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The image of the Virgen de Guadalupe is iconic. The image is near and dear to Mexican Catholics and famous the world over.
The story of the Virgen de Guadalupe (or Our Lady of Guadalupe) happened right here in Mexico City. The current Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe complex was built on the spot where the apparition happened and serves as a major pilgrimage site for Catholics. This guide will give you some background on the story of the Virgen de Guadalupe and offer suggestions on how to plan your visit to the Basilica.
Whether you are religious or not, the Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe is worth a slot on your Mexico City dance card. It’s more than a church; it’s a sprawling complex of churches, chapels, cemeteries, sculptures and, of course, souvenir shops. You can get your Virgen de Guadalupe memento in every size or shape imaginable, including a bottle of holy water.
Oh, and did I mention spectacular views of Mexico City? Yes – it’s got those too!
The most important artifact, however, is the famous tilma, or cloak. It is on display in the main (new) Basilica building for all to see. They say it is the original tilma from 1531, and the fact that it is still looking good is a testament to the miracle of the apparition. You can check it out for yourself.
But first, if you are wondering what all the fuss is about, let’s have a quick recap of the Story of Juan Diego and the Virgen de Guadalupe and how the tilma came to be. After all, this event was a turning point in converting the indigenous people of Mexico (“los Indios”) to Catholicism.
The Story of Juan Diego and the Virgen de Guadalupe
Legend has it that in December 1531 the Virgin Mary (aka the Virgen de Guadalupe) appeared four times to the pious peasant Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (famously just “Juan Diego”). I have also heard the story told with just two apparitions. Quién sabe.
The first time the Virgen de Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego in December 1531, she requested that he ask the bishop to build a chapel in her honor on Tepeyac Hill.
Juan Diego went to the bishop, Fray Juan Zumárraga, with this request. The bishop was skeptical and told Juan Diego to come back tomorrow.
Juan Diego encountered the Virgen de Guadalupe again and told her that the bishop wasn’t taking the request seriously. So she told him to keep trying. He told the bishop again, and the bishop said he needed a sign, some kind of proof that the apparition was real.
Juan Diego saw the Virgen de Guadalupe again and mentioned the bishop’s request for proof. Then Juan Diego got sidetracked tending to a dying uncle, but he ran into the Virgen again, this time on December 12. She told him to run up the hill and collect the flowers growing there, and there he would find his proof.
Juan Diego did as he was told, and found out-of-season roses growing in abundance. He scooped them up and placed them in his cloak and ran back down the hill. He to the bishop, where he opened his cloak and the flowers fell to the floor. Most importantly, the roses left a lasting imprint of the Virgen de Guadalupe on his cloak (or tilma).
The bishop was convinced! And he built the chapel on the hill.
The tilma was placed in the chapel for safekeeping, tended to by Juan Diego for the rest of his days. And the tilma became the stuff of legend. To this day it remains the centerpiece of this pilgrimage site.
In good news, sidebar, Juan Diego’s uncle was also cured.
In 1737 the Virgen de Guadalupe was proclaimed patroness of Mexico City.
Juan Diego’s Sainthood
Pope John Paul II announced the beatification of Juan Diego in 1990 in Mexico City, declaring him “protector and advocate of indigenous peoples”. This declaration was not without controversy, as there were some who believed that Juan Diego was more legend than man.
Nonetheless, Pope John Paull II sealed the deal when he canonized Juan Diego in 1992, also in Mexico City. There is a massive statue to Pope John Paul II between the two basilicas.
Juan Diego is the first Catholic saint indigenous to the Americas. His saint day is December 9.
The Tilma
So what is so special about this cloak? And is it real?
There are many claims of authenticity for the cloak, some symbolic, some scientific, some requiring a little leap of faith.
First the symbolism. The Virgen de Guadalupe appears to have somewhat indigenous features and is dressed in clothing typical of the area. The rays emerging from behind her represent the sun, and there is a crescent moon at her feet. Her shawl is covered in stars, which they say perfectly represent the night sky on the night of December 12, 1531.
Earlier reports of the image show a gold crown on her head, which was apparently removed in later years.
They say that she is pregnant in this image, and you can tell by the ribbon around her waist.
Some say that these features also have characteristics of the Nahuatl god Tonantzin. This reference to indigenous culture helped draw indigenous people into the Catholic fold, with the Virgen de Guadalupe as a symbol of unity.
If you zoom in super super close, apparently you can see the image of Bishop Zumarraga and others reflected in her eyes. The images in the eyes also reflect the science behind how real eyes work (i.e. the Samson-Purkinje effect).
Over the years, many people have inspected the tilma to verify its miraculousness. Painters in the 1600s and 1700s declared that this could not be the work of man, with such clean lines on rough fabric. Others say that analysis shows no brushstrokes. Other painters and experts in the 1980s declared that the painting was indeed possible by humans, and used paints made from pigments available during that time period. Even others say that is hogwash.
What cannot be denied is that the tilma and the image have not deteriorated much over time. This is quite remarkable for natural fabrics of this kind, that normally disintegrate within 50 years or so. This is especially impressive given that in the early years it was displayed without protection in a chapel with incense and candles.
At this point, I don’t think it really matters. The image of the Virgen de Guadalupe is here to stay and it gives the faithful comfort and joy.
What to Expect at the Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe
This article presents information on how to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe as a tourist, not as a pilgrim. The official Basilica website provides better information for those looking for a more spiritual experience, including mass times, offerings, and other pilgrim activities.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe hosts a number of important buildings and sites related to Juan Diego and the apparition. You can visit sites in any order, but I recommend visiting them in the general order below:
- Plaza Mariana
- The Basilica Belltower
- Parish Church of Saint Mary of Guadalupe “Capuchins”
- The Old Basilica of Guadalupe: The Cristo Rey Expiatory Temple
- New Basilica of Guadalupe
- Basilica Museum
- Tepeyac Pantheon
- Chapel on the Hill
- Sacred Tepeyac Garden
- Shops
- Chapel of the Well
- Old Parish Church of the Indians
- Plaza Mariana and the Guadalupe Museum
Yes—it’s a lot! If you want to see it all, plan to spend a good three to four hours at the site. This itinerary has you starting with the old and new Basilicas, winding your way up the hill, and winding your way down through the gardens and shops back to the plaza.
This section has a little information on each of the sites to help you plan your route and prioritize your time. This is the guide I wish I had had when I visited, rather than wandering around wondering what the importance of the various buildings and sites was.
Click here if you want to jump straight to information on how to plan your visit.
Plaza Mariana
When you first walk through the main complex gates, you are struck by the vast paved open space that is the Plaza Mariana. This is where you will most feel the heat of the sun beating down on you. This vast plaza is ready for a LOT of pilgrims.
From the plaza you can look in almost any direction and see the important buildings that make up the Basilica complex.
The Basilica Belltower (Carillón Guadalupano)
While it looks like a child of the 70s, this clunky concrete clock/belltower was completed in 1991. It was designed by notable Mexican architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, who also designed the new Basilica (and the Anthropology Museum).
The tower is 23 meters (75 feet) tall and has 48 bronze bells that can chime a variety of tunes. Although it looks simple, there is plenty of symbolism in the tower. If you walk around, it shows the many ways to measure time, with a classic analog clock, a sundial, an astrolabe, and a lunar Aztec clock.
There is also apparently (according to the cdmx.gob.mx site) “a circular cyclo-rama that displays the story of the apparitions of the Virgin. Robotic figures of Juan Diego, Fray Juan de Zumárraga, and Juan Bernardino, plus the doors and lighting, are all put in motion by a complex control system made in Holland.” But I didn’t know to look for it and didn’t see anything that fits that descriptoin. The belltower was also undergoing some sort of renovation when I was there.
Parish Church of Saint Mary of Guadalupe “Capuchins”(Parroquia de Santa María de Guadalupe “Capuchinas”)
This parish church, located just to the east of the old Basilica, was originally a convent run by the Capuchin mothers of Santa María de Guadalupe. The building was completed in 1797 and, like the old Basilica, has suffered from serious subsidence over the years. They shored it up in the 1980s, so hopefully that will hold up.
The church has been used on and off to house the tilma when the main Basilica is closed (though this last happened in 1888).
It’s worth it to pop in for a few minutes to check it out.
The Old Basilica of Guadalupe: The Cristo Rey Expiatory Temple (Templo Expiatorio a Cristo Rey)
The old Basilica is just beautiful. And a little bit tilty. I thought earthquakes were the cause of the tilt, but no. In 1921 and anti-Catholic secularist planted a bomb near the tilma, which compromised the whole structure when it went off. Miraculously, the tilma was spared any damage!
The old Basilica was designed by Pedro de Arrieta, famed Mexican architect and one of the designers of the original plan for Mexico City. It took 14 years to build the original Basilica, and it opened in 1709. In 1904 Pope Pius X bestowed Basilica status on the church.
The building you see today has changed a lot from the original. It was damaged during construction of the neighboring parish church, heavily damaged again by the bombing mentioned above, and has been through some dramatic interior redesigns.
You’d never know it, though—nowadays it looks like a beautiful old church inside!
By the 1970s the building was teetering on the edge of collapse and Basilica officials set out to build a new Basilica. When the new Basilica opened in 1976, they moved the tilma to the new location and closed the doors on the old Basilica.
Between 1979 and 2000, the Mexican Institute of Archaeology and History (INAH) set about shoring up the structure and restoring the building. It is now open for visitors, and you should definitely stop in for a look! This is a highlight of the Basilica complex.
New Basilica of Guadalupe (Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe)
Here we have the more modern, but now iconic, 1970’s Basilica, perfectly designed to protect and display the tilma and host thousands of pilgrims at a time.
According to the Mexico City government site, the Basilica is the second-most visited religious site in the world, with 30 million devout and 10 million non-religious visitors per year.
You can spot the original circus-tent-like design of the new Basilica from miles away, with its wide verdigris copper roof striving up to reach the cross. This building is earthquake-ready. And built to host 10,000 worshippers at a time.
And the world-famous tilma showing the Virgen de Guadalupe is on full display for all to see.
How to see the famous tilma
The most genius part of the new Basilica design is that it allows visitors to see the tilma without disturbing ongoing masses. Enter on the left (south) side of the Basilica and head down the ramp.
Yes—Those are moving sidewalks! Hop on one of the people-movers a look up.
There she is!
They really don’t give you much time (and it’s 20 feet up), but at least you get a glimpse. But they keep the crowds moving. Genius.
Because we visited on Palm Sunday, the Basilica was packed so we didn’t actually see much the worship space beyond the tilma.
Basilica Museum (Museo de la Basílica de Guadalupe)
So you’ve emerged from the new Basilica all giddy from seeing the tilma. What next?
Tucked in the back of the Old Basilica is the Basilica Museum, which hosts over 4000 works of art related to the Virgen de Guadalupe—the largest collection in the world. Open to the public since 1941, the collection includes paintings, sculptures, and liturgical objects. The museum sprawls across twelve halls, organized thematically around various Catholic traditions. The entrance hall is covered with over 2000 paintings offered in gratitude for favors believed to have been granted by the Virgen de Guadalupe.
Since I did not have this handy guide for visiting the Basilica complex, I didn’t realize this museum was there and I missed it. I think you should check it out.
The museum costs MX$10, and most of the information is only in Spanish.
Tepeyac Pantheon (Panteon de Tepeyac)
Follow the crowds and make your way up the hill towards the Capilla del Cerrito.
You will walk past the sombrero photo ops and the souvenir coin machines, you finally arrive at the snack shops! I know I was definitely ready for a drink and a snack at this point.
But wait, there’s a gate leading to a cemetery.
This is the Panteon de Tepeyac. It was founded in 1740 and remains an active cemetery that serves as the final resting place for a number of Mexican dignitaries and their relatives.
I am a big fan of cemeteries, but unfortunately it was closed for renovations when I was there, so I only got to peer through the gate.
Chapel on the Little Hill of the Angels (Capilla del Cerrito de los Angeles)
At the peak of Tepeyac hill sits the Capilla del Cerrito. This chapel was built on what is purportedly the site of the first apparition of the Virgen de Guadalupe to Juan Diego. The current chapel was built in 1740 and is dedicated to the Archangel Michael.
The most interesting feature of the chapel is the murals painted by Fernando Leal, which tell the stories of the apparition.
Photos or videos are not allowed inside the chapel.
This is a great spot to take in the views of the Basilica complex and surrounding Mexico City.
Sacred Tepeyac Garden (Jardín del Sagrado Recinto del Tepeyac)
As you make your way down from the “place where it happened,” things start to get a little ticky-tacky.
But make no mistake, it’s still beautiful. The hillside is suddenly lush and green, with waterfalls as a soundtrack. In a city in drought, where is all this water coming from?
The pièce de resistance is a sculpture representing the conversion of “los Indios”, with the Virgen de Guadalupe and Juan Diego both represented. It’s quite dramatic.
They say that in the years immediately following the appearance of the Virgen de Guadalupe, 8 million indigenous people converted to Catholicism. They traded in their culture of human sacrifice, drawn in by the appeal of the more nurturing “Christianized” version of their god Tonantzin.
In this way, the appearance of the Virgen de Guadalupe was really a turning point in converting locals to Catholicism.
Shops
At the bottom of the gardens, there are more shops (and lovely clean restrooms).
As you progress downwards, you will see an arcade of shops filled with Virgen de Guadalupe memorabilia. You have the option to run the shopping gauntlet or bypass it.
Chapel of the Well (Capilla del Pocito)
At the bottom of the hill sits the lovely Capilla del Pocito. It is beautiful inside and out with its unusual shape and lovely tiled roof.
This chapel was built from1777 to 1791 around a well of water that was considered miraculous. So much so, that sick people came to wash their wounds and drink the water…and more people became sick. Someone put two and two together, and they decided to enclose the well and build a chapel around it to prevent direct access.
It’s a beautiful chapel in the Baroque style. The interior is circular, and the seats are custom-made to fit in a circular pattern. It’s a peaceful spot for a little respite.
Although, let’s be honest, the well is a little, well, shall we say…scenty.
Old Parish Church of the Indians (Antigua Parroquia de Indios)
The Parroquia de Indios was built in 1649 specifically for the “Indians” who were inspired by the Virgen de Guadalupe to convert to Catholicism. They say that this church was also home to the tilma from 1695 to 1709, when it was transferred to [Old] Basilica.
Just south of this church is the place where Juan Diego is said to have lived out his final years. There is a plaque to that effect.
A little further south there is also a lovely sculpture of Juan Diego showing the tilma and roses to the Bishop.
Plaza Mariana and the Guadalupe Museum (La Plaza Mariana y el Museo Guadalupano)
A wide set of stairs to the right leads you to this new complex (opened in 2011, and funded by Carlos Slim) that is part esplanade, and part museum. The plaza area has the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe on the ground at its center (you can see it in Google Maps).
The boxy glass and steel building contains a variety of uses including an evangelism center, a cafeteria, a museum, and a columbarium (where people store urns of ashes).
I ran out of steam and did not visit the plaza or the building. You might do the same.
Special Celebrations
Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe (December 12)
The biggest day of the year for the Basilica is December 12, when Mexico celebrates the Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe on the anniversary of the apparition of the Virgen de Guadalupe. Naturally, the Basilica is where the main action is, with special masses, parades, and fireworks.
They say that millions of people visit in the days around the December 12 celebrations. It’s great if you like celebrations, crowds, and people-watching. If not, you might want to visit on a different day.
Easter Week (varies year to year)
We visited on Palm Sunday and, while it wasn’t crazy, it was certainly lively. There seemed to be a constant stream of masses in the new Basilica, and a constant flow of worshippers with their palms.
It was a great way to experience this holy place in full effect.
What we did not expect was the pilgrimage of the bird-sellers (pajareros)! Apparently this is a tradition. For over 75 years, bird-sellers from all over the country bring their “backpacks” of chirping bird cages to the Basilica to give thanks to the Virgen de Guadalupe.
Whatever you think about caged birds (I am not a fan), it’s an impressive display. Apparently the bird-sellers are organized by the Union Nacional De Criadores, Capturadores y Expendedores de Aves Canoras. They begin their walk at around 9:30 at the Glorieta de Peralvillo y Calzada de Guadalupe and make their way to the Basilica for a 2:00pm service and blessing of the birds. It must be quite a sight during the mass.
We (unexpectedly) saw—and heard—them exiting the Basilica around 2:30pm. It was quite a sight!
Planning Your Visit
There is very little shade at the Basilica complex, so wear sunscreen, bring a hat or umbrella, and bring plenty of water. You can always duck into a building for a bit of respite, but the sun is still quite brutal out there.
Food and Drink
You should really bring water with you. There are plenty of vendors outside the complex. You will be very relieved to find that there are also vendors at the base of the Chapel on the Hill. They sell ice cream, drinks, sandwiches, and of course all the Virgen de Guadalupe souvenirs.
Photographs
Other than the chapel on the hill, I did not see any restrictions on photography. That said, this is a functioning religious site, so be respectful of people praying.
Information
There is not a lot of information at the site, although there are a few panels here and there, mostly in Spanish. Save this post and bring it with you!
Dress Code
It’s a religious site, you should dress respectfully. No short shorts (ideally no shorts), no halter tops, etc. That said, in my observations, Mexicans are pretty casual about dressing for church, so no need to get fancy.
Accessibility
The old and new Basilicas are both wheelchair accessible. Most of the site is accessible with ramps, although some of them are quite steep; I imagine it would be difficult to go up or down in a wheelchair without assistance.
Cost
It is free to visit the Basilica complex. But of course there are plenty of opportunities throughout the site to offer donations.
The Basilica offers guided tours in Spanish Monday through Saturday at 11am and 3pm. You need to reserve in advance and donations are requested (not sure how much!). You can also contact them for tours in English.
The Basilica Museum costs MX$10.
Hours
Visiting hours aren’t listed, but services start as early as 6am and as late as 8pm, so you are probably safe to visit any time in that window.
Getting There
The closest Metro stop is Linea 6, La Villa stop. This gets you within half a block of the Basilica. You can transfer there from Deportivo 18 de Marzo at the northern end of Linea 3.
If you prefer not to transfer, it’s about a 15-minute walk through the neighborhood from the Deportivo 18 de Marzo Metro station to the Basilica entrance.
Of course, an Uber, Didi, or taxi will drop you off directly in front of the Basilica entrance.
Reflections
I’m not a religious gal, but I appreciate learning about religion and visiting religious sites, especially when it is such a core part of a place’s culture. I have seen the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe all over the world. So to see the place where it all happened was pretty special.
We visited on Palm Sunday. While I am not normally a fan of crowds, it really made it more special to see it on a day when worshippers were in full force, and it seemed like there was constantly a mass going on in the new Basilica.
At the same time, I can’t help but wonder how much was lost of the original culture. What would this place look like today if the Spaniards had not come meddling with their religion?
