Historic Centre of Puebla

The Historic Centre of Puebla is an old town in Mexico covering roughly 7 square kilometers and home to over 2,600 historical structures. The buildings feature distinctive combinations of brick, ceramic tiles, and white mortar reliefs that shape the streetscape.

The city was founded in 1531 as a Spanish settlement and grew into a major trading hub between Mexico City and the Veracruz port. This location made it a center for commerce and cultural exchange during colonial times.

Religious buildings throughout the old town display Mexican Baroque design with ceramic tiles and intricate decorative reliefs that define the streetscape. These structures show how faith and craftsmanship shaped community life across generations.

The center is easily walkable and offers museums, restaurants, and shops spread across the area, with the main square as a good starting point for orientation. It helps to take your time and explore the various streets and plazas at a leisurely pace.

The Palafoxiana Library, established in 1773, preserves one of the first public book collections of colonial times with original cedar shelving still in place. The building shows how important education and knowledge sharing were to this trading city.