Santuario de Guadalupe, Morelia, Mexico

The Santuario de Guadalupe, or Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Morelia is possibly one of the most beautiful churches I’ve had the pleasure of stepping foot into. The brilliant gold and red decor brings life to the paintings and stunning Baroque architecture unlike any church I’ve seen. It’s a must when visiting the city of Morelia.

Inside you’ll find enormous paintings adorning the walls that showcase the indigenous peoples’ conversion to Christianity. There also rests an enormous shrine to the Virgin Mary that is the centerpiece of the church. The outside of the building is somewhat unassuming, though still inviting and impressive in its design. The bland color of the exterior certainly masks the explosion of color inside.

While visitors are welcome to experience mass at Santuario de Guadalupe, I found it a better option to explore when there were no services. This way, you can spend time examining each of the pieces of artwork inside, along with the impressive architecture and design. I found myself in awe of the stark contrast of the church from others in Morelia, which is perhaps why I enjoyed it so much. Most of what you’ll find in the city is rather boring, and closer in line to traditional sanctuaries.

Santuario de Guadalupe, however, nearly rivaled the Sistine Chapel in its ability to inspire and astound.