Roaming Around "El Centro"

Yesterday I went to the historic center of Mexico City to visit an important colonial monument that is only open to the public on Wednesday afternoons.  (That will be the topic of my next post.)

I got off the Metro at the "Salto de Agua" station.  There, sitting somewhat lopsided in the middle of the asphalt jungle of busy José María Izazaga Avenue is a colonial church.  

This was the first time that I had ever seen the door open, so I went across the street to check it out.  A plaque on the front says that it is the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, and that it was built in the 18th century.  In 1935 when the avenue was widened, the thoroughfare went around the chapel, creating an island in the middle of the traffic.

Although the exterior is done in Baroque style, the interior is relatively simple.  I later did a bit of research about the chapel, and I found out that it is one of only two churches in the city in which mass is still said in Latin.

The guided tour of my destination was not going to begin until noon, so I had some time to wander around this somewhat decrepit area of the historic center.

This apartment building must have been the height of elegance when it was constructed in 1923.

A detail of the carving above the entrance

Here is another building (I suspect that it was built in the late 1800s) that was once quite beautiful.

Stores selling musical instruments and audio equipment line Mesones Street and around the corner on Bolívar Street.  It is common in the historic center for the same type of stores to be concentrated in one area.

The poster in the window says "Return to classes well tuned".

Just a block away is Regina Street which has been pedestrianized and spruced up.  It is lined with sidewalk cafés.

Sadly, in spite of the beautification efforts, graffiti defaces many of the buildings along the street.

The Church of Regina Coeli, built in the 18th century, is the principal landmark along the street.

I posted pictures on this blog of the church's lavish interior some time ago, but here are some more photos.  The altarpieces are done in Churrigueresque, the ultra-baroque style that was popular in Mexico in the 1700s.

Next door to the church is the former convent, which later became a hospital for the aged.  

The sign outside said that it is now a museum, but when I asked someone at the gate, he said that the museum is closed due to damage suffered in last September's earthquake.

By this time it was almost noon.  It was time to take the guided tour of one of the city's most important colonial buildings, but a building which very few foreign tourists visit.

Come back tomorrow to find out where I went.