La Villa De Guadalupe

"La Villa"the heart of Mexico's spirituality, encompasses Mexico's most important shrine, the Basilica de Guadalupe. According to the legends the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to a newly converted indigenous peasant over in four visions asking that a shrine be built in her honour. Finally as proof she sent Juan Diego to collect flowers, and the tilma cloak in which he carried them to the bishop miraculously was "miraculously" emblazoned with her image. This tilma now hangs behind the altar of the new basilica (above) and there are moving walkways in front so she can be viewed as closely as possible. The new basilica is built in a round formation, so as many pilgrims can see the imade from all angles, and is very modern in a setting of ancient churches.
The old Basilica (below) is slowly sinking into the ground, as is much of Mexico City. It's quite an uphill climb on entry, then the back of the church slopes the other way, quite disconcerting. Mexico City was built on the bed of a drained lake, and the enormous weight on many millions of people and of the stone and marble used in the churches and buildings, in addition to the continued draining of underground aquifers, has many buildings sinking.
The old basilica was closed for many years, but is now reopened to visitors, and the "Villa" is a pilgrimage made by most Mexicans. It almost like a theme park, with gardens, shrines, churches and the ever present vendors selling religious icons of all types, CDs and DVDs,  photographers to snap your picture in front of various shrines and "por supuesto" food and drink of all varities