Chapel on Tepeyac Hill

A steep, winding staircase leads to Cerro del Tepeyac, the high hill where the Virgin gave Juan Diego roses as proof of her existence. The Capilla del Cerrito marks the spot. 

The chapel has a baroque front covered in red volcanic rock but no bell towers. Its interior boasts estipite columns and a series of remarkable murals by Fernando Leal that tell the story of the Virgin. 

Take a good look at the Venetian mosaics that adorn the dome and the painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe hanging on the marble altarpiece. 

Before coming down from the hill, step out onto the church’s terrace, which looks out over the vast expanse of the Valle de México. The view of the valley is watched over by enormous marble archangels representing Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and Uriel—by sculptor Ernesto Tamariz from Puebla. Don’t disregard the famous Cementerio del Tepeyac beside the chapel. It is the only colonial-era cemetery that is still in service today. Figures such as Antonio López de Santa Anna, musicians, painters, poets, conservatives, liberals, individuals from the Porfiriato period, and more are buried here.