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HISTORICAL FACTS: Names and their origins

Natalie Taylor

Jul 296 min read

HISTORICAL FACTS: Names and their origins

As in most Latin American cultures, people in Mexico have two surnames. The first is the father’s, and the second is the mother’s family...

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HISTORY OF SAN MIGUEL: African legacy in Mexico

Natalie Taylor

Jul 225 min read

HISTORY OF SAN MIGUEL: African legacy in Mexico

One of the hidden historical facts is the influence of Africans on Mexican culture. Slavery throughout the Americas—Cuba, Brazil,...

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Natalie Taylor

Jul 143 min read

HISTORY OR LEGEND: A centenary salad

In July Mexico celebrates the one hundred year anniversary of a dish popular around the world—Caesar salad! I used to think it was an...

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HISTORY OF SAN MIGUEL: The beginnings of African heritage

Natalie Taylor

Jul 75 min read

HISTORY OF SAN MIGUEL: The beginnings of African heritage

In my last two posts I wrote about the ancient Mulatto chapel in San Miguel, and how it eventually was taken over by the Oratory church....

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HISTORY OF SAN MIGUEL: The Mulatto chapel Part 2

Natalie Taylor

Jun 306 min read

HISTORY OF SAN MIGUEL: The Mulatto chapel Part 2

Imagine yourself walking along Insurgentes Street, starting at the site of the Biblioteca, then heading east toward the Ignacio Ramirez...

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Natalie Taylor

Jun 233 min read

STORIES OF SAN MIGUEL: Spooky Tales V

Stories about headless ghosts, and particularly headless horsemen seem to be part of many cultures. Sometimes the horseman appears sans...

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STORIES OF SAN MIGUEL: A native son and his home

Natalie Taylor

Jun 145 min read

STORIES OF SAN MIGUEL: A native son and his home

One afternoon in 1837, a nineteen year old student appeared in the halls of the prestigious Academy of Juan de Letran in Mexico City,...

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THE HISTORY OF SAN MIGUEL: The ancient Mulatto chapel

Natalie Taylor

Jun 114 min read

THE HISTORY OF SAN MIGUEL: The ancient Mulatto chapel

The Oratorio church is one of the most attractive architectural buildings in San Miguel de Allende. It stands on an elevated platform...

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STORIES OF SAN MIGUEL: Lesser known historical events

Natalie Taylor

Jun 25 min read

STORIES OF SAN MIGUEL: Lesser known historical events

If you have followed some of my stories about San Miguel de Allende, you may recall that many of them are legends, not based on reality....

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THE HISTORY OF ART: The Biblioteca’s “Mystery Room”

Natalie Taylor

May 263 min read

THE HISTORY OF ART: The Biblioteca’s “Mystery Room”

As I have written previously, the Biblioteca is a fine repository of art, with paintings, and books on shelves sharing space in every...

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STORIES OF SAN MIGUEL: Spooky Tales Part IV

Natalie Taylor

May 195 min read

STORIES OF SAN MIGUEL: Spooky Tales Part IV

El Puente del Fraile Not all San Miguel ghost stories take place within the narrow confines of the urban area. Some reside on the...

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THE HISTORY OF ART IN SAN MIGUEL: Art amid thousands of books

Natalie Taylor

May 135 min read

THE HISTORY OF ART IN SAN MIGUEL: Art amid thousands of books

A stunning mural greets the visitor at the entrance to the Biblioteca Publica. As they enter the Tesoros bookstore, they are enveloped by...

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STORIES OF SAN MIGUEL: Spooky tales part III

Natalie Taylor

May 64 min read

STORIES OF SAN MIGUEL: Spooky tales part III

La Loca of the Posada The Posada de San Francisco is a three-story building on Principal Street, just a few steps from the old Casas...

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THE HISTORY OF ART IN SAN MIGUEL: The Biblioteca Publica

Natalie Taylor

Apr 284 min read

THE HISTORY OF ART IN SAN MIGUEL: The Biblioteca Publica

“All the world’s a stage,” says Shakespeare in the famous line from As You like It. Then he declares that we’re all just actors, and “one...

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STORIES OF SAN MIGUEL: Father Eusebio Espinosa

Natalie Taylor

Apr 214 min read

STORIES OF SAN MIGUEL: Father Eusebio Espinosa

One of the fascinating aspects of San Miguel is its long reach into the past. The founding of the city goes back to 1492, 50 years after...

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Natalie Taylor

Apr 85 min read

STORIES OF SAN MIGUEL: Spooky Tales II

The house on Cuadrante On the Calle Cuadrante 18, just a few steps from the corner with Hernandez Macias stands a grand house, dating...

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TODAY’S ARTIST OF SAN MIGUEL: An artist with a wandering spirit

Natalie Taylor

Mar 313 min read

TODAY’S ARTIST OF SAN MIGUEL: An artist with a wandering spirit

David Delany doesn’t stay in one place for long, and that wandering spirit fuels his imagination and his artistic output. “My goal is to...

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STORIES OF SAN MIGUEL: Dry lightning on a clear afternoon

Natalie Taylor

Mar 255 min read

STORIES OF SAN MIGUEL: Dry lightning on a clear afternoon

Not even a small cloud passed across the clear, blue afternoon sky. It was a Thursday, June 29, 1943 and all was calm in San Miguel de...

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STORIES OF SAN MIGUEL: A memorable bullfight, and one that will not be

Natalie Taylor

Mar 184 min read

STORIES OF SAN MIGUEL: A memorable bullfight, and one that will not be

Bullfighting was one of the favorite entertainments in San Miguel for many centuries, a tradition brought over from Spain. To this day,...

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THE HISTORY OF ART IN SAN MIGUEL: A stonemason and a mystery painter

Natalie Taylor

Mar 106 min read

THE HISTORY OF ART IN SAN MIGUEL: A stonemason and a mystery painter

Along the left wall in the church of San Rafael, halfway to the altar, there is an opening that leads into a chapel. The doorway was...

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