Built by, and often of, silver and gold, the central states embrace both the might Sierra Madre and the Bajio lowlands. Their great legacy is baroque and neoclassic edifices and stately plazas paid for by rich mines and successful merchants.

The colonial cities of the Mexican heartland merge history, European and mestizo culture, and modernity. Stunning churches and palaces – some now housing hotels, restaurants, and museums – line well-tended plazas, and internationally known musicians perform at Guanajuato’s Cervantes Festival and at San Miguel de Allende’s classical-era theatres host the opera and symphony, while roving musical parties attract students and other less formal types.