The Hyper Spanish Colonial City of Queretaro Mexico

Sep 9, 2022 • By Leonidas K. • 4 min read

Mexico Travel

A Desire to Discover the Colonial City of Santiago of Queretaro, Mexico

Mexico is adorned all over with Colonial towns and cities that still have incredibly vibrant and strong Spanish-colonial architecture and design. Whether it’s the downtown core of Mexico City, the colonial city in the desert of Oaxaca, or the small colonial Villages of San Cristobal de las Casas, among dozens if not hundreds more.

One such city is Queretaro, which was originally founded by an indigenous group called the “Otomi” before being conquered by the Aztec Empire in 1446, and then eviscerated into Catholicism by the Spanish empire in 1531.

By 1810, Queretaro was used as a staging ground for a revolution against the Spanish crown which was leaching resources for their wars of empire in Europe and abroad.

And by 1867, Mexico was able to kick out the empire of France who decided to conquer Mexico for their own years earlier. It was in Queretaro that a puppet king of Europe (Maximilian) was executed, thus freeing Mexico from European imperial rule.

The 1917 Constitution of Mexico was written in Queretaro, followed by the creation of one of the most powerful political parties, which remained in power for almost 80 years, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

The full name “Santiago de Queretaro” translates as “Saint James of the Place of Pines”

Exploring Queretaro

Despite all of this, you are only inundated with the deeply rich history of the architecture of Queretaro, through their archaic narrow streets, large colonial monuments and buildings, and massive churches from a fervently religious era long ago.

I came here with my GF at the time, and we were not disappointed by the charm of the city, which kept its colonial past, yet remained alive, noisy, and congested with traffic and people going about their day.

Upon arriving, you are instantly transported into the old world of colonial Mexico.

As soon as you step into the boundaries of Queretaro, you are transported into the old world

One of the many enormous and beautiful churches in Queretaro, Mexico

The narrow streets of Queretaro flanked by a church

The narrow streets of Queretaro are ideal for photoshoots

An old car that still has potential in Queretaro

Queretaro features a couple nice and fancy restaurants for everyone

Statues of historically influential people in Queretaro

One of the original founders of Queretaro as a Spanish colony, Juan Sanchez de Alanis

Church of the Congregation of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Queretaro

Mexico sometimes portrays a balance between indigenous cultures and Spanish colonialism. But that wasn’t the case

Inside the Church of the Congregation of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Queretaro

The Purepecha were the indigenous groups that inhabited this area, before they were ruthlessly suppressed into Catholicism

A homeless man sleeps outside the church in Queretaro

The narrow streets of Queretaro are visually appealing, and present a great photo opportunity

An indigenous man plays the guitar? in Queretaro

I’m not sure what is happening, but these might be a “working girls” in Queretaro

A map of the colonial constructions in Queretaro, Mexico

A wonderful map of all of the Magical colonial cities in Mexico, based on the mine extraction trade

More Colonialism, Churches & History in Queretaro

Looking back, I honestly believe that Queretaro should not be purely explored solo, and should instead be presented with a tour guide. Otherwise, you miss out on such a rich history of this amazing city.

The following day, my lady friend and I continued our adventure to see as much of the city as possible, going through various markets, cathedrals, churches, alleyways, parks, and so much more.

Another wonderful plaza in Queretaro, Mexico

Overlooking one of many churches scattered around Queretaro, Mexico

Kids hide in the shade on a warm Queretaro day

Parking on the streets of Queretaro Mexico, with a wonderful cathedral in the distance

I can’t recall which church this was in Queretaro, Mexico

Locals gather around food stalls in Queretaro, Mexico

The Grave of Emperor Maximilian the 1st of Austria

We also stopped at the Cemetery of Emperor Maximilian.

He was a puppet Emperor from Austria, yet installed by the imperialist French empire when they briefly captured Mexico.

In the end, Mexico won its independence through various guerilla tactics and large-scale battles, resulting in the capture and execution of the Emperor.

Sitting outside the mausoleum of Emperor Maximilian in Queretaro, Mexico

A sensationalist portrayal of Emperor Maximilian of Austria

More Exploration in Queretaro

The day progressed with more wonderful churches with their own individual histories, that I would have loved to learn about, but unfortunately, only saw them in a transient manner.

Another amazing church in Queretaro, Mexico

Worshippers hold mass in Queretaro, Mexico

Mexico at one point had over 5 million Volkswagen buggies in active use

Down the hyper-colonial streets of Queretaro

This church was covered inside with gold, or at least it seemed that way

The form of colonial architecture used in the deserts of Queretaro, Mexico

A hyper-red and yellow church in Queretaro

Queretaro has no shortage of plazas that have been gentrified to something more pleasing

Another enormous church to explore and learn a bit of history with

Once again, no shortage of extremely beautiful churches, basilicas, chapels and much more in Mexico

Queretaro Open Air Tourism Marketplace

Within the many crisscrossing and interlaced streets of Queretaro is an open-air market featuring tourism trinkets, and chic restaurants to drop into. Here I bought a couple of small trinkets to take home with me. For most Mexicans, there probably isn’t much novelty in these wares, but for a foreigner, every item was something of interest.

The open-air tourism market in Queretaro

A wide assortment of Mexican dolls for sale in Queretaro

There is no lack of abundance of these dolls. I wish I would’ve taken a few more home since they are so colorful

In one of the streets was an old colonial home, that featured many different shops tucked away, almost too much of a secret

A collection of old things accumulated over time, all for sale

A shop featuring more old things, including old cameras

A collection of old cameras from decades long gone in Queretaro

The Aqueducts

Despite Mexico being such a wonderful place of colonial cities, and churches, sometimes it’s hard to stand out among all of the histories. Yet, Queretaro features an amazing pink Aqueduct that represents a hallmark of the city.

The giant pink aqueducts of Queretaro feed a city that was starved of water in the desert

The aqueducts cuts from the old town, all the way into areas unknown in Queretaro

The Corregidora Mausoleum, is the final resting place of Mexican Independence from Spanish Imperial rule

Taking a selfie with a contemporary priest. I’m not sure what his denomination is

A car on its last legs of survival, covered in Rust, in Queretaro, Mexico

A statue to the independence of Mexico against Spanish imperial rule

A statue commemorating the 1917 constitution of Mexico, written in Queretaro

Santiago De Queretaro Conclusion

Honestly, this place requires a tour guide to explain the deep and absolutely rich history of Queretaro. I would have absolutely loved to hear about all of the nuances of the streets, parks, churches, etc.

Just walking around the colonial streets, baroque architecture, mausoleums, and more, only gives you a superficial understanding of its depth.

If you get a chance one day to visit Santiago De Queretaro in Mexico, I highly recommend it.

And as always,

Leonidas

Salud