel/8788/estancia-real-san-juan-de-los-lagos.html/.  

·         Bus lines: First Plus, http://www.primeraplus.com.mx/: Omnibus de Mexico, http://www.odm.com.mx/; Terrestrial Links National ETN, https://www.etn.com.mx/ .

·         Restaurants: Restaurant Colombo http://www.directoriodehotelesmexico.com/restaurante/1675/colombo-san-juan-de-los-lagos.html