This article presents the results of a ground penetrating radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) investigation carried out in the atrium of the Cathedral of Puebla to shed new light on the location of the original temple known as the "Old Cathedral". Historians who endeavor to reconstruct the past of this historical monument propose two hypotheses. To verify whether the foundations are located on the northwest or northeast side of the current cathedral, a GPR study was conducted with 200 and 400 MHz antennas. The study was completed with an ERT survey. The remains of the old cathedral were located and identified in the northwestern part of the atrium. Further anomalies related to subsurface structures and consistent with the ephemeral existence of a smaller temple, the "Sagrario", were detected. The GPR proved to be the most suitable method to investigate without causing damage suspected subsurface remains, thus protecting cultural heritage.

A three‐dimensional ground‐penetrating radar survey was performed on the altar wall, which faced the risk of collapse, of a 16th‐century church in Michoacán, Mexico. The ground‐penetrating radar survey with high‐frequency antennas aimed to locate structural cracks and texture arrangements, the latter through the interpretation of the patterns in the electromagnetic data. The results indicate that the superficially visible cracks or fractures, except for the lateral ones at each end of the wall, disappear at a depth of between 15 and 25 cm. The lower part of the wall below a height of 3.97 m presents an area with multiple diffractions, which suggests that the masonry is made of ‘stone and mud’ and the tilt appears precisely where the adobe wall starts. Using 1500 and 900 MHz antennas, the identified texture of the wall shows at least three leaves or layers with diverse materials and a wooden beam embedded in the wall. Additionally, the survey near the church with a 200 MHz antenna supports the hypotheses that local construction materials were used here. The results inspire us to continue applying ground‐penetrating radar, a non‐destructive method, to diagnose the walls and structures of historical monuments before any intervention.

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