Tapalpa Plateau Part 3 of 6: Hotel Casona de Manzano

Hotel Casona Manzano is a former colonial-era mansion. This beautiful property, called a casona (in-town mansion), is more than 200 years old. It is located on the corner of Calles Agustin Yanez and Francisco Madero, two blocks from the main plaza. My research turned up repeated mentions of this Hotel, so I decided to stop by so that the members of my group could learn about the lifestyle of families who owned haciendas but often preferred to live in towns. 

Like Casona de Manzano, many of these old mansions have been converted into hotels in recent years. No advance call was necessary, we just showed up and asked to look around (that's our group in the photo). The staff was very friendly and gave us the run of the place. The original property was built late in the colonial period, toward the end of the 18th century, and has since been owned by the Manzano family ever since. Sra. Irma Manzano, the current owner, was the one who decided to turn it into a boutique hotel. 

The courtyard

The two story home is built around a cobblestone courtyard. The entrance leads in to a short hallway called a zaguan and then into this courtyard. This is a typical feature of Spanish colonial architecture. Most of its 10 guest rooms are arranged around the ground floor. On the second floor, an arcade surrounds and overlooks the courtyard. Ferns and other plants create a cool, garden-like feel on the ground floor. The second floor contains a living room, dining room, kitchen and more guest rooms. 

A typical colonial casona was a comfortable home, and sometimes even opulent. The house was usually located in a town like Tapalpa, not too far from the hacendado's rural estate. Often, casonas can be found on the main plaza or within a couple of blocks of it. Since life on a hacienda was often rustic and towns typically afforded more cultural amenities, casonas were favored for day-to-day living by many hacendados, particularly those with families.

An unusual fountain stands in the center of the courtyard. The central placement of the ceramic pot and its grinning frogs, along with the circular drain, revealed the purpose of this little vignette. It is a typically quirky example of the Mexican sense of humor.

Various headgear hangs on a hatrack near the courtyard's entrance.  I like hats, so my eye was immediately attracted to this display. Prominently placed in the upper center is the classic high-peaked, broad-brimmed Mexican sombrero. Versions of it were worn by all classes of Mexicans for hundreds of years. 

The sombereos that hacendados wore were made with fine, embroidered cloth, much like those still worn by Mexican charros (rodeo riders) and mariachi musicians. The sombreros of peones (farmworkers) were of straw and often tattered. Today, in the rural areas, most men wear American-style cowboy hats. However, I still encounter elderly Mexicans wearing a classic straw sombrero. 

A heavy wrought-iron chandelier hangs near the stairs. In the past, the chandeliers were lit with candles rather than light bulbs. The candles would have been made from the fat of animals raised on a local hacienda, possibly one belonging to a family who also owned the casona. Although Mexico's first electric generating plant began operating in 1879, electrification wasn't widely available in the rural areas until the grid was nationalized during the second half of the 20th century. 

A large, beautifully-carved armoire stands against the courtyard wall. This piece is typical of the massive furniture often favored by hacendados for both their casonas and the casas grandes (big houses) on their haciendas. I rarely encounter closets in colonial and early Republic homes. The favored solution for storing clothing and other items was a large wooden armoire, often exquisitely carved. 

Staircase to the casona's second floor. In one corner of the courtyard, a staircase rises up, supported by a wooden pillar with a wrought-iron railing.

La Sala (Living Room)

At the top of the stairs, a tiled arcade leads to La Sala. The furniture along the wall suggests a bar, but seems to be more decorative than functional. The arcade overlooks the courtyard and extends around the perimeter of the second floor.

La Sala is at the far end of the 2nd floor from the stairs. This inviting room is dominated by a massive fireplace with two large couches and an equipal chair. A case filled with books stands along one wall. Also included is a small table that would easily lend itself to card or board games. Hanging over the center of the room is another old-fashioned chandelier.

In earlier times, families in residence would have been large and multi-generational. They would have relaxed in their sala while drinking tea or hot chocolate. Some would chat or play games like cards or billiards, if a table was available. Guests who brought news from afar or could tell interesting stories were especially valued. Other ways to pass the time included reading and sewing or embroidery. 

More equipal furniture is set along glass windows. The windows separate La Sala from the arcade walkway that overlooks the courtyard. The equipal furniture style dates back to pre-hispanic times. It was described by conquistadors under Hernán Cortéz who saw it used in the court of the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma. Equipal is still very popular throughout Mexico. 

Before the Revolution, the general population was largely illiterate. In contrast, elite families were highly educated and often spoke multiple languages. Children were privately tutored or attended  Church-run schools. As early as the 16th century, the Jesuits began to establish colleges and universities all over colonial Mexico. These institutions continued in operation even after the Jesuits themselves were expelled from Spanish territories in 1767. 

El Comedor (Dining Room)

Between La Sala and the back of the house is a long comedor. The Spanish word for dining room comes from the verb comer (to eat). The beautiful old table can seat eight and possibly more with an extension. A room like this was often used for private business or political gatherings as well as family dining. Since large, extended families could provide valuable connections beneficial to the family businesses, various relatives often occupied key positions in local institutions.

For example, in colonial times, a casona's owner might serve on the governing body of the local alhondiga, a government grain storage facility. The wheat grown on his hacienda would be purchased by the alhondiga and then be sold as flour to local bakers. A banking system didn't exist in colonial society, so a son or daughter might join a religious order through which loans could be obtained for the family businesses. A family member with a military commission might arrange the purchase of the hacienda's horses for the local garrison. 

An iron stove topped with teapots stands in one corner of the comedor. The old stove is for decorative purposes only and the cooking is done in a separate kitchen.

A porch just outside the comedor runs along the back of the house. The view includes the back garden and Tapalpa's wooded hills, with mountains rising in the distance.

Los Cuartos de Huéspedes (Guest rooms)

In addition to individual rooms, the casona has this suite. Three bedrooms open into this sitting room, which is warmed by a big stone fireplace, faced with an overstuffed couch and two comfortable chairs. Another lovely old chandelier provides light. Overseeing everything is large portrait of the Virgen de Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint.

Some of the individual rooms are quite large. The furniture here appears to be of the Art Deco style from the early 20th century. In addition to single rooms like this one, there are also rooms with two or more beds to accommodate family groups.

This fireplace is typical of those found in each of the rooms. Tapalpa's altitude is 1,950m (6397ft) so the average temperature is cool, ranging from the high 60s F to the low 50s. A crackling fire can provide cheery warmth, especially during those months (June-October) when rain is frequent. 

This completes Part 3 of my Tapalpa Plateau series. I hope you have enjoyed it. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below. If you leave a question, please be sure to include your email address so that I may respond in a timely manner.

Hasta luego, Jim