San Cristobal Food and Drink Walking Tour with a Local Guide

The history of the Cathedral of San Cristóbal de las Casas goes hand in hand with the history and foundation of this city, since both began in 1528. Although at first it was only a church, in 1539 Pope Paul III designated it as the seat of the then diocese of the Royal Villa of San Cristóbal. Already as a cathedral, the Dominican friar Bartolomé de las Casas was the first to serve as a bishop.

The Dominican order arrived in San Cristóbal de las Casas in March 1545. Around October 1546, the cabildo of Ciudad Real, the Novo-Hispanic name of what is currently the capital of Chiapas, ceded land to the friars for the construction of a convent. The first stone of the building was laid by the Bishop of Guatemala, Francisco Marroquín, on January 19, 1557, and construction continued under the supervision of Fray Pedro de la Cruz.

This temple, also known as San Cristobalito, was built by Friar Juan de Ordoñez at the end of the 18th century. On July 25, the hill lights up with rockets, music, food, visitors and faithful who venerate the image of this saint.

The market originated in the mid-1990s as an effort to organize local trade and provide a permanent space for street vendors selling regional products. It boasts a nearly 25-year history of preserving local culture and flavors.

In the early 1990s, hundreds of Indigenous artisans and merchants from communities in the Chiapas highlands began to gradually occupy the esplanade and the streets surrounding the temple.

Over 1,000 pieces have been collected over 45 years by Don Sergio Castro3. Many pieces in this collection are very rare, as clothing and personal effects are usually buried with the deceased, and some pieces are no longer created in the same way.

In 1998, the search began for a space to house a significant collection of Mayan textiles. A trust was established involving public and private institutions as well as civil society. The Collection: It safeguards more than 2,500 textile pieces dating from 1920 to the present, including notable works from Chiapas and Guatemala.