Mazamitla, Jalisco Mexico
19 December 2009Mazamitla (La Capital De La Montaña) is a town and municipality of the Mexican state of Jalisco. It is located 124 km south of Guadalajara in the Southeast Region and is a popular resort destination for travelers from Guadalajara. Its name comes from the Nahuatl and means “place where arrows to hunt deer are made”; its territorial extension is 177.18 km2. According to Count II Population and Housing, the municipality has 11671 inhabitants who are devoted mainly to the tertiary sector. For its natural beauty is considered by the federal Secretariat of Tourism as a Pueblo Mágico.
Etymology
The name comes from the Nahuatl language and is the union of the words “Mazatl” (deer), “Mitl” (arrow) and “tlan” (place). Its meaning has been interpreted in different ways:
History
Mazamitla was founded by the Aztecs in 1165. It belonged to the manor of Tzapotlán and paid tribute to the chieftain of Tamazollan. In 1481 the area was invaded by P’urhépecha to seize the Laguna de Sayula. they held dominance for only a few years until they were defeated at the end of The War of Salitre in 1510.
This place was discovered and conquered by Cristobal de Olid together with Juan Rodriguez Villafuerte, early in the year 1522, Their party was sent by Hernan Cortes to explore the region of western Mexico. Upon conquest of the lordship of Tzapotlán people who belonged to him were automatically awarded to Hernán Cortés who appointed Anton Salcedo encomendero. Being named president of the Audiencia of Mexico, Nuno Beltran de Guzman moved to Cortez of these parcels.
It said that Miguel Hidalgo, when he was pastor of internal held a mass in Palo Gordo. He used the trunk of an oak that is saved as a relic (where) to serve as the altar for the mass. In the slope of Zapatero clashed insurgents and realistic in 1812. The insurgents were captained by Francisco Echeverria, who despite having emerged victorious was seriously injured, dying in Mazamitla. During The French intervention, the invaders burned files. After the The French intervention the Mexican locals of mazamitla captured a French officer named Jonny Fuentes and was hung in the year 1815 in the town square.
Since 1825 belonged to 4 ° canton of Sayula until 1878 in what happens at 9 canton of Ciudad Guzman. On April 19, 1894 was erected in town by decree of the state congress.
Physical Geography
Location
Mazamitla is located in the south-central area of Jalisco, south of Lake Chapala at coordinates 19 º 47′30 “19 º 59′00″ north latitude and 102 º 58′35 “to 103 º 10′45″ west longitude, at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level.
The town abuts the north by the town of La Manzanilla de La Paz, the state of Michoacan and the town of Valle de Juárez, on the east by the town of Valle de Juárez, on the south by the municipalities of Valle de Juárez and of Tamazula de Gordiano; on the west by the municipalities of Concepción de Buenos Aires and La Manzanilla de La Paz.
Orthography
Its surface is composed of hilly areas (35%), with hills occupied by forests, with heights ranging from 2200 to 2800 meters. Land semiplane (40%) are hills and slopes, with heights ranging from 2000 to 2200 meters above sea level and flat areas (25%), with elevations ranging from 200 to 1800 meters above sea level. The maximum heights are Cerro El Jackal and Cerro del Tigre.
Floor
The territory is made up of land belonging to the tertiary period. The land is hilly and broken, its composition is prevalent types luvisol, feozem háplico and litosol. The municipality has a land area of 17718 hectares, of which 3495 are used for agriculture, livestock in 3095, 10516 were from forest use, urban land are 206 hectares and 442 hectares have another use. As far as ownership is concerned, an area of 6432 hectares is private and another ejido 11286 is not exist communally owned.
Hydrography
Its water resources are the rivers: La Pasion, Rio de Gomez, Los Cazos, Ponche Grande and la media luna; streams: El Salto, Barranca Verde, El Ruido, Cuate, Barranca, Los Puentes and La Cuesta;The Springs: Barranca los Hoyos, Paso Blanco, La Pasión y Boca de Tinieblas.
The climate is semiseco, with dry winter, and mild winter without heat exchange well-defined. The average annual temperature is 21 °C with maximum of 25.7 °C and minimum of 7.1 °C. The rainfall recorded between June and September, with an average rainfall of 982 millimeters. The average annual number of days with frost is 52.6. The prevailing winds are heading south.
Flora and Fauna
Its flora is composed mainly of pine, oak, arbutus, huizache, mesquite, palo dulce, nopal, granjeno, and some fruit species.
The wildlife includes deer, porcupine, wild cat, rabbit, squirrel, the eagle, the sparrowhawk, chachalaca and guajolote wild.
Culture
Sites of Interest
La Garita, Tamazula de Gordiano, Jalisco Mexico.
This site with hot springs offer a wide variety of services for the entire family. From an entertaining water park for the kids to relaxing and theraputic massage therapies.
Fiestas
External Links
Mazamitla Mountain Air and a Crackling Fireplace
Mazamitla: its scenery, kitchens and customs
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Valle de Bravo
Valle de Bravo is a town and municipality located in Mexico State, Mexico. It is located on the shore of Lake Avándaro, approximately 156 km southwest of Mexico City and west of Toluca on highways 15, 134 or 1. It takes about 2 hours to drive from Mexico City to Valle de Bravo, making it a popular weekend getaway for affluent wealthy upper class people of the metropolis capital.
The town has several names during its history including San Francisco del Valle de Temascaltepec, Temascaltepec de indios, Villa del Valle. The original names including Temascaltepec caused confusion with the nearby “Real de Minas de Temascaltepec”, now Temascaltepec, so the county was known as “El Valle” (The Valley). “de Bravo” was added later to honor Nicolás Bravo who fought at the Castle of Chapultepec during the Mexican-American War. Its glyph includes the image of a temascal in reference to its original name.
In 1971 Valle de Bravo was known as typical city and magic town in 2005. The town and the surrounding area are well-known in Mexico as a tourist destination, principally because it is natural area only 2 hours away from Mexico City.
The town
History
The first to arrive to the area were the who settled mostly in the present-day communities of Santa Maria Ahuacatlán, La Peña and Otumba. Between 1474 and 1479, the Aztec chief Axayacatl conquered the region, establishing what it would be the last addition to the Aztec Empire. After the destruction of Tenochtitlan by the Spanish, campaigns to subdue this area were carried out by Andrés de Tapia and Gonzalo de Sandoval, followed by evangelization by the Dominicans and the Augustinians. Around 1530, the Franciscan friar Gregorio Jiménez de la Cuenca founded the town as a congregation called “El Pino”. Between 1607 and 1615, a Franciscan convent was established here, giving the town that grew up around it its original name of San Franciscano del Valle de Temascaltepec.
The town suffered greatly during the Mexican War of Independence due to the monarchy’s attempts to repress the rebellion there. Another short-lived rebellion occurred in 1834 when Carlos Guadalupe Tepixtoco Abad proclaimed his plan to re-establish the empire of Moctezuma. However, most people considered the cause to be ridiculous and the movement quickly died out. The village gained town status in 1842 and city status in 1878. In the beginning of the 19th century, Professor G. Velázquez wrote the poem “Valle de Bravo en la poesía de Pagaza”, describing the region’s beauty. The town also saw incursions by Zapatistas during the Mexican Revolution.
In the 20th century, the geographic configuration of the landscape changed. In 1937, the Federal Commission on Electricity began plans for an electrical plant called Ixtapantongo, later called the “Miguel Alemán” hydroelectric system. Construction began in 1938 and ended in 1947 ending with a Villa Victoria Dam that flooded 2,900 hectares, creating the current resevior which extends all the way to the state of Michoacán. The electrical plant generates 458,775 kilowatts per hour and forms a part of the water system supplying Mexico City. The town is situated on a small plateau at the foot of several hills at the edge of this lake. As of 2005 it had a population of 22,166. The dam is actually a series of dams named Valle, Tilostoc, Colorines, Ixtapantongo and the newest at Santo Tomas de los Platanos. With the creation of the lake came the development of exclusive resort facilities such as hotels, golf clubs, country cabins, sailing clubs and a myriad of restaurants.
Economy
The town’s principal economic activities center around tourism. It is a very popular location for weekend visits, especially from residents of Mexico City and Toluca. Holidays such as New Year’s Eve and Semana Santa bring large numbers of visitors to the town leading to strong recommendations to arrange lodging well in advance. Other yearly events include the Festival Vallesano (March) where people participate in sporting, horseback-riging, art exhibitions and food-tasting events as well as cultural and musical performances. However, the largest annual celebration is the cultural festival known as the Festival de las Almas (Festival of the Souls) which has occurred each of the last five years in late September or early October. The 2007 festival brought in 4.5 million pesos to the area with 8 days of festivities, 151 programmed events centered on film, dance, art exhibitions, music, literature, workshops and theater, as well as Day of the Dead altars. It has spread to include events in Apaxco, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, Temascalcingo, Texcoco and Toluca. This event featured “Alan” State Dance Troupe from Ossetia Alania, Russia as well as artists from thirteen other countries. Roughly 160-170 thousand people attended the event.
Tourist attractions
Temple of Santa María Ahuacatlán was originally a chapel when it was started in 1864 but has been converted into a church which is still under construction. The main altar contains a Black ChristEn el altar principal se puede observar una rara imagen de un Cristo Negro, which is still worshipped. Inside the church are extremely large cavases by Phillippa, an English artist who was recently commissioned. These canvases depict the relationship between Mazahua legend and the Black Christ.
The Parish of Saint Francis of Asisi used to have two very large naves constructed by the Franciscans, one nave for the Spanish and one for the indigenous people. All that is preserved from the 17th century are the baptismal font, the holy water font and a carving of Saint Francis which is located in a vaulted niche in the present-day main nave. Other, more recent features of the church include murals and Italian oil paintings. The main bell was cast during the Mexican Revolution. The third and main nave was constructed in the 1950s in which all residents of the town participated; however, this project was not terminated until 1994.
The Casa de la Cultura (House of Culture) is located in front of the municipal dock on Lake Avandaro. Classes are given there in activities such as aerobics, music and painting to children and adults. It also hosts conferences and workshops on natural medicine as well as art expositions. The complex includes a library, a ballroom, a cafe, exhibition rooms and an auditorium. Also, the workshop of painter Ismael Ramos is found here.
The Joaquín Arcadio Pagaza Museum is dedicated to the conservation, research and spread of the region’s cultural history. It features objects that were the property of Don Joaquín Arcadio Pagaza, a notable person here. It displays paintings and sculpture from local, national and international artists. It also supports literature by sponsoring conferences, films, theatre and other events. It also offers courses and workshops in fine arts, music and literature as well as a library.
The Municipal Boardwalk and Dock, on the edge of Lake Avandaro, is the main attraction in the town. There are a number of restaurants on the boardwalk and some that float alongside the dock. On weekends, artists display and sell their work here. Boats for excursions on the lake can be rented here as well as horses. It’s an artificial lake where you can practice water sports and enjoy trips on a yacht or on a boat. On the banks of this river there are more than 42 nautical clubs. It is great for navigation, sailing, and water-skiing.
The Jardín Central (Central Garden) is located on the side of the Parish of San Francisco. There is live music at the bandstand on Sunday afternoons and street food such as corn, campechanas, tacos, pambazos and traditional ice cream for sale. A bust of Nicolás Bravo, for whom the town was named also stands in this location.
One major activity here is paragliding. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale has designated Valle the host for the 2009 Championship, which expects 150 participants from 46 countries. In addition to paragliding, ultralight flying is popular. Age is not a factor in who can participate; however, first-time fliers do so in tandem.
At Valle de Bravo you can enjoy safe night life but also you can enjoy sunny days and at night you can go to many bars and restaurants located in downtown. You can find bars like Camelia, Naha, Enebro, Sheep Bar, La Escala, Bar de los Artistas, La Casona Terraza Bar. Clubs like Mango, Pachanga, Morrison’s, Pila Seca, El Relampago and Santo y Seña but the two most attractive are located in the middle of the lake of Valle de Bravo.
Valle de Bravo was named a “Pueblo Mágico” in 2005.
As mentioned before, Valle de Bravo has a population of more than 50,000 people. The mortality, in this town, is first, due to homicides and in a second place by alcoholism. However, the mortality rate has decreased over the last decade. Migration is another factor determinant in the demographic of Valle de Bravo, because the people leave their origins in order to find better jobs. 27,675 is the amount of people who can read and write.
Valle de Bravo’s weather is mild- humid. It rains during summer: it starts in June and ends in September. The warmest months are: May, June, July and August. The average temperature is 17.5 °C (63.50 °F). The minimum temperature is 1.3°C (34.34°F) and the maximum is 32°C (89.60°F).
The municipality
As municipal seat, the town of Valle de Bravo has governing jurisdiction over the following communities: San Mateo Acatitlán, El Aguacate, Los Álamos, Calderones, La Candelaria, El Castellano, El Cerrillo (San José el Cerrillo), La Compañía (Cerro Colorado), Cerro Gordo, Colorines, Loma Bonita, La Compañía (Tres Espigas), Cuadrilla de Dolores, Rancho Espinos, El Fresno (El Fresno la Compañía), Godínez Tehuastepec, La Laguna, Loma de Chihuahua, Loma de Rodríguez, El Manzano, Mesa de Jaimes, Mesa de Dolores (Mesa de Dolores 2a. Secc.), Los Pelillos, Peña Blanca, Los Pozos (Pinar de Osorios), Santa María Pipioltepec (Pipioltepec), San José Potrerillos (Potrerillos), Rincón de Estradas, San Antonio, San Gabriel Ixtla, San Gaspar, San Juan Atezcapan, San Nicolás Tolentino, San Ramón, San Simón el Alto, Santa Magdalena Tiloxtoc, Santa Rosa, Santa Teresa Tiloxtoc, Los Saucos, Tenantongo, La Volanta, Casas Viejas, Mesa Rica (La Finca), Mesa de Palomas, Atesquelites (Tres Quelites), La Boquilla (Cerro el Cualtenco la Boquilla), El Durazno, La Mecedora, Escalerillas, Tehuastepec (San José Tehuastepec), Tierra Grande (La Loma), El Arco, Barrio de Guadalupe, Las Joyas, Mata Redonda (Paso Hondo), Mesa de Dolores 1a. Secc. (Mesa del Rayo), La Palma, Piedra del Molino, Rancho Avándaro Country Club, El Aguacate (El Aserradero), Agua Fría, La Huerta San Agustín, Tres Puentes, Colonia Rincón Villa del Valle, Colonia Valle Escondido, Monte Alto, Las Ahujas, El Trompillo, Gallinas Blancas, Barranca Fresca, Santo Tomás el Pedregal, Los Tizates, as well as about 40 unnamed settlements. The total 2005 population of the municipality was 52,902.
Valle de Bravo became a municipality in 1852. It borders with the municipalities of Donato Guerra, Temascaltepec, Amanalco, Ixtapan del Oro, Santo Tomás de los Plátanos and Otzoloapan, with a territorial area of 421.95 km2. This municipality belongs to the 7th Region of Mexico State. The counties Donato Guerra, Ixtapan del Oro, Santo Tomás de los Plátanos, Otzoloapan, and Zacazonapan also belong to this Region.
The municipality is surrounded by mountain ranges and other elevated areas covering about 50% of the total area and include the Sierra de Temascaltepec, Sierra de Tenayac, Sierra de Valle de Bravos as wells as the hills that roll around the mountain ranges. These elevations include a number of small volcanoes such as the “Cerro Gordo”. 30% of the area is semi-flat with only 20% of the surface being plains. The main river of the area is the Río Balsas, whose system includes the tributaries of El Salto, Barranca Honda, Tiloxtoc rivers.
Just south of the town of Valle de Bravo is a small village called Avandaro, which hosted the “Rock y Ruedas” festival in September 1971. Just outside of it is the Velo de la Novia (Bride’s Veil) waterfall, where the San Juan creek drops 35 meters in the middle of relatively untouched forest. The area has been converted into a natural park.
The Maranatha Retreat lies just to the north of Valle de Bravo. It used to be a Carmelite convent, but today it is open to people of all faiths. It was built in the 1860s and 1870’s by Father Miguel Angel Perez Alonso fusing elements of Byzantine, Mediterranean, Mexican Baroque and Asian architecture. Also to the north is the village of La Peña, which is on a high peak above the treeline. Here are some archeological remnants of Mazahua and Matlazinca origin.
Valle de Bravo also lies in the wintering grounds of the monarch butterfly. Piedra Herrada, located 25 km east of the town on the north side of the Los Saucos highway, is a federal reserve for the protection of the butterflies. In this sanctuary, visitors can rent horses to explore the sanctuary as well as a guide. The butterflies can be found all winter long at the top of the mountaintop in the abundant fir trees.
Outside of the town of Valle de Bravo, agriculture is still intensively practiced, growing crops like corn, beans, potatoes, peas, fava biena, tomatoes onions and other vegetable and some other grains. Most crops are produced for autoconsumption but some, like potatoes and peas are grown for commercial purposes. Some livestock is also raised here, but it is nearly all for autoconsumption. There is also some industrial production, mainly of ceramics, furniture and construction materials. The Valle de Bravo area attracts more than 3,751,822 personas annually, who contribute more than 2,617 million pesos annually to the municipality’s economy, making it the key sector to municipal development. 60% of the municipality’s jobs are generated through tourism.
Culturally it is a place of transition of different cultures like: Nahua, Matlatzinca and Purépecha and their languages that can be still heard in markets or in some towns. It is located southwest the city of Toluca in the State of Mexico.
Valle de Bravo still has indigenous people. The predominant indigenous language is Mazahua (396 habitants). The number of indigenous people has been reduced due to urbanization. Indigenous languages that predominate are Mazateca, Mixtec, Purépecha, Tzeltal, Zapotec, Tarahumara, and Tepehua Totonaca.
Most of the people living there profess Catholicism, but there are also evangelical or Protestant people.
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Parras de la Fuente
Parras de la Fuente (English: Grapevines of the Fountain) is a city located in the southern part of the Mexican state of Coahuila. At the census of 2005, the population was 44,715. There are a large number of factories that produce denim, including a Dickies factory, and Parras is also a wine-making place. The city serves as the municipal seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name, which has an area of 9,271.7 km2 (3,579.8 sq mi).
History
The former Hacienda del Rosario is the place were Parras de la Fuente was founded in 1598. There, the revolutionary and President of Mexico Francisco I. Madero was born in 1873.
In 1846, during the Mexican-American War, Parras was held by U.S. troops. Also, French forces were defeated there in 1866 during the French intervention in Mexico.
Tourist centers
Parras is called “The oasis” of the semidesert of Coahuila. One of the historic attractions of Parras is the Municipality Presidence, which is a replica of the State’s Government Palace in Saltillo.
One of the main touristic attractions is the Hostal el Farol, the former house of General Raul Madero, and now a beautiful place to stay and eat.
The oldest winery in the Americas is in Parras de la Fuente and was founded by Lorenzo García in the 16th century.
For rest and recreation, Parras has bathing resorts; these bathing places were used to generate electric power for industry usage.
Among its man-made attractions are Santo Madero Church, which is located on an extinct volcano plug just north of the town, and San Ignacio de Loyola Church, which was built in the 17th century.
Parras was named a “Pueblo Mágico” in 2004.
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Real del Monte
Mineral del Monte (commonly Real del Monte or El Real) is a small town and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, in central-eastern Mexico, lying at an altitude of 2700 metres (8,800 ft).
As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 11,944.
History
The municipality was once the richest in the state when gold and silver were discovered before the Spanish Conquest. The Spanish began mining in the late 1500s. The mines were later abandoned but reopened in the late 1730s under Pedro Romero de Terreros.
The town’s steep streets, stairways and small squares are lined with low buildings, some dating back to colonial times. The houses with high sloping roofs and chimneys indicate a Cornish influence, the legacy left by 350 Cornishmen employed by the Cornish firm that ran the mines between 1824 and 1848. The Cornish role in the development of Mexican silver mining is remembered fondly in Real del Monte-Pachuca, as it was the Cornish who introduced the industrial revolution to the shores of Latin America in the 1820s, reviving Mexican silver mining. More particularly the majority of migrants to this region of Mexico came from what we now term the Cornish Central Mining District: Camborne-Redruth-Gwennap. One of the leading personalities in nineteenth century Mexico was Camborne man, Francis Rule. His opinion was regarded as a barometer for the rise and fall of mining shares and he became a multi-millionaire with numerous mining interests in and around Pachuca, including the famous Santa Gertrudis which by 1898 was one of the most powerful mines in the State of Hidalgo. The Management was all Cornish, with Thomas Lakeside Phillips becoming Director. In 1903 alone, profits to stockholders had exceeded a million dollars. Known as El Rey de la Plata (The Silver King), Rule left an indelible mark on the Pachucan cityscape and showed great generosity to the peoples of his adopted homeland.
Today, typical Cornish pasties (a local speciality known as pastes) are baked in both settlements and are unknown outside the State of Hidalgo. Four extant Cornish engine houses and a cemetery containing the graves of hundreds of Cornish bear witness to the Cornish involvement in Mexican silver mining for over a century. It was the Cornish who first introduced soccer/football to Mexico (Pachuca). The Mexican national game of football was first played in Mexico by Cornish miners at Pachuca in 1900, a fact that is celebrated each year. The first soccer club in the country, the Pachuca Athletic Club, was also founded in that year; a little known and scarcely believed fact in a country so devoted to ‘futbol’, the national sport. The first team consisted of Charles Dawe, John Dawe, James Bennetts, John Bennetts, William Blamey, Richard Sobey, William Bragg, William Thomas, Percy Bunt, Lionel Bunt, Albert Pangelly and William Pengelly. A decidedly ‘Cornish’ team. The Pachuca club encouraged the formation of teams in Mexico City and Orizaba, the first championship was played in 1902 and ‘El Pachuca’ won the 1904-05 tournament. The District of Pachuca – Real del Monte contains a rich heritage of which the period of Cornish influence is only part. The mines of the District are conservatively estimated to have produced 1.2 billion Troy ounces of silver and 6.2 million ounces of gold. 6 percent of the silver mined throughout the world during the last five centuries and continues in production today. But also Rugby union, Cricket, Tennis, Polo, Chess among other sports, and Mexican remittances helped to build the Wesleyan Chapel in Redruth, Cornwall in the 1820s. Methodism was also introduced by the Cornish upon their arrival, most of the descendants of the Cornish in Real del Monte and Pachuca are of Methodist faith, they even extended the religion into other major Mexican cities like Mexico City, Puebla, Guadalajara, Morelia, Monterrey, Veracruz, among others.
Tourism
The twin silver mining settlements of Pachuca and Real del Monte (Mineral del Monte) in the State of Hidalgo are being marketed as ‘Mexico’s Little Cornwall’ by the Mexican Embassy in London in 2007 and represent the first attempt by the Spanish speaking part of the Cornish diaspora to establish formal links with Cornwall. Camborne Town Council voted on 19 July 2007 to twin with Pachuca and on 16 August 2007 a public meeting confirmed the earlier decision of Redruth Town Council to twin with Real del Monte. The formal twinning ceremony took place at Mineral del Monte in July 2008 during the visit of the Cornish Mexican Cultural Society. In 2008/2009 the telenovela En Nombre del Amor was set there.
Real del Monte was named a “Pueblo Mágico” in 2004.
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Tequila, Jalisco Mexico
Santiago de Tequila is a town and municipality located in the state of Jalisco about 60 km from the city of Guadalajara. Tequila is best known as being the birthplace of the drink that bears its name, “tequila,” which is made from the blue agave plant, native to this area. The heart of the plant contains sugars and had been used by native peoples here to make a fermented drink they called mescal. After the Spanish arrived, they took this fermented beverage and distilled it, producing the tequila known today.(mexdes) The popularity of the drink and the history behind it has made town and the area surrounding it a World Heritage Site. It was also named a “Pueblo Mágico” (Magical Town) in 2003 by the Mexican federal government.
The name “Tequila” is derived from Nahuatl and means “place of tribute.” The coat of arms of the municipality was officially adopted on 31 December 1983 by the municipal council. It contain the Latin phrase ALMA LAETA NOBILIS, meaning “great and noble soul.”Its representative symbols include the tower of the main church in the town of Tequila, the chimneys of the distilleries, the agave plant and Tequila Mountain.
History
The first peoples to live in this area were the Chichimecas, the Otomí the Toltecs and the Nahua. However, the major pre-Hispanic settlement was not where the town of Tequila is today, but rather in a place called Teochtinchán. After the Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire, the Spanish moved west and this region became part of what was known as Nueva Galicia during the colonial period. Initial resistance to Spanish domination was brief. Local people fortified their major town, but in the end decided to surrender peacefully.
The village of Santiago de Tequila was founded in 1530 by Franciscan monks, who moved many of the local people here from Chiquihuitillo Mountain (now known as Tequila Volcano). In 1541, indigenous people in various parts of Nueva Galicia revolted against Spanish rule. Locally, The Tecoxines and Caxcanes in the towns of Tlaltenango, Xochipila, Nochictlán and Teocaltech rebelled first, with those in Tequila joining later. These rebels made their stand on Tequila Mountain. Friar Juan Calero of the monastery near Tequila went to try and pacify the situation, but he was killed by a barrage of arrows and rocks. This body was stripped of its robes and hung on the local stone idol. Another monk who died trying to negotiate a settlement was Friar Antonio de Cuellar of the Etzatlan monastery. In October of 1541, the situation in Nueva Galicia was so serious that the viceroy, Antonio de Mendoza, arrived from Mexico City. Rebel chief Diego Zacatecas went to meet with the viceroy, but was immediately taken prisoner by the Spanish. The price for his release was the end of the rebellion and for the chief to convert to Christianity.
In 1600, Pedro Sánchez de Tagle decided to build a large scale distilling operation based on a local fermented beverage made with the local agave plant. He also introduced the idea of cultivating this plant, native to the region, on a mass scale.
At the beginning of the 19th century came another rebellion in the Tequila area, this time led by a man only known as “The Gold Mask.” This rebellion was suppressed by the governor of Nueva Galicia, José Fernando de Abascal y Sousa, for which he was subsequently promoted to viceroy of Peru.
Shortly after this came the Mexican War of Independence. Rafael Pérez, under orders from José María Mercado, came to Tequila with 200 men to take over the town from royalist forces. After Independence, the town to Tequila was made the seat of one of the departments of the new state of Jalisco. When these departments were reorganized into municipalities, the town of Tequila was made the seat of the municipality of the same name. In 1874, the town of Tequila was given the official status of city. This was in recognition of an event in 1873, when Sixto Gorjón, about 50 police and citizens of Tequila fought off a group of bandits headed by Manuel Lozada, known as “The Tiger of Alicia.”
The town
The town of Tequila has a population of 26,809, accounting for about 73% of the municipality’s inhabitants. It contains the main parish church, Our Lady of the Purísima Concepción, built in the 18th century by Martín Casillas. The church has a stone facade, a bell tower and inverted truncated pyramid (estipite) pilasters that flank the main portal. The portal has two levels and a crown. The first level contains the door arch with has moulding and a seal and is supported by two Doric columns. The upper portion contains a window with moulding with Doric columns in each side, decorated with curves and vegetable motifs. The crown at the top contains a sculpture of the Archangel Michael in a niche flanked by Doric columns. The side portal is an arched entrance with Tuscan columns and cornice and a cross in relief at the midpoint. Inside are one nave and a Neoclassical main altar. Also inside is a statue of Or Lady of the Conception which dates from 1865.
Notable secular structures include the Quinta Sauza built in the 1830’s and the La Perserverancia distillery which was built in 1873. The Quinta Sauza has a large exterior garden with elaborate stone fountains. In the atrium, there are carvings with scenes from the passion of Christ. The facade of the house has reliefs of plants in which there are several entrances. Inside, there is a courtyard with a decorated fountain in the center and the entrance to the chapel in the back, which is decorated with plant and serpent motifs. In La Perseverancisa there is a huge work painted by Gabriel Flores in 1969 depicting the making and drinking of tequila. The distillery has guided tours. This distillery also has a museum in front of the municipal palace, containing paintings, photographs, sculptures and the machinery of the La Perservancia distillery and a room dedicated to regional crafts.
The National Museum of Tequila (MUNAT) is located in the town of Tequila on land that was purchased and set aside by Cipriano Rosales at the beginning of the 20th century for cultural and/or educational activities. The Eduardo González Primary School was established first in 1933, which became a vocational high school in 1979. This was closed in the 1980’s due to the deterioration of the building. After extensive remodeling, it reopened as the Casa de Cultura Tequilense (Tequila Cultural Center) and remained so until 2000, when it was converted into the National Museum of Tequila. It is the first museum in the world dedicated to this liquor.
Just 10 km outside the town of Tequila proper is the Sanctuary of Saint Toribio Romo González on the road that leads to the Balneario La Toma, in a community called Agua Caliente. Toribio Romo was recently canonized by John Paul II. The Sanctuary is located in the place where Romo was apprehended and shot during the Cristero War.
The National Festival of Tequila is held every year from the end of November to the middle of December. During this event, a Tequila Queen is crowned and the main distillers in the area all have a presence with samples of their tequila. There are also charreada events and a parade with floats, cockfights, mariachis, fireworks and rides. This festival coincides with the feast of Tequila’s patron saint, Our Lady of the Purisíma Concepción.
A surprising tradition for those not from Tequila is the nightly blessing of the town by the parish priest. At 9pm every night, the priest exits the church and offers a blessing by ringing a bell three times. At this moment, everyone in the town stops what they are doing, including turning off things like the television or radio and stands for the blessing.
The town and the beverage
The beverage called tequila is really a variety of mescal, made wholly or mostly from a plant called agave tequilana weber or simply blue agave. This plant is native to the Tequila area so this version of mescal was named after the town. Use of the agave plant goes far back into the pre-Hispanic period. The “piña” (lit. pineapple) or heart of the plant was used by the indigenous peoples cooked as a sweet, and as the base for a fermented alcoholic beverage. This beverage was called mescal by the native people and was much like what is called pulque today. By the time the Spanish arrived, the natives had begun to cultivate the plant. The Spanish first considered taking the plant back to Spain but decided to develop it and its product in Mexico.
The Spanish introduced distillation to turn the native fermented mescal into what is now known as tequila. The first large-scale distillery was created in 1600 and over the colonial period demand for the drink resulted in some of the oldest, still-operating enterprises in this area such as: “La Riojeña”, fundada en 1795; “El Tigre” (now La Constancia) founded in 1823; Destiladora de Occidente (now “Tequila D’Reyes”) founded in 1840; La Perseverancia (now Tequila Sauza) founded in 1873; El Llano (now Tequila Azteca) founded in 1876; La Mexicana (now Tequila Orendain) founded 1879.
The name “Tequila” has protected by the Mexican government since 1974 and its use is limited to products distilled from agave grown in certain regions of Mexico. These regions are Tequila and surrounding municipalities as well as parts of the State of Tamaulipas. The lands in Tamaulipas were added later as the need to cultivate blue agave grew, and these lands and the agave grown on them were certified by the Mexican government for quality. The term is also limited to fifteen production facilities such as Tequila Sauza, Tequila Orendaín, and Jorge Salles Cuervo.
Long-established distilleries here produce between 500 and 1000 liters a day but this is not enough to meet the international demand for the product which has skyrocketed since the 1980s. The town and the surrounding areas attract thousands of visitors each year to see the fields, distilleries, Museo Nacional de Tequila (National Museum of Tequila), the Barraca de Tequila and to ride the Tequila Express, which is a train that runs from Guadalajara to tequila country. The train has 4 cars with a capacity of 68 people and usually requires that tickets be bought a month in advance.
World Heritage Site
The history and worldwide popularity of the drink has led to the town of Tequila and the vast agave fields surrounding it to be declared a World Heritage Site. It encompasses 34,658 hectares between the foothills of the Tequila Volcano and the valley of the Rio Grande River, which is covered in fields of blue agave. For over 2,000 years, this plant has been used to make fermented drinks and cloth and since the 16th century has been used to make the distilled liquor with the name of Tequila. Both the drink and the culture associated with making it has become absorbed into Mexican identity. Within these fields are the towns of Tequila, Arenal, Amatitlán and Teuchitlán with large tequila production facilities. This site contains an inventory of fields, distilleries and factories (active and inactive) as well as “tabernas” (illegal tequila facilities during the Colonial period), the towns and the Teuchitlán archeological sites. Many of the tequila-making facilities are located on large haciendas which date back as far as the 18th century. Most distilleries and haciendas are made of brick and adobe, which stucco walls with an ochre lime-wash, stone arches, quoins and window frames. Most are decorated with Neoclassical or Baroque ornamentation. The production of tequila represents the fusion of the pre-Hispanic tradition of making alcohol with agave with European distilling techniques. The Teuchitlán archeological site is of one of the first cultures here that first produced an agricultural society here.
Tequila tourism
The Tequila Route (Ruta de Tequila) and the Tequila Express were created with the aim of promoting the tourism of Tequila into the neighboring municipalities of El Arenal, Amatitan, Magdalena and Teuchitlan, which also contain important tequila facilities, as well as cultural and archeological attractions. Both also go through the vast blue agave fields that were recently named a World Heritage Site. The Tequila Route was created and is supervised by the Consejo Regulador del Tequila, which regulates the production and authenticity of the liquor produced here. Other attractions on the route include archeological sites, old mansions and opal and obsidian mines. The archeological sites primarily belong to a culture known as the Guachimontones located in the municipalities of Teuchitlan and Magdalena. In a number of the old hacienda/distilleries, visitors are invited to try their hand at some of the aspects of tequila making, such as cutting the spines off the agave plant. Most of these haciendas also have tasting rooms and restaurants. Along the route is the Tequila Volcano.
The Tequila Express is a train for tourists which has been in operation since 1997. On Saturdays and Sundays this train takes passengers through tequila country, accompanies by live mariachi music and bilingual guides to the Hacienda San José del Refugio. Another guided tour is Tequila Adventure, which shuttle people in vans to the distilleries of la Cofradía and Mundo Cuervo.
The municipality
Tequila is one of the 124 municipalities of Jalisco, located just west of the center of the state. Its territory extends for 1689.11km2, with elevations that vary between 700 and 2,900 meters above sea level. The municipality borders with the municipalities of San Martin de Bolaños, Ahualulco de Mercado, Teuchtilán, San Cristóbal de la Barranca, Zapopan, Amatitlán, Hostotipaquillo, Magdalena, and San Juanito de Escobedo as well as the State of Zacatecas to the north.
After Independence, the state of Jalisco was originally divided into 26 departments, with Tequila being one of the seats of these departments. After modern municipalities were created, Tequila remained a seat, but of the municipality that bears its name. This municipality contains 207 communities with the most populous (outside of the town of Tequila) being El Salvador, San Martín de las Cañas, Santa Teresa and Potrero de la Rivera aside from the municipal seat. The total population of the municipality is 38,534, 73% of which lives in the municipal seat of Tequila.
The municipality is located on rugged terrain with little flat space except in some valleys. The Santiago y Chico River constitutes the low points of the municipality at 700 meters while the high peaks are located in the south. The highest mountain is Tequila Volcano or Tequila Mountain at 2,900 meters. This as an inactive volcano, not having had an eruption in more than 220,000 years, and dominates the landscape in the center of the municipality. Hiking and other ecotourism is possible here but infrastructure such as roads, security and signs are minimal. The eastern part of the municipality is dominated by the Sierra de los Balcones.
The climate is semi-arid with a dry season in the winter and spring and a rainy season in summer and fall. Temperatures do not vary greatly between summer and winter and average about 23.2C. The higher elevations have pine and oak forest while the lower elevations have mesquite, nopal, and other vegetation. The municipality has 28,430 hectares of mostly pine forest in the higher mountain areas. The major rivers of the municipality are the Santiago, El Chico and Bolaños and a large number of small streams.
Most of the municipality’s economy is still based on agriculture, employing about 47% of its people. Despite the very visible growing of the blue agave plant, most acres here are still devoted to corn. Other crops include sorghum, beans, mangos, oranges, avocados and squash. Livestock includes beef cattle, dairy cattle, pigs, goats, horses, fowl and bees. The making of tequila employs about 25% of the municipality’s population, but brings in the most money. It accounts for almost all the municipality’s industrial base. Tourism, such as that related to tequila and ecotourism sites are a growing part of the economy. One example of ecotourism here is the Balneario La Toma, which is located on very rugged terrain with cliffs, promoting rappelling, paragliding and other similar sports. There is some mining here, mostly of opals, gold and silver.
External links
aliasSmith – Destiladora Azteca de Jalisco
Tequila Distillery Tours – Jalisco, Mexico
If you’re satisfied with a silver and gold-covered bottle, it costs just 25,000 dollars. But who could resist the gold and platinum bottle, a steal at only 150,000 dollars? Looking to buy a special something for someone really special? Then consider the platinum and gold bottle, rumored to be worth every cent of its 225,000 dollars. Where else can you get two kilos (4.4 pounds) of platinum and gold? This presentation is virtually guaranteed to become a collector’s item. Only 33 of these bottles were made. Should one ever actually be opened, a single shot of this tequila would be worth around 6,000 dollars! …
There is no longer much of an argument about whether tequila is a quality spirit and it has earned its spot on the top shelf of bars and liquor cabinets. What’s new is that the countryside where blue agave is grown and distilled is now on its way to becoming a full-fledged travel destination. Come along for a taste of the spirit and its home.
In the Mexican countryside of Jalisco, tequila is still strongly tied to the people, the past, and the soil. The fruit of the blue agave–a distant cousin of henequin and aloe vera–is still harvested by hardy jimadors with a sharp blade on a long handle. The sliced up fruit is then roasted in giant ovens before the fermented juice becomes tequila. In some spots the spiky blue plant seems to cover every hillside, even poking out from narrow spaces beside country roads. …
… Like many North Americans, I was baptized a tequila drinker in a slushy acid-green margarita big enough to bathe a burro. Now I’m on a mission to learn to appreciate tequila the way Mexicans do. At night, I get a tasting lesson from the Four Seasons Hotel bar’s in-house expert, Ricardo Martínez-Melo, who mentions that several of Mexico’s top tequila scions are returning to artisanal production. He suggests that I head for the agave fields of Jalisco, 350 miles west of Mexico City, to meet the next generation of distillers, who are literally tapping their agricultural roots. Consider the state’s significance to tequila culture: the fields, pre-Columbian ruins, and colonial haciendas have just been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the spirit itself was sacred to the Aztecs. Along Jalisco’s Tequila Trail, more than 146 registered distilleries produce 50 million gallons of the liquor a year.What I’m on the hunt for, however, is the Latino equivalent of a single malt—60 percent of what’s exported to the United States is below-premium or even mixto, meaning blended with cane sugar and caramel coloring. Mixto is the stuff that typically winds up in frozen margaritas. … 
After arriving in Guadalajara, I began my journey into the historic Mexican past. I first noticed these famous “blue agave” plants at the Camino Real Hotel. Spread throughout the central courtyard and grassy knoll were dozens of shining aluminum agave plants. The reflection of the afternoon sun on each of these plants complemented the more tropical feel of the area. After a quick breakfast, I boarded a van which would take me to Tequila nirvana. Along with many others “gringos” I met along the trip, I did not realize there was a town called “Tequila” where this spirit was grown and made. As we approached the Tequila regional area, I could see the color around me change into a soft blue green color. I found myself in the middle of thousands of blue agave. Although often mistaken for being a cactus plant, the blue agave plant is actually a member of the lily family. By Mexican law, Tequila can me only made from blue agave and be grown in specific designated geographical areas found in and around the Jalisco state in Mexico. … Related articles by Zemanta
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Izamal
Izamal is a small city in the Mexican state of Yucatán, 72 km (about 40 miles) east of state capital Mérida. Izamal was continuously occupied throughout most of Mesoamerican chronology; in 2000, the city’s estimated population was 15,000 people. Izamal is known in Yucatán as “The Yellow City” (most of its buildings are painted yellow) and “The City of Hills” (though most of the “hills” are probably the remains of ancient temple pyramids).
Pre-Columbian Izamal
Izamal was an important archaeological site of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is probably the biggest city of the Northern Yucatec Plains, covering a minimal urban extension of 53 square kilometers. Its monumental buildings exceed 1,000,000 cubic meters of constructive volume and at least two raised causeways, known by their Mayan term sacbeob, connect it with other important centers, Ruins of Ake, located 29 kilometers to the west and, Kantunil, 18 kilometers to the south, evidencing the religious, political and economical power of this political unit over a vast territory, of more than 5000 square kilometers in extension. Izamal developed a particular constructive technique consisting in the use of megalithic carved blocks, with defined architectonical characteristics like rounded corners, projected mouldings and thatched roofs at superstructures, which also appeared in other important urban centers within its hitherland, such as Ake, Uci and Dzilam. The city was founded during the Late Formative Period (750-200 B.C.) and persited occupied until the Spanish Conquest. The most important constructive activity stage spans between Protoclassic (200 B.C. – 200 A.D) through Late Classic (600-800 A.D). It was partially abandoned with the rise of Chichen Itza in the Terminal Classic (800-1000 A.D.) until the end of the Precolumbian era, when Izamal was considered a site of pilgrimages in the region, rivaled only by Chichen Itza. Its principal temples were sacred to the creator deity Itzamna and to the Sun God Kinich Ahau.
Five huge Pre-Columbian structures are still easily visible at Izamal (and two from some distance away in all directions). The first is a great pyramid to the Maya Sun God, Kinich Kak Mo, with a base covering over 2 acres (8,000 m²) of ground and a volume of some 700,000 cubic meters. Atop this grand base is a pyramid of 10 levels. To the south-east lays another great temple, called Itzamatul and, placed at the south of what was a main plaza, another huge building, called Ppap Hol Chak, was partially destroyed with the construction of a Franciscan temple during the 16th Century. The South-west side of the plaza was limited by another pyramid, the Hun Pik Tok, and in the west was the temple known as Kabul, where a great stucco mask still existed on one side as recently as the 1840s, and a drawing of it by Frederick Catherwood was published by John Lloyd Stephens. All these large man-made mounds probably were built up over several centuries and originally supporting city palaces and temples. Other important residential buildings which have been restored and can be visited are Xtul (The Rabbit), Habuc and Chaltun Ha.
After a more than a decade of recent archaeological work done by Mexican archaeologists at Izamal, over 163 archaeologically important structures have been mapped here, and thousands of residential structures at surrounding communities have been located.
Spanish Colonial era
After the Spanish conquest of Yucatán in the 16th century a Spanish colonial city was founded atop the existing Maya one, however it was decided that it would take a prohibitively large amount of work to level these two huge structures and so the Spanish contented themselves with placing a small Christian temple atop the great pyramid and building a large Franciscan Monastery atop the acropolis. It was named after San Antonio de Padua. Completed in 1561, the atrium of the Monastery was second in size only to that at the Vatican. Much of the cut stone from the Pre-Columbian city was reused to build the Spanish churches, monastery, and surrounding buildings.
Izamal was the first chair of the Bishops of Yucatán before they were moved to Mérida. The fourth Bishop of Yucatán, Diego de Landa lived here.
Modern history
The town of Izamal was first granted the status of city by the government of Yucatán on 4 December, 1841. On 13 August, 1923 it was demoted to town status. It was again officially ranked as a city on 1 December, 1981.
In 1975 the official in charge of land redistribution was repeatedly accused of political corruption; letters of complaint were sent from citizens of Izamal to Mérida and Mexico City with no response. The official was found stoned to death under a large pile of rocks in the town’s main square. A Mexican Army unit occupied the town for some days after the incident, but investigators failed to find anyone in town who knew anything about what happened.
Pope John Paul II visited Izamal in August 1993, where he performed a mass for the Native Americans and presented the statue of the Virgin with a silver crown.
Izamal today
Izamal remains a place of pilgrimage within Yucatán, now for the veneration of Roman Catholic saints. Several saints statues at Izamal are said to perform miracles. An early colonial era statue of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception is particularly venerated, and is the city’s patron saint.
The Maya language is still heard at least as much as Spanish in Izamal. It is the first language in the homes of the majority of the people. Most signs are in both languages.
Major Fiestas are held in Izamal on April 3, May 3, August 15, and December 8.
Izamal is the home of a distillery which produces an eponymous mezcal from the hearts of the locally grown henequin plants.
Izamal was named a “Pueblo Mágico” in 2002.
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San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende is the seat of the municipality of Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico, a historic town founded in 1542 that has become an attractive tourist destination for wealthy Mexico City residents and has a large American and Canadian expatriate community composed primarily of retirees.
Geography
San Miguel de Allende is located in the eastern part of Guanajuato in Mexico’s mountainous bajío region. The bajío (low place) is a relatively flat region about 2,000 m (7,000 ft) above sea level surrounded by mountains; it is a part of the Mexican altiplano. San Miguel serves as the administrative seat for the surrounding municipality of Allende, Guanajuato.
The municipality rests at 1,870 m (6,140 ft) above sea level. The municipality extends over an area of 1,537.19 km2 (593.51 sq mi). To the north it is bordered by the municipalities of San Luis de la Paz and Dolores Hidalgo. To the west it is also bordered by Dolores Hidalgo. To the south the municipality is bordered by Juventino Rosas, and Comonfort and to the southeast by Apaseo el Grande. To the northeast it is bordered by San José Iturbide. Finally, to the east it is bordered by Querétaro municipality in the state of Querétaro. The municipal seat is located 274 km (170 mi) from Mexico City and 97 km (60 mi) from the state capital at Guanajuato, Gto.
Population
According to the 2005 census, the municipality of Allende had a total of 139,297 inhabitants. Of these, 62,034 lived in the municipal seat of San Miguel de Allende (the ninth-largest community in the state), with the remainder living in smaller surrounding communities within the municipality, the largest of which are Los Rodríguez and Colonia San Luis Rey. The largest sector of employment among the 39,371 economically active inhabitants was manufacturing (18.1%), followed by construction (16.3%) and retail and wholesale commerce (13.6%).
As of 2006, the elected San Miguel city government officials were using these updated figures compiled from both the Mexican census bureau and from US consulate figures:
Of these foreign residents, 70% are from the United States, 20% are from Canada, and the remaining 10% are from 31 other countries. If the 12,000 foreign residents who live in SMA at any one time are considered as a percentage of the SMA urban population, foreigners make up 15% of the SMA population. If the 7,000 foreign residents who are on permanent residency visas, including FM3 and FM2 visas, are considered as a percentage of the total SMA population, foreigners make up 5% of the SMA population.
History
The town was founded in 1542 by the Franciscan monk Fray Juan de San Miguel. It was an important stopover on the Antiguo Camino Real, part of the silver route from Zacatecas, Zacatecas. The town featured prominently in the Mexican War of Independence. General Ignacio Allende, one of San Miguel’s native sons, was a leading player in the war against Spain for independence. Allende, captured in battle and beheaded, is a national hero. San Miguel el Grande renamed itself “San Miguel de Allende” in 1826 in honor of his actions.
By 1900, San Miguel de Allende was in danger of becoming a ghost town. Declared a national historic monument in 1926 by the Mexican government, development in the historic district is restricted in order to preserve the town’s colonial character. During the Cristero uprising in Mexico, when clergy and their families were persecuted, the grandchildren of Gen. Mariano Escobedo came to San Miguel de Allende, which was conveniently in a secluded condition while verging on being a ghost town.
The six children of the daughter of Mariano Escobedo, Donna Maria del Refugio, were Don Anastasio Lopez Escobedo, Don Ezequiel Lopez Escobedo, Dr Ignacio Lopez Escobedo, and the sisters, Balbina and Isabella Lopez Escobedo. The elder child was a Cura, a charismatic head priest, Don Jose Lopez Escobedo, for whom the family was persecuted. The Cura Jose Lopez is interred at the main altar under St. Peter in the main Parroquia church of San Miguel, with a beautiful dedication to his work restoring the church in the 20th century. Lopez Escobedo is interred in the Church by the world-famous and miraculous Christ of the Conquest. The family fled their native home hacienda, Hacienda de los Lopez, to San Miguel Allende, where the Escobedo had a home, on Calle de Mesones and where a plaque still identifies the house.
Few descendants from this family live in San Miguel, as only Don Ezequiel Lopez Escobedo had children. The eldest of his grandchildren is Marcela Andre Lopez, an international teacher and designer of jewel garlands now in residence in the historic district in one of Don Ezequiel Lopez Escobedo’s homes. Sr. Ezequiel Lopez Basurto, son of Don Ezequiel Lopez Escobedo, has presided over many works by the Rotary Club.
In the early 20th century, the family fortune of the Lopez Escobedo brothers and sisters was largely donated to schools for girls, convents for nuns, or lost to older distant relatives and people helped by the family who falsified papers or discovered hidden treasure after Don Ezequiel’s sudden stroke and death. The impoverished barkeeper’s assistant who found Don Ezequiel’s property deeds and gold kept the find from Don Ezequiel’s widow and five children who suffered hardships as orphans. The barkeeper’s assistant had leased the store at Calle Relox and San Francisco Street from Don Ezequiel’s widow and in the abundant inventory found more than could have been imagined.
Stirling Dickinson
In 1938, Peruvian artist Felipe Cossio del Pomar established San Miguel’s first art school, the Escuela Universitaria de Bellas Artes. It was located in the former convent that houses the present Bellas Artes. He offered the position of Art Director to American artist and writer Stirling Dickinson. Dickinson taught Spanish, botany and landscape painting, as well as taking students on field trips as part of his “Aspects of Mexico” course.
Dickinson’s impact on San Miguel was manifested in many ways. He had arrived in San Miguel before daybreak on February 7, 1937. At the Jardín, Dickinson looked up at the spires of the Parroquia poking through the mist. “My God, what a sight!” he said to himself. “I’m going to stay here.” After five years in San Miguel, Dickinson was named a Favored Adopted Son, the only American to be so honored by the mayor’s office. Two years later, he was honored by the governor for his work with founding a baseball team for young Mexicans. The baseball field he helped build and finance was named Campo Stirling Dickinson.
Dickinson began what was probably the largest private orchid collection in Mexico, a lifelong interest that was highlighted by the discovery of Encyclia dickinsoniana and having a second named after him in recognition of his work, Cypripedium dickinsonianum.
When Dickinson first arrived in San Miguel in 1937 he and his writing partner had purchased an old tannery on Santo Domingo on the way to the Atascadero Hotel above town for the equivalent of 90 U.S. dollars. The present property is worth in the millions of dollars.
Despite his abundant gifts to charity, his tomb is a simple and unadorned, apparently unvisited as would normally be the case in Mexico. He is buried in the American section of the city graveyard of Sra. de Guadalupe.
A bronze bust of Mr. Dickinson is on a column at an intersection street of Ancha de San Antonio and Guadiana.
American veterans
In the 1950s, San Miguel de Allende became a destination known for its beautiful colonial architecture and its thermal springs. After World War II San Miguel began to revive as a tourist attraction as many demobilized United States GIs discovered that their education grants stretched further in Mexico at the U.S.-accredited art schools, the privately-owned Instituto Allende, founded in 1950, and the Bellas Artes, a nationally chartered school.
American ex-servicemen first arrived in 1946 to study at the art school. By the end of 1947, Life magazine assigned a reporter and photographer to do an article on this post-war phenomenon. A three-page spread appeared in the January 5, 1948, edition under the headline “GI Paradise: Veterans go to Mexico to study art, live cheaply and have a good time.” This was possible when apartments rented for US$10 a month, servants cost US$8 a month, rum was 65 cents a quart and cigarettes cost 10 cents a pack.
As a result of the publicity, more than 6,000 American veterans immediately applied to study at the school. Stirling Dickinson thought that San Miguel, which then had a population of fewer than 10,000, could only handle another 100 veterans, bringing the student body to around 140.
Ex-GIs were more demanding than previous students. Contemporary and friend of painter and muralist Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, another icon of the Mexican mural movement and a vocal member of the Communist Party, was hired as a guest lecturer. He agreed to work with the students on a mural of San Miguel’s most famous son, Ignacio Allende. When Siqueiros reviewed the budget, he and the art school’s owner, Alfredo Campanella, had a falling out and the artist threw him down a flight of stairs.
The faculty and the majority of the students then walked out in support of Siqueiros. When this forced the school to close in 1949, Dickinson opened one of his own. But it did not receive accreditation from the American Embassy, so most of the veterans either went home or transferred to other Mexican schools.
In the counterculture years of the 1960s, San Miguel began its career as a center for American expatriatism and was a popular destination for Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, as recorded in Tom Wolfe´s novel The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. Beat writer Neal Cassady died beside the railroad tracks between San Miguel and Celaya after a party in town.
Attractions
During the final week of July, San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato, Guanajuato, are co-hosts to the Expresión en Corto International Film Festival, Mexico’s largest competitive film festival and the most prestigious of its kind in Latin America. The internationally renowned festival is free to the public and screens over 400 films from 10am until 4am each day in 16 venues, which include such unusual locations as San Miguel’s Jardín Principal (or main square), the subterranean streets and tunnels of Guanajuato, the Guanajuato Mummy Museum and both city’s municipal graveyards (Panteones).
San Miguel de Allende was also named a Pueblo Mágico in 2002. In 2008, San Miguel was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
In 1941-42 at age 25 Eleanor Coen painted a Mural in fresco in at the Escuela Universitaria de Bellas Artes. It was damaged but has been recently restored. Eleanor was the first woman employed by the TGP in Mexico City where she worked with the founders in 1941. At that time her work was influenced by Jose Clemente Orozco although her mural’s subject matter, women washing at a river with children, shows a woman’s point of view.
Recent demographic changes
Famous worldwide for its mild climate, thermal springs and colonial-era architecture, San Miguel de Allende has attracted a large community of foreign residents. Exact figures are difficult to obtain since Medicare, the U.S. public health system, cannot be claimed abroad, and many expatriates return regularly to the United States to receive treatment as well as to maintain their residence status in their home country. Both Democrats Abroad and Republicans Abroad have active chapters in San Miguel and retain their involvement with U.S. politics. Canadian residents often live six months in Mexico and six months in Canada to maintain their Canadian health coverage.
SMA city government leaders in 2006, as reported in Atención (the local bilingual newspaper), did realize that a population surge of foreigners was growing that year and its size could not be documented. There was a rash in home sales and construction of new housing developments, with rapid profitable turnover of new housing units. However, the slowing of the housing market in the United States in 2006 was also felt in San Miguel.
Many Mexican and foreign residents protested the number of new developments in San Miguel in late 2006 and early 2007. During this time, a major new supermarket, Mega/Comercial Mexicana, opened at one end of the urban area, and another major shopping mall with a Soriana supermarket, an eight-screen movie theater, an Office Depot and a McDonald’s opened slightly farther away. A 700-space city parking lot was built on the edge of the historic Centro area to help reduce traffic within the city. Efforts to force citizens to pay to park by removing parking on public streets have been less than successful. Being a bit far from the action, the parking lot is rarely used and the traffic in the city is still heavy, resulting in unnecessary air pollution and congestion in the center of San Miguel.
In an attempt to alleviate the parking problem, local government plans to install parking meters on city streets. Citizens’ groups have promoted a solution used in other historic areas: implementing a residents-only parking permit program, which would keep out-of-town vehicles out of the centro area.
Other actions have been taken on public arenas that have disfigured the town’s centro. The old floor of the jardin was uprooted and sold to Italy, although the general public had no say regarding this action. Today, a new floor is in place which looks modern in contrast to the colonial surroundings, and has created a humidity problem to the point that drains had to be drilled under the floor and are visible on the bordering wall. Similarly, several streets have been “repaved” and the iconic San Miguelito stones used to pave these areas have disappeared and been replaced with modern stones. As a result, many of the streets in the centro do not match and have a patchy appearance.
Further reading
External links
Nestled high in the cool hills of the Mexican altiplano, San Miguel De Allende is one the hippest, busiest, most charming towns in Mexico. More importantly, this seductive little city – with clear nights and warm days — offers the alternative traveler numerous inexpensive and high-quality opportunities to study Spanish or the arts. So much so, that many travelers come to visit and never seem to make it home. In 2008, SMA became a Unesco World Heritage Site, a distinction that few places in the world can claim.
Portal SM wishes you and your loved ones every happiness this coming year and send a heartfelt GRACIAS for all of your continued support! It means a lot to us. Here’s to a Rockin 2010! Viva San Miguel de Allende!Portal San Miguel is dedicated to serving the many thousands of tourists and residents of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Tourists will find a wealth of comprehensive information about hotels and restaurants, galleries,shopping, events and more, all aimed at helping them make the most of their stay in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
The San Miguel Guide has listings of hotels, bed and breakfasts and vacation rentals available in quaint and historic town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Use this website to find information about the art, art galleries, culture and the history of San Miguel de Allende.
In our Tourist Travel Guide you will find a page of useful Spanish phrases, maps of San Miguel de Allende, a page with travel tips for visitors to Mexico, information on how to get to San Miguel, weather information and a collection of pictures of San Miguel, which can be sent as virtual postcards to your friends and family.
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Dolores Hidalgo
Dolores Hidalgo (in full, Dolores Hidalgo Cuna de la Independencia Nacional) is the name of a city and the surrounding municipality in the north-central part of the Mexican state of Guanajuato.
It is located at 21.17°N 100.93°W, at an elevation of about 1,980 meters (6,480 feet) above sea level. In the census of 2005 the city had a population of 54,843 people, while the municipality had 134,641 inhabitants. The city lies directly in the center of the municipality, which is 1,590 km² (613.9 sq mi) in area and includes numerous small outlying communities, the largest of which is Río Laja.
Dolores Hidalgo was named a Pueblo Mágico (Magic Town) in 2002.
History
The city was a small town known simply as Dolores when Father Miguel Hidalgo uttered his famous cry for the independence of Mexico (the Grito de Dolores) there in the early hours of September 16, 1810, in front of his parish church. After Mexico achieved independence, the town was renamed Dolores Hidalgo in his honor. On September 28, 1810, Hidalgo’s forces killed more than 500 Spaniard and Creole loyalist soldiers during the battle for Dolores; 2,000 Indigenous Mexicans died in the fighting. Today Dolores Hidalgo is known primarily for its ceramics industry, which provides income to well over half the city’s population. The inexpensive and mass-produced output of the town is marketed throughout Latin America and the United States. The central square of the town, in front of Fr Hidalgo’s historic church, is a popular tourist spot.
Another place of pilgrimage in Dolores Hidalgo, this time for fans of ranchera and popular music, is the tomb of José Alfredo Jiménez, one of the country’s most beloved singers and songwriters, as well as one of the most prolific popular composers in the history of western music. He is buried in the town cemetery. Also Adolfo “El Bofo” Bautista was born here.
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Pátzcuaro
Pátzcuaro is a large town and municipality located in the state of Michoacán. The town was founded sometime in the 1320’s, at first becoming the capital of the Tarascan state and later its ceremonial center. After the Spanish took over, Vasco de Quiroga worked to make Pátzcuaro the capital of the New Spain province of Michoacán, but after his death, the capital would be moved to nearby Valladolid (today Morelia). Pátzcuaro has retained its colonial and indigenous character since then, and has been named both a “Pueblo Mágico” and one of the 100 Historic World Treasure Cities by the United Nations. Pátzcuaro and the lake region it belongs to is well-known as a site for Day of the Dead celebrations.
There are several possibilities as to the meaning of “Pátzcuaro.” The first is from “phascuaro” which means where is dyed in black, or from patatzecuaro, which means place of foundations, another is from petatzimícuaro meaning place of bullrushes, and still others state that it means happy place or seat of temples. Pátzcuaro received its coat of arms in 1553 from Charles V of Spain.
History
The only history available about the founding of Patzcuaro comes from a book called “Relación” written by Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza. It states that two chiefs by the names of Páracume and Vápeani arrived to the area, then called Tarimichundiro, with their tribe, the Chichimecas. Here they began to build their temples, called “cues” where there were four large rocks close together. No date is given for this event, but since the deaths of the two original chiefs occurred in 1360, it is widely supposed that the founding occurred around 1324.
Around this time, three indigenous groups lived around Lake Pátzcuaro, who continuously fought each other. One group was called the “Coringuaro,” another group the “Isleños” and the third the Chichimecas in Pátcuaro. The Tarascan kingdom began with Tariácuri, the first chief of the area be gain the title of “caltzontzin,” or emperor, by conquering his neighbors. Pátzcuaro was the first capital of the Tarascos. The new kingdom was divided into three principalities called Ihauatzio, Tzintzuntzan and Pátzcuaro. Later, power shifted to the Tzintzuntzan principality, becoming the new capital, leaving Pátzcuaro as the ceremonial center, and a retreat for the nobility.
When the Spanish arrived to Michoacán, many sought refuge in Pátzcuaro. Forts were built here in a neighborhood that is still called “Barrio Fuerte” (Fort Neighborhood). Fighting continued between the Tarascans and the Spanish. A meeting between the emperor Tanganxoan II and Cristobal de Olid was arranged. Getting down off his horse, Olid embraced the monarch, then forced him to kneel in front of the crowd. Today, later a chapel was build here which is called “El Humilladero” (The Humiliated). In 1526, Nuño de Guzman came as head of the new Spanish government to punish the Tarascans harshly. This culminated with the torture and death of Taganxoan II the last Tarascan emperor. After this, most residents of Pátzcuaro fled to the mountains leaving the area mostly unpopulated. Vasco de Quiroga arrived to Pátzcuaro to take over. He expelled Nuño de Guzman and took his properties here. Nuño was eventually sent back to Spain as a prisoner for his crimes in New Spain.
In 1538, the Spanish established their settlement in Pátzcuaro, founding the Diocese of Michoacán with Vasco de Quiroga as first bishop. Pátzcuaro was made the capital of the new Spanish province. The 1540s saw a repopulation of the area with Bishop Vasco de Quiroga convincing many of the Indians to return and bringing in a number of Spanish families. For this Vasco de Quiroga is considered to be the founder of modern Pátzcuaro. He renamed the city as the City of Michoacán, which was confirmed by royal decree in 1553, with Pátzcuaro receiving its current coat of arms. The cathedral was constructed over the temple dedicated to the goddess Cueráppari. Vasco de Quiroga wanted to build the an ambitious cathedral here, with five naves, but this was declared inacceptable by the Spanish crown and only one of the naves was built. It remains to this day. Pátzcuaro remained the largest city in the Spanish province until about ten years after Vasco de Quiroga’s death. Viceregal authorities then decided to change the capital to the recently founded Valladolid (today Morelia) in 1575. Ecclesiastical authorities moved the diocese and the College of San Nicolás, established by Vasco de Quiroga, to Valladolid as well.
Pátzcuaro remained the economic and spiritual center of the Lake Pátzcuaro region with life dominated by Franciscan and Augustinian friars. In the mid 18th century, the city had a population of about 3,300 people. During the Mexican War of Independence, Pátzcuaro was attacked several times. Gertrudis Bocanegra was shot by firing squad for her participation in insurgent activities by royalist forces on the main square of Pátzcuaro on 10 October 1817. After Independence, the town was the capital of the 12th district of the West Department of Michoacán. In 1831, the state was reorganized and Pátzcuaro became the seat of the municipality of the same name. During the Reform War in 1867, Pátzcuaro sided with the Conservatives, who wanted to maintain the second Mexican empire. The city was then attacked by General Régules of the Republican side, who took possession of the town after a bloody fight and named liberal leaders.
During the Porfirio Diaz period, just before the Mexican Revolution, the Pátzcuaro area was heavily dominated by large landholders, haciendas and some foreign companies, pushing popular sympathy with the rebels to come. The town became a strategic point for taking the Michoacán capital. The town remained in rebel hands for most of the conflict but was taken in 1913 by Victoriano Huerta’s government. At the end of the conflict, reconstruction of the town included the criteria of conserving its colonial and indigenous look.
The town
Since the Mexican Revolution, Patzcuaro has worked to keep its traditional colonial-indigenous look. Unlike the capital, houses in Pátzcuaro are made of adobe and/or wood and generally have tiled roofs. Cobblestone streets dominate the center of town down to the lake. The town is filled with stores and vendors selling a wide variety of crafts, many in bright colors. Patzcuaro is the market hub of the region, with smaller villages bringing in their own specialized crafts such as copperware, black pottery, musical instruments, baskets etc. Local dishes include tamales filled with fish, tarasca soup, red pozole, atole, trout dishes, and a number of cold drinks based on corn. The courtyards and balconies are almost always filled with flowering plants, which is a tradition in Patzcuaro, with many homeowners sharing tips and plants with each other, sometimes even cross breeding a new variety of flower. The most common flower to be seen is the begonia, which blooms best between July and September. Other common plants include geraniums, mallows, bougainvilleas, tiger lilies, azaleas, hydrangeas, roses and others. Non-flowering plants that can also be seen include palm trees, selaginella and various cacti. Some grow medicinal and culinary herbs such as aloe, chamomile, mint, basil and others. Patzcuaro was named as one of the 100 Historic World Treasure Cities by the United Nations. This generated funds for restoration projects such as repairing the old cobblestone streets. It is also one of Mexico’s “Pueblos Mágicos” (Magic Towns).
The town center is called the Plaza Vasco de Quiroga or the Plaza Grande. This plaza is large considering the size of the town. The Plaza Grande was dedicated to Vasco de Quiroga in 1964, when a fountain containing a bronze statue of the bishop was placed in the center. This sculpture was done by Costa Rican artist Francisco Zúñiga. The Plaza is surrounded by old, stately ash trees and colonial-era mansions. Unlike most other towns and cities in Mexico, the main church does not face this plaza. While crafts can be seen for sale in all of the town, they are prominent here. The main square is filled with stores selling a very wide variety of crafts including carved wooden statues and furniture, brightly painted accents depicting flowers and animals, brilliant piles of woven textiles, draperies, table cloths, bed spreads and napkins, wooden figures, religious art, clay plaques and pots, polished wooden boxes and guitars, picture frames, woolen blankets, copper vases and platters, basketry and items made of woven straw and reed, and sculpted and scented candles. Many of these are on display in the shops set into the colonial buildings around the plaza, with much more inside.
Facing the main plaza is the Palace of Huitziméngari. This structure, like most of the rest of the town, is made of adobe and with a clay tile roof. This palace belonged to Antonio de Huitziméngari, the son of the last Tarascan governor, named Cazonci, and the godson of the first viceroy of New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza. It has two floors, a sober facade and the inner courtyard is surrounded with round arches and filled with flowers. On the upper floor, there is a stature of a dog, an allusion to Huitziméngari’s name which in Tarascan mythology referred to the dog that served the Lord of Paradise. The dog motif is repeated on some of the inside doors.
One block to the north of the Vasco Plaza is the Plaza Gertrudis Bocanegra, also called the Plaza Chica. The market off of Gertrudis Bocanegra specializes in woolen goods, kitchen implements, pottery, copper and straw items. Friday is market day, filling the walkways here with stalls with goods from various villages. Near main holidays, such as Day of the Dead, this market can spill over to the other two plazas in town as well. One of the buildings next to this plaza is the Ex Temple of San Agustin, which was founded in the 16th century. Today it houses the Gertrudis Bocanega Library. This library has a mural painted by Juan O’Gorman of the history of Michoacán.
On the east side of the Plaza Chica is the most important church in Pátzcuaro, the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Salud. This church was built by Vasco de Quiroga over a pre-Hispanic ceremonial site to function as the Cathedral of Michoacán. Vasco de Quiroga’s original project was ambitious, with five naves surrounding a cupola, but the Spanish Crown thought the project in appropriate and only one of the naves was built. The church served as the Cathedral until 1850, when that function was moved to Valladolid (now Morelia). This church was designated a basilica in 1924. The facades of this church have been modified since it was built until the end of the 19th century, which is why it now has a Neoclassical appearance. The inside has roof decorated to look like a vault but it is really a flat roof. The image here is a Virgin of the Immaculate Conception that originally was in the Hospital of Santa Marta. Now called “Our Lady of Health”, it is made with corn-stalk paste and honey that was created in the 16th century. The remains of Vasco de Quiroga are interred here. This basilica is visited every day, but especially on the eighth day of every month to pay homage to the region’s patroness.
The Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (Museum of Popular Arts and Industries) is located just south of the Basilica. The building was originally constructed as the College of San Nicolás in the 16th century by Vasco de Quiroga to prepare young men for the priesthood and to teach Indian youth to read and write. After the College was moved to Valladolid in 1580, the building was turned over to the Jesuits to found the College of Santa Catarina which functioned as a primary school. It contains one of the largest collections of lacquered items, models, and other crafts.
The Temple Sagrario was begun in 1693 and completed exactly two centuries later. For this reason, it has incorporated a number of different architectural styles, with different decorative elements. The temple has a Neoclassical interior, with the parquetry floors as the only aspect left of the original construction. It has a Churrigueresque altar and on the west wall there is a small chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Dolores on a Baroque altarpiece. These are the only ones of their type left in Pátzcuaro. The building has functioned as the Sancturary of Nuestra Señora de la Salud since 1924.
The Casa de los Once Patios (House of Eleven Courtyards) was constructed in 1742 for Dominican nuns of the order of Santa Catarina de Sena. They gradually expanded the initial building by buying adjacent houses, which is why the complex once had eleven courtyards, but now that is down to only five. In the west corridor, the oldest part of the complex, there is a fountain and a Baroque portal leading to a room that had a bathtub with hot and cold running water, a rare luxury at the time. In the 1960s, the complex was restored and since then has functioned as workshops and stores for local crafts. The workshops include those that make shawls and lacquered items. Behind the Casa de los Once Patios is the Pila de San Miguel. According to legend, the devil was bothering the women who were coming here to get water. To scare the devil away, Vasco de Quiroga put here the image of the Archangel Michael.
The Church of San Ignacio de Loyola, better known as the Temple of the Company of Jesus, is one of the most relevant religious structures architecturally. It has a sober Baroque facade divided into panels which is typical for this area. The interior guards valuable religious paintings such as a series of angels, and works done in wood. One of these is multicolored panel about Saint Ignatius of Loyola. The east wall of this church held the remains of Vasco de Quiroga before they were moved to the Basilica. The complex has a large courtyard and a “punished” clock, set high up in a tower. It is considered “punished” as it does not chime at twelve noon. It is said that the machinery for the clock was brought from Spain on orders of Charles V who wanted to get rid of it for marking an hour that was disagreeable to the Crown. Another story states that an unfortunate young woman was killed by the clock when she got in the way of the bell and the pendulum when it was ready to ring twelve. In the 16th century, the complex suffered major damage due to a fire. It was rebuilt to much the look that it has now. This temple and the cloister next door housed the Jesuits when they came to Pátzcuaro at the request of Vasco de Quiroga because of their reputation in the field of education. The adjoining building is now the Casa de Cultura.
The Chapel del Humilladero was constructed by Vasco de Quiroga in 1553 on the site where the last Tarascan emperor, Tanganxoan II, was forced to kneel before the Spanish, giving the site its name (The Humiliated). The crucifix of this chapel was sculpted from a single block of cantera stone, both the body and the cross. It is said that Vasco de Quiroga had the piece sculpted in 1553, but it was not finished until 1628.
The lake
Pátzcuaro sits on the southern edge of Lake Pátzcuaro, and this lake still has important economic and cultural significance for the town. Associated with Pátzcuaro are a number of islands, the best-known of which is Janitzio, a name that means corn hair. It is recognizable through the forty-meter statue of José María Morelos y Pavón that in on the top of the hill. Underneath the statue is a series of murals about the life of this Mexican hero. There are four other islands in the lake. La Pacanda is in the center. This island has a small pond in it with carp and ducks. Yuneén Island is near the center and its name means half moon. Its attractions include its vegetation, traditional houses and cabins for visitors. Urandenes is closer to Patzcuaro and consists of three islands surrounded by canals in which white fish are raised. Residents here also fish with butterfly nets. Tecuena is the smallest island in the lake and its name means good honey. The docks at Pátzcuaro have boats that travel to these islands.
Until 2007, only Pátzcuaro had a water treatment facility with smaller communities discharging wastewater directly into the lake, causing grave pollution problems. Contamination has mostly been chemical, trash and wastewater, as well as sediment during the rainy season. The government of the state of Michoacan, the federal environmental protection agency and the Instituto Mexicano de Tecnologia del Agua have started a program to clean up the basin of Lake Pátzcuaro. The plan is to repair the existing water treatment facilities and build two more. It also includes reforestation around the lake, landfills and barriers to prevent the contamination of the streams of the basin.
Day of the Deads
Pátacuaro and the surrounding lake area have one of the best-known Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico. Markets catering to Day of the Dead festivities abound in all of Michoacan but the best of what is to be had is in the market in the main plaza of Pátzcuaro. Here is one of the major crafts competitions of the year. Day of the Dead is celebrated very intensely in the towns and villages around Lakes Pátzcuaro. Preparations include major cleaning and repair of the local cemeteries and the creation of flowered arches for gates of the atriums of local churches. These are made with a flower called cempasúchil, related to the chrysanthemum. In the early morning of November 1, the “velación de la angelitos” (wake for the little angels) to honor children who have died during the previous year. This is generally done in the local cemeteries. During this day also is an event called the “teruscan,” in which children run around town “stealing” ears of corn, squash and chayotes from the roofs of neighbors’ houses. The stolen food is brought to the community center to be cooked to feed the community.
Festivities continue to midnight on November 2, which begins the “velación de los difuntos” (wake for the deceased) when again the towns gather in local cemeteries. This time men remain outside. Women and children enter to lay offerings of flowers and food, generally laid on embroidered napkins. Then prayers and chants are recited. For this reason Day of the Dead is usually referred to in Pátzcuaro as Night of the Dead. When daylight comes, a collection of food is taken for the parish priest and most people go to mass.
A parallel event in Pátzcuaro and other towns in Michoacan is the Festival Cultural de la Muerte. Since 1993, this event has been held to exhibit paintings, photographs, film, dance, crafts and altars that are created for this day. Canoeing competitions on the lake are popular here as well as “torneos de calavaeras”(tournaments of skulls) which are satirical poetry contests with the theme of death and black humor. This festival takes place from 27 October to 2 November.
Other traditional events associated with Day of the Dead here include the Concert of the Basilica of Pátzcuaro and the staging of “Don Juan Tenorio” in Erongarícuaro. Both take place at 9 pm on 1 November. Another interesting event is the “Juego Prehispanico de Pelota Encendida (Mesoamerican ball game –lighted) At 7 pm on 1 November in the village of Tzintzuntzan the game is played in the old ballc ourt, called Las Yácatas, with a ball set on fire. It is also done in the main square of the village.
There is a legend related to the Day of the Dead here about two Tarascan nobles, the princess Mintzita and the prince Itzihuapa. They were in love but unable to unite in part because of the arrival of the Spanish to Michoacán. Princess Mintzita offered the Spanish the treasure that was hidden at the bottom of Lake Patzcuaro for the release of her father. Itzihuapa himself offered to go and get it, but when he did, he was captured by the twenty ghosts that guard treasure, becoming the 21st guardian. This broke Mintzita’s heart. However, this occurred on the night that these guardian ghosts come back to life for one night and the two lovers were able to spend time together until daylight.
The municipality
As municipal seat, the town of Pátzcuaro is the governing authority over 104 other named communities, with a total population of 79,868 and a territory of 435.96km2. The 2005 census indicates that just under 4,000 people still peak an indigenous language in the municipality. The municipality borders the municipalities of Tzintzuntzan, Huiramba, Salvador Escalante, Tingambato and Erongarícuaro.
The municipality covers most of the Pátzcuaro basin, which is part of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and surrounded by a number of mountains such as the Cerro el Blanco, Cerro del Estribo, Cerro del Frijol and Cerro del Burro. Almost all the surface water is in Lake Patzcuaro with one stream called the El Chorrito and a number of fresh-water springs. The climate is temperate with rains in the summer. Temperatures vary during the year from between 9 and 23C. The municipality is primarily covered in forests with pine holm oak and cedar trees. Most fauna consists of small mammals and fish found in the lake.
Agricultural activity mostly revolves around the growing of corn, wheat, beans, lentils and tomatoes. Livestock such as cattle, pigs, sheep, donkeys, horses and fowl also takes place. Most industry here involves food processing and the making of crafts such as furniture, textiles, jewelry, ironwork, religious figures and other things. Most commerce here revolves around catering to tourists and meeting locals’ basic needs. Fishing is still done in the lake. Tourism is mostly based on sites located in the town of Pátzcuaro, along with neighboring archeological sites of Ihuatzio and Tzintzuntzan. Sports such as mountain biking and paragliding have also been introduced here.
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Comala, Colima
Comala is a small town and seat of the municipality of Comala in the Mexican state of Colima.
Comala is a very small city and it’s famous because of its white houses, and for Juan Rulfo’s novel Pedro Páramo, in which the sad town of Comala is described as a “pueblo de fantasmas” (ghost town) because its dead inhabitants wander the town as if in purgatory.
Comala is also famous for its “botaneros”, pubs where people go to have a drink and receive free “botanas” (snacks), usually with live music.
Comala was named a “Pueblo Mágico” in 2002.
Comala is a few kilometers from Nogueras. Nogueras was once a sugar plantation. Today the town has been rehabilitated and the former sugar mill now serves a museum. This museum is run by the Universidad de Colima.
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