Parroquia San Juan Bautista

The Parroquia San Juan Bautista rises above the southern side of Plaza Hidalgo with a façade of red volcanic stone that marks it as one of the oldest churches in Mexico City. Franciscan friars began constructing this complex in fifteen twenty-two on land granted by Hernán Cortés, choosing a site that previously held a school for Aztec nobility. While the structure has undergone numerous modifications over the centuries, its historical foundations remain deep, and its interior preserves an extensive collection of colonial-era artwork and gilded altarpieces.