Mexico City's most magical baroque church is often overlooked.
La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, popularly known as
La Enseánza (derived from its former name
El Convento de la Enseñanza La Antigua, The Old Convent of the Teaching), is located at
Calle Doncelles 104, not far from the ruins of the Aztec's Templo Mayor. Begun in 1737
and finished in 1778, it was originally connected to a convent dedicated to educating young girls from wealthy families.
One of the smaller churches in the Centro, it's interior is an explosion of gilded baroque curves, squiggles and arabesques. The main altar is flanked by 8 side altars, turning the small space into a giant Faberge egg. It is rarely crowded, making it my number once choice for a moment of rest and reflection during a visit to the hectic Centro Histórico.
