Ex-Templo de San Bernardino and Convento de Sisal
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+52 (985) 856-1969Description:
Stroll down Valladolid's loveliest street, the Calzada de los Frailes (Street of the Friars), from the Zócalo to the Ex-Templo de San Bernardino and Convento de Sisal. This former Franciscan church and convent, which dominate a wide semi-circular plaza, was erected between 1552 and 1560. The fort-like complex was built above a cenote, which provided fresh water year-round. The cenote, named "Sis-Ha", which means "cold water," yielded the name of the suburb, Sisal. Inside the complex, visit the elaborate garden well and fountain, and note the church's ornate central altarpiece, which survived the anti-Church excesses of the revolution, unlike the one in Valladolid's San Gervasio Cathedral. A gentleman waits at the entrance offering guided tours of San Bernardino; tip him about 10 pesos. There's a small gallery with historic photos and artifacts recovered from the site. After your visit to San Bernardino, stop for lunch at Taberna de los Frailes.