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Guadalajara Historical Churches Walking Tour, Guadalajara

Guadalajara Historical Churches Walking Tour (Self Guided), Guadalajara

Guadalajara, Mexico, is home to a great number of wonderful religious sites, dating back to the colonial era. Many of them are unique architectural treasures, with striking façades and equally impressive interiors.

The Expiatory Church, characterized by its neo-Gothic design, is a striking landmark dedicated to expiation and reparation. Meanwhile, the Our Lady of the Pilar Church boasts elegant Neoclassical architecture, showcasing a stunning façade adorned with sculptures of the Virgin of Pilar, Saint Joaquin, and Saint Anne. The Jesus Maria Church exudes colonial charm with its simple yet graceful appearance, while the San Felipe Neri Church is renowned for its ornate ornamentation, both inside and out, featuring intricate frescoes and sculptures.

The Church of Mercy, founded by the Mercedarian friars, showcases a blend of Baroque and Neoclassical elements, offering visitors a glimpse into Guadalajara's religious yesteryear. Dominating the city's skyline, the Guadalajara Cathedral stands as a monumental symbol of faith, revealing a mix of Spanish Renaissance, Gothic, and Neoclassical influences.

The San Agustín Church, with its distinctive gold and white façade, defies convention by facing north towards the city's former main square, while the San Francisco Church, dating back to the 16th century, exudes a sense of antiquity with its rustic charm.

These historical churches are not just architectural gems but also provide insight into Guadalajara's eventful past and cultural identity. Regardless of who you are, a visit to these sacred locations may turn out to be a journey of discovery and contemplation for you in equal measure. Your spiritual self-guided pilgrimage awaits.
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Guadalajara Historical Churches Walking Tour Map

Guide Name: Guadalajara Historical Churches Walking Tour
Guide Location: Mexico » Guadalajara (See other walking tours in Guadalajara)
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Sightseeing)
# of Attractions: 8
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
Author: leticia
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:
  • Templo Expiatorio (Expiatory Church)
  • Templo de Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Our Lady of the Pilar Church)
  • Templo de Jesus Maria (Jesus Maria Church)
  • Templo de San Felipe Neri (San Felipe Neri Church)
  • Templo de la Merced (Church of Mercy)
  • Catedral de Guadalajara (Guadalajara Cathedral)
  • Templo de San Agustin (San Agustín Church)
  • Templo San Francisco de Asis (San Francisco Church)
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Templo Expiatorio (Expiatory Church)

1) Templo Expiatorio (Expiatory Church) (must see)

The Templo Expiatorio del Santísimo Sacramento, or Expiatory Church, is a Catholic church dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament. The church was designed by Italian architect Adamo Boari in the Neo-Gothic architectural style. Construction on the church began in 1897.

Construction on the Expiatory Church halted in 1910 due to the Mexican Revolution. Building did not start again until 1924. Three years later, architect Ignacio Diaz Morales took over the project and oversaw construction until it was completed almost 50 years later. The church was finally complete in 1972.

The church is primarily made of carved stone. The temple's doors are made of granadilla wood, carved by Jesús Gómez Velazco, and they are incrusted with bronze high reliefs made by master Benito Castañeda. The three tympana on the church's facade are embellished with Italian mosaics created in the Vatican's Mosaic Factory. The central one represents the Lamb of God; the east, Saint Tarcisius; and the west, Saint Pius X. The church clock, imported from Germany, has a 25-bell carillon.

Tourists are welcome to visit the church for free from 7 AM to 11 PM seven days per week.
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Templo de Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Our Lady of the Pilar Church)

2) Templo de Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Our Lady of the Pilar Church)

The Church of Our Lady of the Pillar is an elegant neoclassical building, commissioned by Bishop Manuel Mimbela. The church was built between 1718 and 1720 to serve the growing Barrio del Carmen and was later rebuilt in 1882, including vaulted ceilings and a refined portico façade. This structure is preserved as a historical monument by the National Institute of Anthropology and History.

Its exterior features a two-tiered yellow cantera stone façade, punctuated by a grand entrance portico supported by pink cantera pillars. Above, three niches showcase statues of the Virgin of the Pillar, Saint Joachim, and Saint Anne, crowned by a pediment with a Marian monogram.

Inside, visitors find a spacious single-nave basilica with five ribbed vaults and three side chapels, each boasting neoclassical altars crafted from Carrara marble. The main altar, also made of Carrara marble, houses a Gothic-style canopy sheltering the revered image of the Virgin of the Pillar.

The church remains spiritually alive, hosting traditional Latin Masses, offering a glimpse into centuries-old liturgical traditions that continue here. The Fraternity began administering the church in 2009, preserving its sacred rites.
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Templo de Jesus Maria (Jesus Maria Church)

3) Templo de Jesus Maria (Jesus Maria Church)

The Jesus Maria Church—officially known as the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Ray—stands as a beautifully preserved monument of colonial-era faith and Dominican heritage. Built in 1721 for a community of Dominican nuns, this church is a recognized historical landmark by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History. Its yellow and gray cantera stone facade, twin doorways, and an enduring atrium enclosed by pink cantera pillars and colonial wrought iron offer a timeless glimpse of 18th-century architectural elegance.

Step inside to admire a graceful single-nave basilican plan framed by ribbed vaults and fluted pilasters topped with double capitals—echoes of designs found in Guadalajara Cathedral. The interior boasts neoclassical altarpieces, oil paintings from the colonial period, and original choir screens that connect to the convent above. Among its most treasured features is the iconic image of the Virgin of the Lightning, which, according to tradition, was struck by lightning in 1807, yet miraculously spared both the image and the convent’s nuns.

The temple still houses functioning upper and lower choir lofts and hosts regular masses, including a special feast mass for the Virgin of the Ray. Moreover, it holds a respected place in Guadalajara’s traditional “Seven Temples” Holy Week pilgrimage, offering pilgrims a spiritually rich and scenically stunning stop on their journey.
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Templo de San Felipe Neri (San Felipe Neri Church)

4) Templo de San Felipe Neri (San Felipe Neri Church)

The San Felipe Neri Church is a magnificent Baroque and neoclassical church located in Guadalajara’s historic Centro district. Construction began in 1752 under the guidance of master builder Pedro José Ciprés and was completed in 1802. Today is recognized as a historic monument by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History.

Its grand Plateresque façade resembles an ornamental altarpiece carved in cantera stone, featuring sculpted niches of saints like Saint Philip Neri and Saint Francis of Assisi, as well as a richly adorned pediment and an extraordinary bell tower, often hailed as one of the finest in western Mexico. Inside, the church follows a Latin-cross plan beneath a soaring dome and drum. The serene neoclassical interior is lined with 14 awe-inspiring oil paintings by renowned 18th–century artist Miguel Cabrera, many preserved in their original frames.

The basilica has long stood as a spiritual center. It was originally built as the oratory for the Congregation of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, which arrived in Guadalajara in 1679 and remained until its suppression in 1858; it later passed to the Jesuits and the Sisters of Charity before taking its current status within the archdiocese. The church is also one of the celebrated stops on the traditional “Seven Temples” pilgrimage during Holy Week.
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Templo de la Merced (Church of Mercy)

5) Templo de la Merced (Church of Mercy)

The Church of Our Lady of Mercy—is a Baroque gem, built between 1650 and 1721 under the Mercedarian Order, this church is a good example of Mexican churrigueresque architecture, with a richly ornamented facade flanking one elegant tower. Its intricately carved stone portal includes niches displaying the Virgin of Mercy and fellow saints in gray-pink cantera stone.

Upon entering, visitors are welcomed into a spacious single-nave interior with a Latin cross layout. The walls are lined with massive oil paintings depicting the Virgin's miraculous apparitions and works of mercy, while the main altar features a finely sculpted cypress wood retablo housing statues of the Virgin and Child. Crystal chandeliers sprinkle across gilded altarpieces, and the sacristy holds rare 17th- and 18th-century paintings by Diego Cuentas.

Beyond its art and architecture, Templo de la Merced has been a spiritual focal point since its inception. Originally founded in 1629 and serving a convent, it later transitioned into a public parish. Its atrium was remodeled in 1896, enclosing a serene space with stone pilasters, iron grilles, and a marble statue of the Immaculate Conception—providing a peaceful oasis in the bustling city center.
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Catedral de Guadalajara (Guadalajara Cathedral)

6) Catedral de Guadalajara (Guadalajara Cathedral) (must see)

Guadalajara's first cathedral was built in 1541. This cathedral was damaged in a fire, and Phillip II, King of Spain, commissioned a new cathedral. Construction began in 1561 and was completed in 1618. The Spanish Renaissance-style Guadalajara Cathedral was consecrated in 1716.

After earthquakes damaged the cathedral in 1818 and 1849, architect Manuel Gómez Ibarra designed new Neo-Gothic towers. The towers were completed in 1854. Several more earthquakes have damaged the cathedral over the last one hundred years.

Guadalajara Cathedral has eleven altars gifted by King Fernando VII of Spain. The altars are dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of the Assumption, Our Lady of Zapopan, and Our Lady of Sorrows. In addition, there are also altars dedicated to Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Dominic, Saint Christopher, and Saint John of God.

The relics of Santa Innocencia are housed in the cathedral. In the 1700s, Santa Innocencia was killed by her father for converting to Catholicism. In addition, the cathedral houses the remains of several prominent cardinals and bishops.

In the Martyrs Relic, you can see the bones of 23 men that died during the Cristero Wars. The Cristero War, also known as the Cristero Rebellion, was a widespread struggle in central and western Mexico against the implementation of secularist and anticlerical articles of the 1917 Constitution. Pope John Paul II beatified these remains in 1992.

Spanish artist Bartolome Murillo painted the beautiful The Assumption of the Virgin in 1650. Emperor Carlos V donated the Virgin of the Roses sculpture.

The 19th-century organ was imported from France and took an entire year to assemble. The beautiful stained glass windows also came from France.

The cathedral has hidden tunnels that were used as escape routes and hiding places.
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Templo de San Agustin (San Agustín Church)

7) Templo de San Agustin (San Agustín Church)

San Agustin Church is known as Guadalajara's loveliest church. Phillip II of Spain commissioned the baroque church in 1573.

The Augustinian order had wanted its own church for many years, but rival Franciscans rejected the idea. Fray Antonio de Mendoza was put in charge of the new church, and his sister donated funds to build the church. San Agustín Church was built between 1573 and 1674 and features a distinctive gold and white facade.

Augustin convents were usually built facing west. However, the San Agustin Church was built facing north to face the city's main square at that time. The old square disappeared when the Degollado Theater was built in 1866.

The interior is simple and features an altar depicting Saint Augustine and his mother, Saint Monica.

In 1818, a large earthquake destroyed the church, which was rebuilt in 1854. The adjacent former convent now houses the School of Music of the University of Guadalajara.
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Templo San Francisco de Asis (San Francisco Church)

8) Templo San Francisco de Asis (San Francisco Church)

The San Francisco Church is one of Guadalajara’s oldest and most historically significant religious landmarks. Originally founded in 1530 by Fray Antonio de Segovia, the current church replaced a humble 16th-century adobe structure, with construction of the Baroque edifice commencing around 1668 and completing in 1692 under the Franciscans.

The church’s facade is a Baroque masterpiece featuring three levels of Solomonic, spiraled columns in the Corinthian order, decorative niches, and an ornate choir window—elements that echo the style of the Guadalajara cathedral from the same era. Inside, the basilica-plan interior is neoclassical, rebuilt in the 20th century following a devastating fire in 1936. It includes a single nave with soaring arches, elegant pillars, and stunning gilded altarpieces and paintings.

Visitors will enjoy the tranquil garden area, which originally served as a fruit orchard and cloistered courtyard for the Franciscan friars. In 1958 it was lovingly reconsecrated after reconstruction, and today stands as a National Historical Monument registered with the National Institute of Anthropology and History.

Walking Tours in Guadalajara, Mexico

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