Fuente de San Miguel, Puebla

Fuente de San Miguel is one of the main historical features of the central plaza, linking public life, water supply, and religious symbolism. Inaugurated on June 23, 1777, it replaced an older 16th-century water source that had served the city since 1557. Dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, patron and guardian of the “City of Angels,” it also served a practical role before modern plumbing, when residents and aguadores, or water carriers, gathered here to collect fresh water.

The fountain is made of local cantera poblana, a greyish-green volcanic stone common in regional historic architecture. This workable material allowed master carvers Anselmo Martínez and José Francisco Rabanillo to create the four life-sized angels at the base and the figure of Saint Michael above. Often attributed to Juan Antonio de Santa María de Incháurregui, its vertical form and guardian imagery reflect a late colonial blend of civic function and devotion.

In the 1870s, the fountain was moved to the Plazuela de San Francisco to make room for a Moorish-style kiosk by Eduardo Tamariz. It returned in 1962 for the centennial of the Battle of Puebla. Its original setting also included a silversmiths’ obelisk honouring King Charles III of Spain, linking religious devotion with colonial loyalty.