Cuadrante de San Francisco, Coyoacán

Photos: Catedrales e Iglesias/Cathedrals and Churches, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

The Cuadrante de San Francisco is one of the Barrios Originarios of Coyoacán. As such, it’s a crooked, winding, cobblestoned neighborhood just below the Avenida Miguel Ángel de Quevedo. A couple of limited access points along the avenue give way to the inner neighborhood which is ultimately centered around the atrium of a very old chapel, and a newer church meant to expand capacity.

To get to the old chapel, one needs to follow the many winding streets. These follow even older crooked water ways, long since lost, but which remind one of old Coyoacán’s reputation as a place of lagoons and springs.

The chapel famously dates from the 16th century. It stood, in some part, as as open chapel and likely occupies an ancient ceremonial ground. The atrium has long been a center not just for the evangelical outreach of the Franciscans, but as a point for socializing and community meetings of all kinds. The three arches of the older chapel are said to be preserved from the original open air chapel.

The bell tower dates from the 18th century and it is widely recognized for the pyramid shaped base. The chapel was closed in the mid-20th century when the new church was built and is today only rarely opened.

Much of the neighborhood is historical in character, and the few crooked streets will often give way to ever more resplendent views. It’s a good place for walking, exploring, and for learning something new.