Huejotzingo

One of the most historically important churches in Mexico, this was the first church established by the Franciscans in 1524. The church quickly outgrew its first incarnation and was replaced by a newer church in 1529, but outgrew that as well. The current church standing here was built on top of the previous ones in 1544 (still making it older than the vast majority of Mexican churches). The monastery is a . Although the main church is closed for renovations in 2024 following a severe earthquake, the site's Museum of Evangelization is open (and very interesting) and tours of the old monastery are available. The building is a stunning example of 16th-century architecture with artistic embellishments everywhere including a huge number of frescoes, architectural detailing over portals and window, and relief sculptures along myriad passageways. There are also some unexpected treats, like mummies discovered in a kitchen area. The monastery is known for its fortified castle appearance. Although most visitors assume that was done as a defensive strategy against possibly hostile indigenous peoples, the current thinking is that it is meant to represent the walls of Jerusalem.

Carnival in Huejotzingo isn't just a time to let off steam before the looming austerity of Lent, it's a time to get dressed up in mid-19th-century military garb to take on a role in the reenactment of the Battle of Puebla, when the French invaded Mexico and had their collective butts handed to them on a platter by a Mexican militia. American college kids know the story of the infamous battle of Cinco de Mayo in which the brave Mexicans defended the right to get obnoxiously drunk on margaritas and cheap tequila shots.