Convent of San Francisco, Madero Street, Mexico City facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Convent of San Francisco
View of the Balvanera Chapel entrance from Madero Street
General information
Location	Mexico City, Mexico

Main altar

The Convent of San Francisco is a very old church and monastery in the heart of Mexico City. It's located on Madero Street, close to the Torre Latinoamericana. This place was once the main home for the first twelve Franciscan friars who came to New Spain (which is now Mexico). They had permission from the Pope to teach people about Christianity.

Long ago, this was one of the biggest and most important monasteries in Mexico City. It was even built where Moctezuma II's zoo used to be! At its largest, the church and monastery covered a huge area, about 32,224 square meters. That's like more than four soccer fields!

A Look at the Past

Many important things happened at the Convent of San Francisco over the years.

• A special funeral service was held here for Hernán Cortés when people thought he had died in Central America.
• In 1629, a leader called the Marquis of Gelves hid here after an argument with the archbishop.
• In 1692, another leader, the Count of Galve, and his wife found safety here during a big rebellion in the city.
• The end of the Mexican War of Independence was celebrated here. A special prayer service took place as the Trigarante Army, with 16,000 soldiers, marched past on Madero Street. Their leader was Agustín de Iturbide.

What Happened to the Monastery?

After the Reform War, many monasteries like San Francisco were closed down. The government took most of their land and buildings. A lot of the old monastery was torn down to build new roads.

Today, parts of the old building are used for other things:

• A Methodist church now stands where some of the monastery used to be.
• A popular bakery, Panadería Ideal, is also on the old monastery grounds.
• Some old chapels, like Calvario and San Antonio, still stand because it was too expensive to knock them down.

The only part that still belongs to the church is the main church building itself.

The Church Today

The church you see now is actually the third one built on this spot. The first two churches slowly sank into the soft ground of Mexico City. So, they had to be rebuilt. This current church was built between 1710 and 1716.

The main entrance you see on Madero Street actually leads into the Balvanera Chapel. In front of it, there's an open area called an atrium. You go down several steps to reach the church because it's also slowly sinking.

The main front of the church, built in 1710, is now hidden behind a wall. You enter the church through a side door into the Balvanera Chapel. This chapel's front was built in 1766. Inside the chapel, you can see an 18th-century altar dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Inside the Church

The main church has a large, golden main altar. This altar replaced an older, more decorated one. We know what the original looked like because an artist named Jerónimo Antonio Gil drew it.

The old cloister, which was a covered walkway, on Gante Street is now a Methodist church. Both floors of this cloister are very well kept. You can visit it if you get permission beforehand.

Important People from San Francisco

Some notable people were connected to this convent:

• Martín de Valencia: He was the founder of the Convent.
• Juan Agustín Morfi: He was a leader of the Convent and an important writer about the New Philippines.

See also

In Spanish: Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (Ciudad de México) para niños

• List of colonial churches in Mexico City