House & Garden Tour
By Jennifer Hamilton January 9, 2009 San Miguel de Allende

St. Pascual Bailon; spectacular ironwork; serene, sunlit courtyard

House & Garden Tour
Sun, Jan 11, tour departs at noon
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
US$15 or 150 p
Breakfast at Café Santa Ana starts at 9am

1. This spectacular home and inn built in the colonial style has unsurpassed views from almost every level. An impressive two-story entranceway contains a magnificent mural on the wall, an imposing chandelier and a wraparound balcony. One of the most impressive lamps came from the Bank of Mexico and was placed in the downstairs corridor.

Guatemalan huipiles adorn some of the walls, as do priests’ robes in others, and the antique furniture was mostly purchased in Guadalajara. All the rooms face the solar-heated pool and garden with its Jacuzzi and three Mayan-headed fountains. The mesquite dining room table on the second floor accommodates 12. The vibrantly tiled kitchen has stressed wood cabinets, a center island and St. Pascual Bailon (patron saint of cooks and kitchens) embedded into the tile over the stove. An entertainment room contains a mahogany table fitted with inlaid bronze which dates back to Maximilian and Carlota. A wraparound veranda, with wet bar and barbecue grill backed by a tiled mosaic, is p
erfect for entertaining and sipping a margarita while watching sunsets over the lake and enjoying the twinkling lights of the city after the sun sets. 

2. This huge and beautiful property consists of vast gardens and several Mexican colonial villas. The arched entryway with its beautiful mural above the door opens up into large, high rooms. A whole area of the house is built in Moorish style. The home’s kitchen is decorated with Puebla tiles and two center islands.

The living room has large stained glass windows, lots of cantera and a hand-carved chimney. Five additional casitas have individual access to the gardens, patios, pools and Jacuzzis. Decks offer outstanding views toward the north and west. The ironwork throughout is certainly spectacular and was fashioned by one of San Miguel’s mounted policemen! By the main pool is a terrazzo and at the bottom of the garden 18 meters below is a large event area with cooking facilities, music and dancing areas for outdoor picnicking, weddings, family reunions. From here a stone bridge curves over a large pond leading to a steam bath room. Don’t miss the one-piece cantera stone sculpture at the fountain representin
g the eagle and serpent found in the center of the Mexican flag.

3. This gracious property combines the charm of colonial architecture—an effect achieved by combining two small eighteenth-century houses into one—with all the amenities of modern living.

Serious cooks will recognize its professionally designed kitchen with state-of-the-art imported appliances, mesquite counters, copper hood and convenient baking and pantry. The formal dining room faces the patio’s fountain, which can be seen from the back rooms and from the outdoor sala with its colorful purple and yellow walls, warmed in winter by a wood-burning fireplace. The living room with marble flooring is cozy and its elegant features include beautiful crown molding, beveled glass doors and a generous fireplace. Upstairs is the romantic master suite with its arched ceiling and two guest bedrooms, each with its own terrace leading all around the second level. The roof garden has an impressive compilation of cacti. All rooms in the house face and are brightened by the serene, sunlit and tree-filled central courtyard.
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