Why has Guanajuato been declared World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO?

Guanajuato is a natural cultural city for its numerous museums, art exhibits, art festivals and the internationally famous Cervantino, the pride of all Mexicans. The city of narrow alleys, cobblestone streets and ample tunnels maintains the colonial flair of the XVI century that saw its birth and is also the scenario of the most modern art expressions in the world. These encounters of worlds, as well as the great architectural value of the city's structure, are reason enough for making Guanajuato one of Mexico's favorite tourist destinations.

Real de Minas de Guanajuato was founded in 1546 by orders of Spain's Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza where it would soon after become the most important Real de Minas in the New Spain, for which in 1741 it was elevated to city category by King Felipe V.

The outbreak of the Independence War with the Grito de Dolores escalated to the arms on the 28th of September 1810, when the first great battle was fought in the city of Guanajuato. There, at the Alhóndiga de Granaditas, the realist army and insurgents faced their first battle with the help of the Guanajuato born Juan José de Reyes "“El Pípila"”.

At the end of the battle, the Congress of the Union celebrated in 1824 formally declared the conformation for the free and sovereign State of Guanajuato and its capital, the city of Guanajuato.

Later, during the flee of Benito Juarez through the country and his stay in the city; it was declared the country's provisional capital. In 1863, the French invasion reached Guanajuato and the French army overtook the city on the 9th of December of that same year.

The arrival of Porfirio's era meant for the city a great economic and social development. With the XX century, Guanajuato inaugurated Teatro Juárez, Esperanza Dam and Palacio de Gobierno.

According to data from the last Censo Nacional de Población y vivienda, INEGI, 2005, the State's capital has a population of 157,965 inhabitants. The main economic activities are tourism and the old mining industry.