Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Tizapan

The Church of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Tizapan is the main parish church of the town of Tizapan. One of the original settlements of Álvaro Obregón, the church is the former center of colonial-era political and civic life.

Like many communities in this area, Tizapan was a town subject to the altepetl of Coyoacán. In the colonial period, the Dominicans dedicated a small hermitage here to San Felipe Tizapan. This was re-dedicated, in 1857, to the Niño Jesús Tizapán. Only later, the chapel’s patronage was changed to Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. The church has a long history in relation to the San Jacinto Monastery in San Ángel.

Parts of the building date from the 16th century. It has been modified numerous times over the course of its near 500-year history. The façade is Neoclassical and dates from the late 18th century. The Chapel is also known as the “Oxen Chapel” for the heads over the south entranceway façade. These recall the area’s chief occupation even into the early 19th century.

Today, the Church of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Tizapan has a remarkably well-preserved atrium. The atrial walls and entranceways contribute a great deal to the overall ambience of the neighborhood. Outside the atrium, they constitute the Parque Pueblo de Tizapan. The area’s great charm and character is intact despite the modern addition of a rather hulking newer church that takes up its share of the old church’s plot of land.

Not at all by coincidence, the church is directly in front of the old, and rather small, Mercado Batallón San Patricio. It’s a magnificent place to visit for the true Mexico City die-hard.