San Miguel de Allende, Mexico City Guide
For over 20 years, Pamela Lanier's San Miguel de Allende, Mexico Travel Guide has been your connection to San Miguel de Allende's tourism community with invaluable details on local attractions, restaurants, shopping, museums, history, outdoor recreation and more.
San Miguel de Allende History
The history of San Miguel de Allende has all the elements of a good movie. It was founded in 1542 by Fray Juan de San Miguel, a Franciscan monk. At that time it was Spain’s northern most settlement and served as a garrison to protect transport of silver between Mexico City and Zacatecas. It became a thriving commercial center as ranchers settled here as well as wealthy silver barons. Ignacio Allende for whom the city was later renamed was born here in 1779. Allende believed that Mexico needed to be independent from Spain and led armed uprisings in rebellion against the Spanish authorities. When Mexico declared independence in 1821 Allende was proclaimed a martyr and in 1826 the town included his name to become San Miguel de Allende. With the 1938 founding of the Escuela Universitaria de Bellas Artes (Universal School of Fine Arts) by Peruvian artist Felipe Cossio del Pomar, San Miguel de Allende began development of its present artistic character. American artist and writer Stirling Dickinson became the Art Director of the school. Artists and art students from around the world were attracted here. After World War II many veterans found that the education grants received under the GI bill were better spent in Mexico. This was the start of San Miguel Allende as an American ex-patriot community with a bohemian lifestyle. Today the bed and breakfast visitor can appreciate all of the artistic creativity present that has been inspired by the idyllic surroundings.
