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 and important church complex in Mexico City, Mexico. It's located at the end of Madero Street in the city's historic center. This place was once a huge monastery, home to the first twelve Franciscan friars who came to Mexico. They were sent by the Pope to share their faith in what was then called New Spain.

In the early days of the Spanish colony, this was one of the biggest and most powerful monasteries in Mexico City. It was even built where Moctezuma II's zoo used to be! When it was at its largest, the church and monastery covered a huge area. This area is now bordered by Bolivar, Madero, Eje Central, and Venustiano Carranza Streets.

A Giant Cross and Important Events

In the main courtyard of the monastery, there was once a very tall cross. People said it was taller than any other tower in the city. It was made from a cypress tree from the "Chapultepec Forest." This forest was the wooded area west of the Zocalo, where the San Francisco complex was built.

The church and monastery saw many important historical moments.

• A special funeral service for Hernán Cortés was held here. People thought he had died in Central America.
• In 1629, the Marquis of Gelves hid here after a disagreement with the archbishop.
• In 1692, 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, called a Te Deum, took place. This happened as the Trigarante Army, with 16,000 soldiers, marched past on Madero Street. They were led by Agustín de Iturbide.

Changes Over Time

After the Reform War, the San Francisco monastery, like many others, was closed down. Most of its land and buildings were taken by the government. A lot of the old monastery was torn down to make way for new roads.

Other parts of the old building are now used for different purposes.

• A Methodist church now stands on Gante Street.
• A popular bakery called Panadería Ideal is also located where part of the monastery once was.
• The bakery on 16 de Septiembre Street used to be the "De Profundus Room" of the monastery.
• The Methodist church is actually inside the old cloister (a covered walkway).
• On the corner of Venustiano Carranza and Eje Central, you can still see what used to be the Calvario and San Antonio chapels. These buildings were left standing because it was too expensive to tear them down.

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

The Church Building Today

The church you see today is actually the third one built on this spot. The first two churches slowly sank into the soft ground of Mexico City. They had to be taken down. This current church was built between 1710 and 1716.

Even though the whole building is called the San Francisco Church, the entrance on Madero Street is actually for the Balvanera Chapel. In front of this entrance is an atrium (an open courtyard). Several sets of stairs lead down to the church because it is also slowly sinking.

The church's original main front, built in 1710, is now hidden behind a wall and cannot be seen. You enter the church through a side door into the Balvanera Chapel, and then you can go into the main church.

The Balvanera Chapel

The front of the Balvanera Chapel was built in 1766. No one is completely sure who designed it, but many believe it was the work of Lorenzo Rodríguez. He is famous for his work on the Metropolitan Tabernacle.

The statues on the chapel's front were removed when an Evangelical group used the chapel. However, other beautiful decorations remained. These include volutes (spiral shapes), carved leaves and flowers, and special columns called "estipite" columns. Inside the chapel, there is an 18th-century altarpiece. This is a decorated screen behind the altar, dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. You can also find the entrance to what was once the Chapel of the Second Station of the Stations of the Cross.

Inside the Main Church

In the main church, there is a large, golden main altar. This altar replaced the original one, which was in the Baroque style. The original altar has been rebuilt because an artist named Jerónimo Antonio Gil left a drawing of it. He was a Neoclassic artist.

Only the walls of the original "De Profundis Room" remain. The rest of that area has been changed into the bakery. The old cloister on Gante Street is in better shape. It is now a Methodist church, and both floors of the cloister inside are well preserved. You can visit it, but you need to get permission first.

Notable Franciscans

• Martín de Valencia: He was the founder of the Convent.
• Juan Agustín Morfi: He was the "Guardián" (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