Colonia Guerrero is a colonia of Mexico City located just north-northwest of the historic center. Its borders are formed by Ricardo Flores Magón to the north, Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas and Paseo de la Reforma to the east, Eje1 Poniente Guerrero to the west and Avenida Hidalgo to the south. The colonia has a long history, beginning as an indigenous neighborhood in the colonial period called Cuepopan. The origins of the modern colonia begin in the first half of the 19th century, but most of its development occurred as a residential area in the late 19th and early 20th. Over the 20th century, several rail lines and major arteries were built through here, changing its character Cuauhtémoc borough. It is home to two early colonial era churches, the Franz Mayer Museum and one Neo-Gothic church from the Porfirian era.
Location
The neighborhood is bordered by:
Av. Ricardo Flores Magón on the north, across which is Tlatelolco
Eje 1 Poniente Guerrero on the west, across which is Colonia Buenavista
Av. Hidalgo on the south, across which is the Historic center
Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas on the east, across which is the Historic center
Landmarks
Although the Santa Veracruz Church, the Franz Mayer Museum and the San Hipólito Church are associated with the historic center of the city due to their locations along Hidalgo Street, they are officially located in Colonia Guerrero. The Santa Veracruz Church is one of the oldest religious establishments in Mexico City and was the third most important church in the area in the 16th century. It was established by a religious brotherhood founded by Hernán Cortés. The parish church was originally built in 1586, but this building was replaced in the 18th century to the one standing today. The former monastery building and hospital now house the Franz Mayer Museum, but the church still maintains its original function. Most of its interior decorations are gone, but it is still home to two important images, the Christ of the Seven Veils and the Virgin of the Remedies (also called La Gachupina).The church is located on the east side of the Plaza of Santa Veracruz, between 2 de Abril and Valeriano Trijillo Streets facing Hidalgo Street and the Alameda Central .
The Franz Mayer Museum is located in the Plaza of Santa Veracruz, in a building which used to be the first hospital built by the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God in America. The museum houses the largest collection of decorative and utilitarian items in Mexico, most of which was collected by the museum's founder Franz Mayer. The collection includes dishes, ceramics, furniture, textiles, sculptures, paintings and more from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The building itself is also considered to be part of the museum, especially its cloister and courtyard.
The San Hipólito Church on the corner of Hidalgo and Paseo de la Reforma, marks the location where the majority of Spanish people died during La Noche Triste in 1521, as the Spanish retreated towards Tacuba. After the Conquest, the Spanish located a hermitage here to commemorate their dead. The current church was begun in 1559 and eventually was expanded to include a hospital at the end of the 17th century.
The Inmaculado Corazón de María Church is squarely located in the colonia. It was begun in 1887 and designed by engineer Ismael Rego in Neo-Gothic style. It was finished in 1902. Originally, it was supposed to have three naves, but only one was constructed. For this reason, the building is out of proportion. Despite its stone columns and iron arches, it was severely damaged in the earthquake of 1957, which separated the south wall from the vault. This damage was never repaired, so when the earthquake of 1985 occurred, part of the building completely collapsed. Government authorities decided to demolish the rest of the church and rebuild it, keeping the old facade and towers which had not been damaged significantly.
History
Its original names were Cuepopan, Colonia Bellavista, and Colonia San Fernando. It was created from horse facilities that belonged to the Propaganda FIDE de San Fernando College around 1873. Prior to this, this area was part of the old indigenous neighborhood of Cuepopan. The first church in this neighborhood was built in 1524, with a rotunda added in 1667. The area became named after this church: Santa María La Redonda, with “La Redonda” referring to the rotunda.