Horse Stables at Rancho Santa Emilia near San Miguel de Allende

Luis Barragàn cited Mexican provinces as his inspiration, stating in his Pritzker Architecture Prize acceptance speech, "For me the lessons contained in the traditional architecture of the Mexican provinces have been my permanent source of inspiration: their white-washed walls; the tranquility of their courtyards and kitchen gardens; the color of their streets and the humble majesty of their squares surrounded by shady porches."

It was his use of color that made Luis Barragàn an internationally known architect. He adapted the colors of the pueblo, or the people- pinatas, their streamers all hot colors- fuchsia, sapphire blue, carnival reds; fruit and vegetable markets, the sweet and musky scents of fruits emanate from the mounds of purple, red, green, orange and yellow.

In his acceptance of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1980, Luis Barragàn called it "alarming" that publications devoted to architecture seemed to have banished the words, "Beauty, Inspiration, Magic, Spellbound, Enchantment, as well as the concepts of Serenity, Silence, Intimacy and Amazement."

Plaza, San Miguel

In her poem, "Evening Plaza, San Miguel" Muriel Rukeyser writes:

"Like the birds falling among the trees, like music
As the trees close, and the cathedral closes.
No one will know who in a stranger land
Has never stood while night came down
In shadows of roses, a cloud of tree-drawn birds,
And said, "I must go home."