Iglesia de San Miguel Arcángel, Baroque temple in San Miguel el Alto, Mexico.
The iglesia de San Miguel Arcángel is a cantera-stone temple in the religious centre of San Miguel el Alto, built in a Latin-cross plan with a dome and a simple front covered in pink stone. Its two twin hexagonal towers are of composite order, and the church measures 53 metres in length and 41 metres in height.
Construction began in 1831 under architect Felipe Vallejo, who died on 20 July 1865 after falling from the nearly finished dome. The church was inaugurated on 28 September 1869, and the dome was completed in 1970. The west tower was built between March and September 1997.
The parish is dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, whose image appears in a stained-glass window placed at the centre of the glazing installed in 2007, flanked by windows showing the four evangelists. Inside, the main altar is Gothic in style, while two side altars in the transepts follow the Corinthian order.
The temple stands in the religious centre of San Miguel el Alto, with its front facing the town's central area. The interior is reached from the pink stone facade between the two hexagonal towers; the nave runs 53 m in length beneath the 41 m-high dome. Visitors should dress respectfully, as it is an active parish.
The wooden floor of the interior was installed between 1984 and 1986 and is made of mesquite wood. This durable material covers the entire floor space of the temple.
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