The aborted uprising led to his capture and beheading. By the time the Instituto Allende was established, many of the old homes were in ruin. They might have remained so if it weren't for the GIs who brought back the word that they'd discovered something special. Today that park is still the focus of the community. But now Indian children race Razor scooters around corners past stands where their elders sell roasted corn.
Benches are full of young lovers and older expats who gather in the balmy evenings.
When it's dark, a mariachi band wielding trumpets and violins surrounds hapless couples who only want to be left alone. The musicians must be anarchists because each of them plays in a different key. Hidden luxury Soaring over it all is La Parroquia de San Miguel Archangel, a grand cathedral whose pink sandstone is wonderful to see just before dusk. Though the facades of the historic district's houses are as authentic as they were centuries ago, behind many hide luxurious modern homes, crafts shops, galleries, fine restaurants and hotels. The Casa de Sierra Nevada is one of the finest.