Getting bored of Mexican churches? Here's one to knock you out of your reverie! Morelia’s beautiful cathedral (unforgettable when it’s lit up at night) dominates the city where it sits side-on to (rather than facing) the central plaza. It took more than a century to build (1640−1744), which explains its potpourri of styles: the twin 70m-high towers, for instance, have classical Herreresque bases, baroque midsections and multicolumned neoclassical tops.
Inside, much of the baroque relief work was replaced in the 19th century with neoclassical pieces. Fortunately, one of the cathedral’s interior highlights was preserved: a sculpture of the Señor de la Sacristía made from dried corn paste and topped with a gold crown from 16th-century Spanish king Felipe II. It also has a working organ with 4600 pipes. Occasional organ recitals take place – a beautiful time to be in the cathedral.
