San Miguel de Allende

On September 16, 1810, Miguel Hidalgo of the nearby city of Dolores, lead his his rebel army into the city of San Miguel. San Miguel, under the leadership of Ignacio Allende, helped rally against Spanish rule. The town was officially renamed San Miguel de Allende in 1826, in recognition of Ignacio Allende's contribution to the Mexican struggle for independence from Spain. The city of San Miguel is an amazingly beautiful town w/ a population of about 138,000, that displays it Spanish influence proudly in it's colonial style homes, large terrace windows, open air patios, ornate doorways, cobble stone roads and Spanish style churches. As in most Mexican towns, the tallest structure is the church steeple, making for amazing sunsets visible from any west facing street. The state of Guanajuato is considered to be the cradle of the Mexican revolution, w/ it's inception being in the neighboring town of Dolores Hidalgo. I was initially planning on staying in San Miguel for only about a week, but since learning of the areas historical meaning, I now plan on staying a bit longer and visiting neighboring Dolores Hidalgo. My intention is to learn as much as possible about my parents native country. I find it a tragedy that so much history and culture has the potential to be lost in one generation.

Book:
The Conquest of New Spain- Bernal Diaz