Quinta Real Zacatecas

See and Do

Around the City

The downtown area is best explored on foot, beginning at the Plaza de Armas, or main square.

Cathedral. Begun in 1612 and completed in 1752, its elaborately carved, exquisite façade is considered the epitome of baroque Mexican colonial art. On the Plaza de Armas.

Palace of Justice. Facing the Plaza de Armas is the Palace of Justice, more commonly known as the Palace of the Bad Night. According to local legend, Manuel Retegui, a mine owner, went broke building it. One night, in a state of deep depression he contemplated suicide, but was saved from this fate when news arrived that a rich vein had been discovered in his mine.

Gonzalez Ortega Market. Just southwest of the plaza is this art nouveau structure. Once the city's central produce market, it has been totally remodeled and transformed into a charming mall. Here you'll find shops selling silver jewelry, regional wine, riding gear and local sweets.

Francisco Goitia Museum. Off Enrique Estrada Park (it's best to take a cab), this museum bears the name of Zacatecas' most famous painter. Goitia is considered to be the precursor of modern Mexican art and the most Mexican of the country's painters. Exhibited are his works and that of other renowned Zacatecan artists, including Julio Ruelas, Manuel Felguerez, brothers Pedro and Rafael Coronel, and Jose Kuri Breña.

Rafael Coronel Museum. This is one of the most exciting museums in the country, not only because of the unusual nature of its contents, but also for the originality of the displays. The former San Francisco church and monastery provides an exquisite setting for Coronel's collection of 5,000 Mexican masks and pre-Hispanic pottery. A special hall displays marionettes from the famous Rosette Aranda Theater. (Before radio and television, this theater traveled throughout the country and was its most important source of entertainment.) Also on the premises is a delightful cafe and gift shop. Open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except Wednesday.

Pedro Coronel Museum. Exhibited here is one of the finest art collections in the country. Coronel, a renowned Zacatecan artist, left his large collection of pre-Hispanic artifacts (mostly from the state of Guerrero), as well as an important collection of colonial, European, African, Greek and Oriental art, to his home state. Displayed are marvelous African masks, Chinese and Japanese urns and screens, a complete set of Goya's "Disparates," as well as works by Miro, Dali, Picasso, Motherwell, Hogarth and Piranesi.

Museum of Abstract Art. At the corner of Colon and Seminario, this museum displays the art collection of Manuel Felguerez. The ancient walls of the former seminary and prison provide a stark contrast to the works on display. Open Wednesday to Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Eden Mine. A visit to this city should include a tour of this mine, which functioned from 1586 until the early 1900s. The entrance is located on the outskirts of town, but its tunnels honeycomb throughout the city. A small train takes you to the beginning of the shafts. From there you continue through winding paths and over rickety (but safe) wooden bridges that cross terrifying chasms that drop some 1,500 meters. The tour, conducted in Spanish, is fascinating, explaining how the miners' only access was via shaky wooden ladders or ropes. They worked seven-day weeks and never saw the light of day. Yearly fatalities numbered in the thousands. Given the severity of the working conditions, the name-Eden-more fittingly describes the lives of the owners. Today the mine also houses a disco that's open Thursday to Saturday.

Cable Car. For a view of the entire city, take the cable car just a few feet from the exit of El Eden. The ride takes you straight up over the old part of town to the top of Cerro de la Bufa where you'll have a commanding view of the entire city and the bare hills beyond. Atop the hill is the Chapel of Our Lady of Zacatecas, a religious shrine, a dramatic equestrian monument to the famous Battle of Zacatecas, and a museum that pays homage to the heroes of the Mexican revolution.

Learning Spanish. The city's traditional flavor makes it an ideal place to study Spanish. Founded in 1973, the Fenix Language Institute combines class instruction with field trips and other activities to promote language proficiency. They also help place students with host families. Tel. 922-1643.