Temple of Saint Francis in Tzintzuntzan

Construction of this church started between 1530 and 1540 and was finished around 1600 by the monk Pedro de Pila. The building boasts an elegant plateresque-style facade with balustraded columns and a large scalloped niche over the choral window. Just a few steps away, is its marvelous Capilla Abierta (Open Chapel) from the 16th century. At that time, such open chapels were essential to bringing together and evangelizing the region’s indigenous Purépecha people. Take in its rich ornamentation that is also strikingly plateresque, and the towering olive trees in its courtyard that are said to have been planted by Vasco de Quiroga himself.