San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende, city, east-central Guanajuato estado (state), north-central Mexico. It lies on the Mexican Plateau on a small tributary of the Laja River, at 6,135 feet (1,870 meters) above sea level, 32 miles (52 km) by highway north of Celaya. The first Spanish settlement in Guanajuato, it was founded in 1542 by the Franciscan monk Juan de San Miguel, a benefactor of the Indians, and was named for him. Allende was added in 1826 to honor a native son, Ignacio Allende, a hero of the revolution against Spain. Historically a market center for the silver district, it is now an agricultural center and is increasingly dependent on tourism. Irrigated by waters from the upper Lerma River system, the surrounding farmlands produce corn (maize), beans, wheat, and fruit. Tin is mined in the vicinity.

The city has attracted as residents many U.S. citizens, some of whom attend the city’s school of fine arts, the Allende Institute, which was established in 1938 by the artists Stirling Dickinson of the United States and Cossio de Pomar of Peru. Central San Miguel de Allende is also known for its churches and numerous colonial buildings and is a national historical monument; in 2008 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city can be reached by highway from Querétaro, 39 miles (63 km) to the southeast, and the main rail line between Mexico City and Nuevo Laredo passes 2 miles (3 km) west of the city. Pop. (2005) 62,034; (2010) 69,811.