I have already expressed my view that the Monarch Butterfly Forests should be a shoo-in for inscription in 2008 but I am not so adamant about Mexico’s second proposed site. It comprises 2 locations separated by around 15kms – we visited both in Mar 2008. The bigger is the town of San Miguel de Allende (SM). A few quotes from the town’s Web site should give you a pretty good idea of what it is like – “A shop-a-holic’s dream”, “a vibrant and lively community of artists, musicians and writers”, “one of Mexico’s top rated destinations year after year”, “Thousands of people come to SM every year to learn Spanish, study art or take Mexican cooking classes”, “If you are thinking of … retiring in SM you are probably interested in our SM real estate”, “The foreign community of SM consists of thousands of people from all over the world who have chosen to make this delightful and historic town in Central Mexico their home”. Some Mexicans we were speaking to in nearby Guanajuato joked that it was said that you needed a US visa to get in! Apparently it all started after WWII when US ex GIs found that their de-mob “education grants” went further south of the border!

It is certainly very pleasant but, apart from its up-market ambiance, is it really in essence that different from many other “colonial” towns in Mexico (and there are a fair few on Mexico’s list already)or elsewhere in Latin America? Yet, to be fair, Europe is somewhat over represented on its towns also! SM is perhaps better preserved than many as its fabric has clearly benefited from the money available and many of the houses have been converted into restaurants, hotels and interior décor shops. My main memory of the place beyond the standard “colonial fare” was of the stunning unfinished Siqueiros mural from 1948 ("Vida y Obra de Ignacio Allende" - photo) in one of the rooms of the “Escuela de Bellas Artes” (Built 1775 and originally a nunnery but now full of American music, art and dance students).

The second strand of this nomination is the Sanctuary of Atotonilco. Set in a quiet dusty village at the end of a dirt road this place gelled totally with my romantic “pictures” of old Mexico (which no doubt owe a lot to numerous Hollywood movies)! Dating back to the 18th century it also figures in the history of Mexican Independence as a place visited by Hidalgo. The exterior is undergoing significant renovation and the interior still needs some too (in 1996 the WMF put it on their list of the "100 most endangered monuments in the world") – but the murals are its star feature as they contain some wonderful early “primitif” (or "Folk Baroque") murals. Some depict Spanish galleons “bringing the word” (photo)and there is lots of blood and suffering depicted everywhere in what has been called (with more than a little hyperbole) "The Sistine Chapel of the Americas"!! We were there for a small service, which was nice, but I suspect the place is best seen at the time of a fiesta or major service – when the local indigenous people gather and celebrate. Again there are some 19 missions and 6 cathedrals on Mexico's inscribed list already so does it need another historic religious building? I wonder if it has been included to leaven SM with something a bit more "worthy"? And, as well as inscribing multiple sites (the existing 2 sets of Missions), Mexico does quite seem to like "pairing" them (viz Mexico City/Xochimolco, Oaxaca/Monte Alban and even Puebla/Cholula - though the latter got rejected by UNESCO).

So,in conclusion, both are undoubtedly places worth visiting if you are in this area of Central Mexico, but whether they are of “World Class” is more debatable. I also have a slight feeling of distaste for the rampant commercialism of SM. Not in itself – every location has the right to utilize its assets to maximize its earnings but I suspect that gaining WHS status is a major strand in its tourism development strategy and UNESCO inscription shouldn’t be used significantly for that purpose. But it is the way WHS is going and explains why places are prepared to spend so much time and money gaining the right to show the logo. My cynicism will be compounded if this site gets inscribed in the same year in which the undoubtedly “world class”, with or without its bridge, Dresden is removed from the list.