Construction of the church and former convent of San Bernardino de Siena began in 1535 on the site of a pre-Hispanic Aztec temple as part of Spanish missionary efforts. The church was completed by 1600 and continued to serve the local town whose population had converted to Christianity but allowed to retain a number of their traditional practices; In 1932 the Mexican government declared the monastery a National Monument and major restoration work began in the 1960s; If you are near, you can visit this ancient archaeological site and contemplate its beautiful architecture and learn about its history.