Church of San Bernardo, Mexico City, Baroque Catholic church in Mexico City, Mexico

The Church of San Bernardo is a Catholic church in the historic center of Mexico City, standing at the corner of Avenida 20 de Noviembre and Venustiano Carranza Street. It is one of the few colonial religious buildings in this part of the downtown area that still stands on its own, surrounded by streets on all sides.

The convent was founded in 1636 by three Orozco sisters and two nuns from the Convent of Regina Coeli, on land bought by José Retes de Largacha, Marquis of San Jorge, after merchant Juan Márquez de Orozco left his fortune for a Cistercian house. The church was built between 1685 and 1687 and consecrated in 1690; the convent never housed the Cistercian order. Closed in 1861 under Benito Juárez, the convent was demolished except for the church, opening the way for Avenida 20 de Noviembre.

The two niches on the main facade hold images of Saint Bernard and the Virgin of Guadalupe; the Guadalupe figure was moved here from the opposite side when the convent was dismantled. A bronze plaque records the Concepcionist nuns of the Convent of the Sweetest Name of Mary of the Glorious Saint Bernard, founded on 30 March 1636, and the 350th anniversary celebrated in 1986.

The church sits in the busy historic center of Mexico City, within walking distance of the Zócalo, making it easy to visit as part of a wider stroll through the area. The streets around it can get very crowded during the day, so visiting in the morning gives a calmer view of the exterior.

Although the church was completed in the 17th century, its current facade was reshaped in the 18th century using funds from the Count of San Mateo Valparaíso, who paid for the geometrically cut tezontle stonework. What visitors see today reflects 18th-century choices, not the original appearance of the building.