Baroque art and architecture is one of the major historical developments in Western art. Like other great styles, the baroque first found expression in architecture and spread from there to painting and sculpture and eventually even to music. It flourished from the latter half of the 16th century to the beginning of the 18th century, with its high-water mark probably being the decade from 1630 to 1640. In the past, some interpreters, especially in England and France, were inclined to consider the baroque as a mere perversion of the Renaissance style. This view, however, is now outdated, and in recent years there has been a widespread revival of interest in the baroque.
The richness and variety of baroque forms make it difficult to characterize the style. All artistic styles contain certain contradictions, but the baroque is particularly full of them. The word baroque, of uncertain origin, was first used in the 17th century as a term of abuse to describe art that did not meet the "classical" rational standards. Some scholars believe the term "baroque" is derived from the Portuguese barroco (an irregularly shaped pearl), and indeed the essence of the baroque style is best described in a single word: irregular.
The baroque, aptly called the art of the impossible, is characterized by movement. To some critics its main features are its ebullience, its ornateness, its somber pomp; to others, its dynamic character, its predilection for curves, its avoidance of clear outline and distinct contrast, its preoccupation with expressing states of mind, feelings, moods. The last characteristic, a concern with the inner life, caused distinctive national and regional differences in the forms of the baroque, of which the Italian, Spanish, French, German, and Austrian are particularly noteworthy.
The word Baroque literally means a "misshapen pearl". This period of architecture was called Baroque because some considered the style very odd. Baroque architecture evolved out of Renaissance architecture in Italy. The two main architects of the Baroque era were Bernini and Borromini. Bernini's first medium was sculpture. He liked to incorporate a lot of sculpture into his buildings. A sculptor and mason, Francesco Burromini went to Rome in 1614, and trained under Bernini.
The facades consisted of many curves, often using the double curve (in at the sides, out in the middle). Baroque pediments (triangular area between the rooftop and the end of the roofs) were often highly decorated. The tips were sometimes turned into scrolls and gilded .
The most distinct shape of the Baroque style is the oval. The baroque architects used marble, gilt, and bronze in abundance on the interior. One often finds the interiors surrounded by numerous gilded puttos (little angels) as well as some life sized ones.
The ceilings and domes often contained large frescos or murals using what is known as "Trompe l'oeil" painting which is an art technique involving extremely realistic imagery in order to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects appear in three dimensions, instead of actually being a two-dimensional painting. The walls are often highly painted

* 1660-1744 (was completed 84 years later) * The Monumental Organ of the century is the largest in Mexico, consist of 4600 flutes or voices. * Its architectural beauty and history are the other reason why it has become an icon of the city. * Majestic pink stone building. * It has Doric neoclassical altarpieces. * The cathedral is the flagship building is representative of Morelia given its height, since it has two high towers which can be seen throughout the valley of the city