San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende  is a town of culture and history, it is known as the  cradle of the Mexican Independence movement.

San Miguel de Allende is located in the eastern part of Guanajuato in Mexico's mountainous bajío region. The bajío (low place) is actually about 2000 m (7000 ft) above sea level, but it is a relatively flat region surrounded by mountains; it is a part of the Mexican altiplano. San Miguel serves as the administrative seat for the surrounding municipality of Allende, Guanajuato.

Specifically San Miguel de Allende is located at 100º45’00’’ longitude west and 20º55’00’’ latitude north. The municipality rests at 1870 meters above sea level. To the north it is bordered by the municipalities of San Luis de la Paz and Dolores Hidalgo. The municipality extends over an area of 1561 square kilometers. To the west it is bordered by Dolores Hidalgo and Salamanca. To the south the municipality is bordered by Juventino Rosas and Comonfort and to the southeast by Apaseo el Grande. To the northwest it is bordered by San José Iturbide. The municipal seat is located 274 kilometers from Mexico City and 97 kilometers from the state capital of Guanajuato.

The town was founded in 1542 by a Franciscan monk as San Miguel El Grande. It was an important stopover on the Antiguo Camino Real, part of the silver route from Zacatecas, Zacatecas.

The town featured prominently in the Mexican War of Independence. General Ignacio Allende, one of San Miguel's native sons, was a leading player in the war against Spain for independence. Allende, captured in battle and beheaded, is a national hero. San Miguel el Grande renamed itself "San Miguel de Allende" in 1826 in honor of his actions.

In the 1950s, San Miguel de Allende became a destination known for its beautiful colonial architecture and its thermal springs. After World War II San Miguel began to revive as a tourist attraction as many demobilized United States GIs discovered that their education grants stretched further in Mexico at the U.S.-accredited art schools, the privately-owned Instituto Allende, founded in 1950, and the Bellas Artes, a nationally chartered school.

About San Miguel de Allende: wikipedia