{"id":16867,"date":"2013-01-08T00:01:17","date_gmt":"2013-01-08T08:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/?p=16867"},"modified":"2013-01-08T00:01:17","modified_gmt":"2013-01-08T08:01:17","slug":"a-day-trip-to-atotonilco-four-enchanting-reasons-to-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/server.stagingweb3.net\/barbarafalconernewhall\/a-day-trip-to-atotonilco-four-enchanting-reasons-to-go\/","title":{"rendered":"Atotonilco, Mexico &#8212; High Art, Folk Art, Hot Springs, Food!"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_16881\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16881\" style=\"width: 580px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/2013\/01\/08\/a-day-trip-to-atotonilco-four-enchanting-reasons-to-go\/\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-16881 \" title=\"sanctuario-de-atotonilco\" src=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/IMG_9022-580x378.jpg\" alt=\"Stucco facade of the Sanctuario de Atotonilco in central Mexico. Photo by BF Newhall\" width=\"580\" height=\"378\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-16881\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Facade of the Santuario de Atotonilco in central Mexico. <em>Photo by BF Newhall<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>By Barbara Falconer Newhall<\/em><\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re planning a trip to San Miguel de Allende, be sure to budget a day at the nearby town of Atotonilco. Here are four marvelous reasons to make the trip (and to <!--more-->take the time to figure out how the heck you pronounce Atotonilco).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bathe at the (not too terribly hot) La Gruta hot springs.<\/li>\n<li>Shop (by appointment) at the upscale folk art store Galeria Atotonilco.<\/li>\n<li>Lunch at the Nirvana Restaurant and Retreat. Or splurge and spend the night.<\/li>\n<li>Spend a full morning or afternoon at the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.santuariodeatotonilco.org\/el-santuario-de-atotonilco\/\">Santuario de Atotonilco<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16887\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16887\" style=\"width: 580px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/2013\/01\/08\/a-day-trip-to-atotonilco-four-enchanting-reasons-to-go\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-16887 \" title=\"ceiling-atotonilco-sanctuario\" src=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/IMG_8953-580x387.jpg\" alt=\"Detail of ceiling paintings at Sanctuario de Atotonilco, Mexico. Photo by BF Newhall\" width=\"580\" height=\"387\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-16887\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ceiling paintings at Santuario de Atotonilco depict the Stations of the Cross. <em>Photo by BF Newhall<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A World Heritage Site, the Santuario de Atotonilco was built in the 18th century by a Father Luis Felipe Neri de Alfaro, who, tradition has it, experienced an apparition of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns and carrying his cross.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mexican_art\">Mexican Baroque<\/a>\u00a0mural work on the walls and ceilings of the Santurario is mostly by Antonio Martinez de Pocasangre and took thirty years to execute. The world-class murals have earned the Santuario the nickname &#8220;Sistine Chapel of Mexico.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Too bad for me, time was short and I had less than an hour to contemplate the murals. I was able to grab a few photos of the church, but they don&#8217;t begin to capture the beauty of the intricate<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16891\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16891\" style=\"width: 580px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/2013\/01\/08\/a-day-trip-to-atotonilco-four-enchanting-reasons-to-go\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-16891 \" title=\"Judas-atotonilco-mural\" src=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/IMG_8952-580x387.jpg\" alt=\"A ceiling mural at Atototnilco Sanctuary depicts the ignominious end of Judas Iscariot. Photo by BF Newhall\" width=\"580\" height=\"387\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-16891\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Modern cartoonists have nothing on the storytelling skills of this 18th century muralist. Here he depicts the sorry end of the traitor Judas Iscariot. In the foreground, Judas receives his payment in coins; in the middle ground the betrayed Jesus is led away; later, tiny in the background, the hopeless Judas hangs himself from a tree. <em>Photo by BF Newhall<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16896\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16896\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/2013\/01\/08\/a-day-trip-to-atotonilco-four-enchanting-reasons-to-go\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-16896 \" title=\"galeria-atotonilco\" src=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/IMG_9030-580x387-500x333.jpg\" alt=\"Galeria Atotonilco is an upscale gallery selling Mexican folk art near San Miguel de Allende. Photo by BF Newhall\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-16896\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Galeria Atotonilco, an upscale gallery selling Mexican folk art<em> . . .<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16905\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16905\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/2013\/01\/08\/a-day-trip-to-atotonilco-four-enchanting-reasons-to-go\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-16905 \" title=\"galeria-atotonilco-interior\" src=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/IMG_9042-580x375-500x323.jpg\" alt=\"Interior of Galeria Atotonilco, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, with hand-painted figurines of jaguars. Photo by BF Newhall\" width=\"500\" height=\"323\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-16905\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">. . . including this hand-painted jaguar. <em>Photos by BF Newhall<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>paintings, whose artistry is matched by the artist&#8221;s uncanny ability to retell the Gospel stories &#8212; solely with pictures.<\/p>\n<p>So, if you&#8217;re into Mexican art or the Christian Gospel &#8212; but especially if you&#8217;re into both &#8212; consider allowing a full morning or afternoon to just sit in this masterpiece of a church.<\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t forget to check local listings for hours. Cab fares from San Miguel are affordable.<\/p>\n<p>And . . . it&#8217;s pronounced ah-toe-toe-NEAL-coe.<\/p>\n<p><em>For more on art and spirituality, go to <a href=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/2009\/08\/10\/religious-art\/\">&#8220;If It&#8217;s Religious, Can It Be Art?&#8221;<\/a>\u00a0 Or read another travel story at <a href=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/2013\/12\/13\/chinas-youngest-fashionistas\/\">&#8220;China&#8217;s Youngest Fashionistas.&#8221;<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16898\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16898\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/2013\/01\/08\/a-day-trip-to-atotonilco-four-enchanting-reasons-to-go\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-16898 \" title=\"mexican-mole-lunch\" src=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/IMG_9074-580x387-500x333.jpg\" alt=\"Chicken in mole sauce at the Nirvana Restaurant, Atotonilco, Mexico. Photo by BF Newhall\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-16898\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lunch with mole sauce at the Nirvana Restaurant. <em>Photo by BF Newhall<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16900\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16900\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/2013\/01\/08\/a-day-trip-to-atotonilco-four-enchanting-reasons-to-go\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-16900 \" title=\"facade-atotonilco\" src=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/IMG_9021-580x387-500x333.jpg\" alt=\"The facade and cross at Sancutario de Atotonilco church in central Mexico. Photo by BF Newhall\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-16900\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Santuario. <em>Photo by BF Newhall<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/2013\/01\/08\/a-day-trip-to-atotonilco-four-enchanting-reasons-to-go\/\" rel=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/2013\/01\/08\/a-day-trip-to-atotonilco-four-enchanting-reasons-to-go\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-16905 aligncenter\" title=\"galeria-atotonilco-interior\" src=\"http:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/IMG_9042-580x375-500x323.jpg\" alt=\"Interior of Galeria Atotonilco, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, with hand-painted figurines of jaguars. Photo by BF Newhall\" width=\"500\" height=\"323\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p> If you&#8217;re planning a trip to San Miguel de Allende, be sure to budget time for a day trip to the nearby town of Atotonilco.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[886,887,34,888,889,890,31,91,891,872],"class_list":["post-16867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-my-rocky-spiritual-journey","tag-atotonilco","tag-churches","tag-dont-miss","tag-folk-art","tag-mexico","tag-mexico-photos","tag-photo-ops","tag-religion-and-spirituality","tag-san-miguel","tag-travel-adventures"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/server.stagingweb3.net\/barbarafalconernewhall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/server.stagingweb3.net\/barbarafalconernewhall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/server.stagingweb3.net\/barbarafalconernewhall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/server.stagingweb3.net\/barbarafalconernewhall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/server.stagingweb3.net\/barbarafalconernewhall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16867"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/server.stagingweb3.net\/barbarafalconernewhall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16867\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/server.stagingweb3.net\/barbarafalconernewhall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/server.stagingweb3.net\/barbarafalconernewhall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/server.stagingweb3.net\/barbarafalconernewhall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}