Santo Domingo Square

A sculpture of Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez, staunch supporter of Mexico's independence, is erected in this harmonious plaza. With equally ambitious pretensions but somewhat lacking in strategy, the Irishman Guillen de Lampart had attempted a similar endeavor in the mid-17th Century, only to be apprehended and tried by the dreaded Inquisition. The seat of this infamous tribunal is the building with a truncated corner which dates from 1736, and which served this same purpose until 1820 before entertaining several occupants until being chosen to house the school of medicine. At present it contains a museum dedicated to the study and practice of medicine, and also serves as a cultural center.

Closely related to the Court of the Holy Office is the church which gives its name to the plaza and which formerly was part of the convent of Dominican predicators. This extraordinary 18th Century cluster of ecclesiastical buildings was partially demolished in 1861, with only the church remaining. Its imposing silhouette, characterized by a single tower, frames the entryway, a sober example of baroque style. Upon penetrating its interior we are confronted by a myriad of artistic styles: the poliphony of baroque pilasters and neoclassical columns does honor to the magnificent choir loft with its intricately carved benches.

Showing the same patience exercised by the master woodcarvers of Santo Domingo, the scribes in the Evangelists' portal recorded the notes and love letters of yesteryear and today fashion wooden or metal type into greeting cards or christening notices.

The former Customs building and the house of the Master Diego Pedraza also contribute to evoke the atmosphere of this plaza.