Salvatierra is seated over the fertile valley of Huatzindeo and surrounded by the Lerma River. The Lerma River gives birth to a singular irrigation water channel system considered by some historians as the oldest one in Hispanic America. Where you can admire interesting traces of water based architecture. There are important complexes known as “Molinos de Pan Moler”.

The city was founded under Royal Letters Patent, in February 1644. Salvatierra holds the honor of being the first town to be called city under the actual state of Guanajuato. Its first settlers were an exclusive Spaniard group who began the building of the great seigniorial large houses that can still be admired. And that’s why Salvatierra is recognized as one of the most important and beautiful historical centers of the state of Guanajuato.

With the arise of the independence movement drastically change the dynamics of the economical, political and social processes. The development of trade and agriculture was pretty down. So in the search for new alternatives, the establishment of the textile industry was fomented. This industry constituted one of the main economical pillars of the city until the second half of the 20^th Century. After the Revolutionary movement, everything in the city remains with great ease. The physiognomy of the city and its way of life hasn’t changed allowing that great part of its archeological and cultural heritage remained almost untouched all along the 20^th Century.

Tourist Attractions:

• Temple and convent of San Angelo Martyr (Del Carmen). It was the first construction built in the city. Its construction began in the year 1644. Same year as the foundation of the city. Built by the Architect Fray Andres de San Miguel, considered the only writer of treatise of the Colony.

• Temple Of. San Buenaventura (de San Francisco). It’s construction was begun during the first half of the 17th Century to be finished almost alter a hole century. The atrium of the Salvatierra’s Franciscan Monastery is built over bridges to safeguard the aged Gugorrones Channel. Built in moderate baroque, presents conventual’s house with a sever e cloister and a central mixtilineal fountain detached to the main altar with fine engraving in pink quarry in neoclassical style.

• Temple of the Tercera Orden (de San Antonio). Its construction dates form the beginnings of the XVII Century. In its sacristy was actually signed the certificate of foundation of the city. The temple presents a plant of a Latin cross with an octagonal copula in the crossing plain. It still conserves its  original door in baroque style with wood engravings. In the interior you can admire 2 artistic wall paints that were recently painted.

• Puente de Batanes. Built over the stream of the Lerma River in stone and dates from the first half of the XVII century.

• Ruinas de Marquesado (Known also as "Molino del Mayorazgo"). Were built over a seventy year’s older ruins in 1686. The gallery consists of 13 middle point arches ending in its western pinnacle in a chapel in baroque style that originally possessed a magnificent retable built in golden foil that can still be admired in the Sacristy of the Diocesan Sanctuary.  

• Temple of Santo Domingo. From the first city of the XVIII Century,  With elements of a moderate baroque style conserving its atrium and a very interesting cemetery with funeral monuments of a relevant artistic quality

• Diocesan Sanctuary of the Virgen de la Luz. Its baroque forms and neo-classical accents convert this Church in one of the most beautiful Temples in the archbishopric of Michoacán. Its construction began in the year 1744 to conclude the first stage in 1808. The planes for its construction were drawn in the Royal Academy of Engineering in Mexico City. It is very probable that in any of its altars we could find some remains of the genius of the two greatest figures of neo-classical art in Mexico: Manuel Tolsa and Eduardo Tresguerras. In this temple they worship the sculpture of The Virgen de la Luz Bellisima built with the corn cane paste technique that dates from the XVI Century. And that is pretty famous and devoted because of its miracles.

• Temple and Convent of the Capuchinas. The construction began in 1770 ending in 1798. The importance of this temple is that it is one of the only three dedicated to the feminine monkish in the Estado de Guanajuato during the Viceroyalty.

• Mercado Hidalgo (marketplace). Built in 1910 thanks to the bonhomie of the Profirian period, presents a plant of five aisles and with a facade engraved in pink quarry in a pretty depurated eclectic style.

• Seminario of Cristo Rey. Nineteenth construction as a textile factory plant, which lasted working as a factory till the 20^th Century. Now days it shelters a seminary.

Celebration and Festivals:

• City Fair: (From the last week of January to February 9th).It is celebrated  with an agricultural, commercial and handcrafts expo, dances, parades and cultural events, bull fight maintaining its provincial character. There you can enjoy diverse spectacles from musical concerts to  popular and folkloric presentation like cockfight , dancing and mechanical games.

• City foundation anniversary: (February 9th). Civic Character Acts and popular vervains.

• Celebration honoring The Virgen de la Luz, Patron Saint of Salvatierra: (In May 7). Popular character Pilgrimage and vervains. Wind dawn.

• Festivities honoring San Antonio: (June 13th) Pyrotechnical Games, Handcrafts sales.

• Celebraciones en honor a la Virgen del Carmen: (July).Processions take place, popular vervain, Pyrotechnical fires. Popular vervain.

• National independence anniversary: (September 16th). Cultural character festivities, Civic Ceremonies and popular vervain.

• Death People Day Celebration: (November 2^nd) Cultural events and altar building.

• Festivities Honoring the Lord of the Good Temporal: (Second Sunday in November). It takes place in the San Juan ward, with a popular vervain, Dawn with musical wind bands and a unique arrangement of arches made with to thank for the good harvest.
  
   

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