Historic center of Puebla
The Historic Monuments Zone of Puebla is an almost 7 km polygon that is considered the origin and historic center of Puebla de Zaragoza, the capital of Puebla State.
This Zone was decreed an area of Historic Monuments in 1977 by presidential decree and then declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco on December 11, 1987.
Puebla de Zaragoza is located at the foot of the Popocatépetl volcano, and its foundation was in 1531.
You can admire the mosaic of its many buildings, highlighting some, because such are its facades that feature the harmonious combination of bricks with artistic tiles and reliefs in white mortar.
The preservation of this urban-architectural heritage was the reason for the historic center of Puebla to enter the List of World Heritage Sites.
The historic center still retains a lot of colonial architecture. Several of the oldest buildings were badly damaged after the 1999 earthquake, which was subsequently repaired; However, after the effects of the 2017 earthquake, some of them again suffered damage.
Of all the colonial buildings, the most impressive is the Puebla Cathedral, built in a neoclassical style. The Chapel of the Rosary in the church of Santo Domingo is an example of a Mexican dramatic baroque.
Other important places are El Barrio del Artist, where local arts and the Center and the Zocalo are produced, where the Puebla Cathedral and the Municipal Palace are located.
Monuments Zone
The area of historical monuments subject to Federal Decree comprises an area of 6.99 sq km consisting of 391 blocks in which there are 2,619 buildings with historical value built in three centuries XVI and XIX and of which 61 were destined, at some time, to the religious worship
Among them, the convent groups of San Francisco, Santo Domingo, San Agustín, El Carmen, Santa Bárbara, San Antonio and the Society of Jesus, the convents of Nuns of Santa Teresa, Santa Clara, The Holy Trinity, Santa Rosa, Santa Inés and Santa Mónica, the temples of Guadalupe, San Pablo, San José, San Marcos, Santo Angel de Analco, de la Luz and de la Santa Cruz.
Among the aforementioned buildings, buildings have been destined for educational purposes and assistance services, as well as for the use of civil and military authorities and among them the hospitals of San Pedro, Belén, San Roque, San Juan de Letrán, San José, the Colleges of San Ildefonso and San Jerónimo, the Normal School of Teachers, the State Conservatory, the railway stations, the Penitentiary, the San Juan de Dios Prison, the Victory Market and the Forts of Loreto and Guadalupe.
The remaining 2,487 buildings are civil buildings for private use in which Mudejar’s influence is combined with Renaissance forms in various architectural elements, with manifestations of great personality emerging in the Baroque era, especially in the cladding of buildings and in ornamental details that define a true regional style.
These modalities were manifested until the end of the 19th century, integrating baroque and neoclassical elements with expressions of romanticism and the eclectic of the Porfirian era even though in many cases only colonial architectural structures were covered or adapted.
Representative architecture
List of the most representative buildings, both religious and civil, of the different historical stages of the colonial architecture, of independent Mexico and prior to the Mexican Revolution that belong to the picture of the Historic Center of Puebla:
Civil Buildings
- Old Tocinery
- House of the China Poblana
- House of the Little Heads
- House of the Infants
- Velázco House
- House of the Presidio
- House that killed the animal
- Single house
- House of Dr. Francisco Marín or Mechor de Covarrubias
- Ex Convent of the Clean Conception (Hotel Camino Real)
- Inn of the Christ
- Prophetic House of Reading
Public Buildings
- Old Haro and Tamariz Maternity House
- Old Pond of Pescaditos
- Palafoxiana Library
- Aguayo House
- Agustín Arrieta House
- Yellow House
- La Palma House
- Queen’s House
- House of the Vaults
- House of the Arches
- House of the Canyons, Arronte Building
- Sheriff’s House
- House of Notaries of the State of Puebla
- House of the Marquis
- Portalillo del Alto House
- Munuera House
- Presno House
- Rabid House
- House of Obraje de Puig
- Conservatory of Music of the State of Puebla
- Protocol Building
- Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Building
- Carolino Building
- Puebla State Congress Building
- Former Cloister of the Convent of San Francisco
- Former College of San Francisco Javier
- Former College of San Ignacio
- Former College of San Ildefonso
- Former College of San Juan
- Former College of San Pantaleón
- Former College of San Pedro
- Former San Pedro College
- Former Seminary College of San Jerónimo
- Former Hospital and College of Children Expósito de San Cristóbal
- Former Episcopal Palace
- Washrooms of Almoloya
- La Victoria Market
- Alfeñique House
- Dean’s House
- José Luis Bello y Zetina Museum
- Amparo Museum
- Museum of Religious Art of the former Convent of Santa Monica
- San Pedro Museum of Art (formerly Royal Hospital of San Pedro)
- Museum of Nonintervention, Forts of Loreto and Guadalupe
- Museum of the Mexican Revolution, Casa de Aquiles Serdán
- Former Convent Museum of Santa Rosa
- National Museum of the Mexican Railways
- Regional Museum
- University Museum, House of the Count of Castelo, or House of the Dolls
- City Hall
- Patio de los Azulejos former Exercise House
- Main Theater
Historical Heritage Rescued by BUAP
The Benemérita Autonomous University of Puebla for more than 4 decades has made efforts to preserve buildings that integrate the wealth of the heritage of the historic center of Puebla.
From the first years of the seventies until 2002 the University had 23 buildings in the historic center and by 2013 it already had 34. Many were in ruins when it was acquired and currently used for its schools and administrative offices.
Religious buildings
- Basilica Cathedral of Puebla
- Chapel of the Rosary
- Chapel of San Ildefonso
- Chapel of the Metropolitan Tabernacle
- Convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán
- San José Parish
- San Marcos Parish
- Guadalupe Shrine
- Conventual Temple of Our Lady of Carmen
- San Agustín Convent Temple
- San Francisco Convent Temple
- Temple of Clean Conception
- Holy Cross Temple
- Temple of Our Lady of Solitude
- San Cristobal Temple
- Temple of the Convent of the Holy Trinity
- Temple of the Holy Spirit The Company
- Temple of the Convent of Santa Rosa de Lima
- Temple of the Oratory of San Felipe Neri La Concordia
- Temple of the Holy Angel Custodian of Analco
- Temple and Convent of Santa Catalina de Siena
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