Los Girasoles
at the old San Andrés hospital.
One of the most beautiful seats in America, it is the call "Manuel Tolsá", located in the
Historical Center of the Mexico City. The name is in tribute to the great sculptor and
architect, author of the magnificent well-known equestrian statue like "El Caballito", that it
presides over the majestic site and of the mining palace, wonderful unit of the neoclassic one.
Also they adorn to the seat the old palace of Communications, today host of the
National Art Museum, the imposing Post Office Palace and the one that was Betlemitas? temple,
beautiful baroque construction, that at the moment it lodges to Army and the Navy Museum.
The history of this place dates from the pre-Hispanic time; this located in which it
was celebrates road of Tlacopam, by where they fled the Spaniards the day of the well-known
defeat like of "the sad night", today called tacuba.
During the virginity several religious institutions settled in her, between that they
emphasized three hospitals: "Betlemitas", the one of "Third" of the Franciscans and the one
of "San Andrés" of the Jesuits. This last one was based on 1626 like novitiate church
and of "Santa Ana"; these constructions were deteriorated to the few years,
reason why the monks were themselves forced to leave them, remaking the building in 1676,
with the bottoms that Andrés Tapia captain provided. Thus one became to open to the school
and a temple, but now under the invocation of "San Andrés"; in the contiguous estate,
in 1751, the filipenses parents constructed an Exercises House,
with I title of "Altar Coeli".
After the exile of the Jesuits, both constructions were dedicated to hospital. By the way that in
the chapel, the rest of Maximiliano emperor were guarded. At the beginning XX century they
were demolished to build the palace dedicated to the country’s communications.
The beautiful construction of the Exercises House, that it was part of "San Andrés Hospital "
was saved, being integrated wonderfully to the square, at the moment the restaurant
is in her “Los Girasoles”, with the best Mexican cuisine at the Historical Center.
Angeles González Gamio
General Council Secretary of the Chronicle
Investigating, Writer and Journalist
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