The Hospicio Cabañas is one of the great buildings of Guadalajara and arguably of the whole of Latin America, a neoclassical complex of low, long wings and twenty-three courtyards that covers more than two hectares. Bishop Juan Cruz Ruiz de Cabañas founded it at the turn of the nineteenth century as an orphanage, hospital and home for the poor, and the architect Manuel Tolsá designed it, with construction between 1805 and 1810. For nearly two hundred years it sheltered thousands of children and the elderly.
The reason people queue is the chapel, whose dome and walls were painted in the 1930s by José Clemente Orozco, one of the Mexican muralists. His masterpiece, Man of Fire, shows a figure of burning energy rising through the centre of the dome, and the surrounding murals tell of the conquest and the clash of cultures in swirling, violent colour. Lying on a bench or the floor looking up is the accepted way to view it. UNESCO listed the hospicio in 1997.
Guadalajara is a big city, of about one and a half million in the centre and many more in its metropolitan area, and the cultural capital of Jalisco, home of mariachi music and tequila. The Plaza Tapatía, a pedestrian square with fountains and a statue of the Hospicio's founder, leads to the cathedral, with its two yellow spires. Tlaquepaque, a neighbouring town, is known for pottery and crafts, and has a lively evening scene.
Riding in the city demands patience, with one-way streets, buses and roundabouts, and parking can be tricky, so use a guarded car park. Fuel is easy. Food is the highlight: birria, a spicy slow-cooked goat or beef stew; tortas ahogadas, pork sandwiches drowned in chilli sauce; and cold glasses of tejuino, a fermented maize drink. Go on a weekday for smaller crowds, and give the murals at least an hour.