In danger of becoming a ghost town in the early 20th century, the town was declared a national monument in 1926 and building became heavily restricted in the town's historic centro district, allowing the city to keep the colorful native facades that have become the backdrop of many famous works of art and even modern motion pictures.Ī series of artist colonies were founded in San Miguel in the 1950s, including the famous Instituto Allende, and many American ex-soldiers moved their families here following World War II either to attend one of these colonies or to escape the polio scares raging through many U.S. After the war, in 1826, San Miguel was given city status and renamed San Miguel de Allende after Ignacio Allende, a hero of the independence movement, the "first Mexican soldier" and a native of the city. In 2008 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.įounded as "San Miguel el Grande" in 1542 by the Franciscan monk Juan de San Miguel, it became a centerpiece in the war for Mexican independence from Spain. It is a heritage site protected by the Mexican government in order to maintain its character. It is a Spanish colonial town of 72,000 people (2020). San Miguel is, first and foremost, a city built for relaxing. In spite of the increased number of foreigners over the past decades, it still is charming enough that many Mexicans visit for special holidays, and there are more than a few visitors who buy a house within a few days of their first arrival. It's a tourist destination, an art colony, and a retirement community for 20,000-25,000 foreigners – mostly Americans, Canadians, and Europeans. In 2020, the town had 72,000 residents, in a metropolitan area of 160,000. San Miguel de Allende is a colonial city in the state of Guanajuato in the Bajio mountains of central Mexico, about 270 km (170 mi) northwest of Mexico City.
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