Santuario de Guadalupe (Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe), Santa Fe

The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of Santa Fe’s most significant historic landmarks and has also served as an atmospheric setting for musical performances. Built by the local faithful between 1776 and 1796, the cruciform adobe chapel has walls approximately three feet thick. It is considered the oldest surviving shrine in the United States dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is a title given to the Virgin Mary, who is venerated as the Patroness of the Americas. According to Catholic tradition, she appeared in 1531 to Juan Diego, an Indigenous convert, on Tepeyac Hill near present-day Mexico City. She asked him to approach the bishop and request that a church be built there. As proof of the apparitions, roses reportedly bloomed in December, Juan Diego’s sick uncle was healed, and an image of the Virgin miraculously appeared on Juan Diego’s cloak.

Inside, the centerpiece is a monumental painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe by José de Alcíbar, one of colonial Mexico’s leading artists. Signed and dated 1783, it depicts the Virgin surrounded by four scenes from the apparition story. The painting was transported from Mexico City in sections along the Camino Real and is now displayed behind the former altar.

The historic chapel also houses an art and history museum containing New Mexican santos, Italian Renaissance paintings, and Mexican Baroque works. Exhibits trace the Shrine’s architectural and religious history, while Mass is still celebrated in the old chapel on selected occasions.