page_title: León, Guanajuato
section_title: Expiatorio
hierarchical_section_title: León, Guanajuato / Notable sites / Expiatorio
caption_attribution_description: Español: Detalle de la fachada lateral del Templo Expiatorio de León, Gto., México
context_page_description: León is the most populous city and municipality in the Mexican state of Guanajuato. In the 2015 Intercensal Survey INEGI reported 1,578,626 people living in the municipality of León, making it the fourth most populous municipality in Mexico. The metropolitan area of León recorded a population of 1,630,094 in the 2010 Census, making it the seventh most populous metropolitan area in Mexico. León is part of the macroregion of Bajío within the Central Mexican Plateau.
  León has a strong leather industry, offering shoes, boots, belts, jackets, and other leather accessories to both national and international markets. The leather industry earned its inhabitants the nickname of "Green belly", because of the green tainting in the workers' bodies resulting from treating leather. Its first-class services and hotel industry make it one of the most important centers in Mexico with numerous opportunities for entertainment, gastronomy, leisure activities, arts, and recreation. It is also considered one of the most environmentally friendly cities in Mexico and has a high number of cyclists, in part because of integrating a network of bike lanes into the SIT system.
context_section_description: Its full name is the Santuario Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Expiatory Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). Construction of this shrine was begun in 1920 by Bernardo Chavez with the support of Bishop Emeterio Valverde y Téllez. It is neo-Gothic in design, based on the old European medieval cathedrals but much of the outside wallspace is without decoration. Its work was halted by the Cristero Wars. Since then construction has continued off and on and it is considered 90% complete. An important source of income for the shrine's construction is the sale of crypts. This practice was begun in 1924. A chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Lourdes was begun in 1935 and later a chapel dedicated to the Virgen of Guadalupe, which is separate from the main building, built between 1935 and 1939. A shrine with stained glass windows includes local allegories.
caption: Detail of the façade of the Templo Expiatorio
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