page_title: León, Guanajuato
section_title: Cathedral
hierarchical_section_title: León, Guanajuato / Notable sites / Cathedral
caption_attribution_description: English: Orginal church of Leon Guanajuato state in Mexico on the main plaza
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: The main church is called the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Light and is the seat of the Archdiocese of Leon. Construction of the church was begun in 1746 by the Jesuits and is a combination of Baroque and Neo Classic architectural styles. Construction was halted only eight months after it began when the Jesuit order was expelled from Mexico by the Spanish Crown. The Obregon family, however, took over its construction, continuing into the 19th century. The Archdiocese of Leon was created in 1864, with its first bishop, José María de Jesús Diez de Sollano y Dávalos helping to get the towers and cupola completed as he chose the church as the seat. It was finally completed and consecrated on 16 March 1866. Pope Benedict XVI officiated a mass here in 2012.
caption: Church of St. Sebastian at Mártires del 2 de Enero Square
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