La Parroquia

Clustered around the square are many handsome stone buildings fronted by 17^th-century archways. One side of the plaza is dominated by the town’s landmark, La Parroquia, the parish church. This fanciful creation is not acclaimed as a masterpiece of design, however, it is a pure delight with a personality of its own. It was built in 1683 by a local stone mason, an Indian named Ceferino Gutierrez who didn’t really know what a proper church was supposed to look like—but that didn’t stop him. He was enchanted by a postcard he had seen of a European gothic church and decided to use it as his inspiration. The story goes that he sketched his plans in the sand with a stick. Since the postcard showed only the front of the church, he had no idea of how to design the back so improvised with a Mexican style. The result is a fanciful creation enhanced by pink spires that stretch into the blue sky.