Catedral de Tlaxcala

Early Franciscan church and former monastery with rare surviving wooden ceiling work

Address Calzada San Francisco, Tlaxcala

Tlaxcala's cathedral began as part of a Franciscan monastery in the 1530s and 1540s, making it one of the oldest church complexes in Mexico. It sits slightly above the centre, reached by a short walk from Plaza Xicohténcatl.

The building is restrained compared with later Baroque churches, but that age is the point. Look for the old wooden ceiling and the quiet monastery atmosphere around the complex.

things to do sight architecture church