ArchitectureThe Señora del Pilar ChurchCiudad de México

The Iglesia Señora del Pilar was founded by Mother Maria Ignacia Alzor, who belonged to the Our Lady Mary Society, which was called "The Old Teaching" because of being a pious institution that had the sole purpose of educating the girls that entered. It boasted a great reputation for having trained ladies in excellence to be good daughters, wives and mothers. In 1867, when the Republican forces entered into Mexico City, all of the religious orders were ordered to vacate their convents immediately. This church was then converted into a  prison, later into the Palace of Justice, and today it serves as the General Archive of Notaries and as an office of the Secretary of Education. The church was declared a national monument on Februar 9, 1931. Its patroness is the Our Lady of Pilar, its guardian angel St. Michael the Archangel, and its patron San Juan Nepomuceno. Its front entrance is rare for the churches of that time for only having one doorway, as it was customary to have two doorways. The religious art that has been preserved in its interior is really exquisite and worth admiring.

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