Mexico Guide
Northern Jalisco and Michoacán
Teatro Degollado
Modelled on La Scala in Milan, the Teatro Degollado was built in the mid-nineteenth century and inaugurated in 1866 during the brief reign of Maximilian (see "Reform"). It's an imposing, domed Neoclassical building with a Corinthian portico; look on the portico's pediment for a frieze depicting the Greek Muses. A programme of drama and concerts is still staged here, mostly in October during the fiesta, though also sporadically throughout the rest of the year. The impressively restored interior (viewing Tues– Sun noon–2pm; free) is notable for its frescoed ceiling, which illustrates scenes from the fourth canto of Dante's Divine Comedy.
On either side of the theatre are two small churches, Santa María and San Agustín, the only remains of a monastery that once stood here. San Agustín has a fine Baroque facade; relatively plain Santa María is one of the oldest churches in the city, built in the seventeenth century on the site of Guadalajara's first cathedral.