The Silver Mines of Hostotipaquillo Part 1 of 10: Ex-Hacienda La Herencia

 

Templo Virgen del Favor overlooks Hostotipaquillo's Plaza. Hostotipaquillo is pronounced hos-toti-pak-ee-o. It comes from the Nahuatl word "Ostotipac", which means "above the cave".  It is the cabecera (chief town) of a municipio (equivalent to US county) which has the same name. The Spaniard Cristóbal de Oñate conquered the area in 1530, but it remained a frontier outpost for the next 75 years.

Hostotipaquillo's native people rebelled twice, in 1538 and 1543. The second uprising was the most serious. It involved 5,000 warriors and required Diego de Collo to bring an army over from Guadalajara to put down the revolt. Silver was discovered in the area in 1605 and the wealth the mines produced enabled the construction of Templo Virgen del Favor a decade later in 1615.  

This posting begins a series on the mining haciendas that sprang up after 1605. I will show you some of the old sites and explain how their operations functioned over the centuries. In Part 1, we will travel into the high-desert country north of Hostotipaquillo to visit ex-Hacienda La Herencia, also called ex-Hacienda Santo Domingo. 

The Plaza of Hostotipaquillo, viewed from the steeple of the Templo. It is an attractive and well-kept plaza, surrounded by colonial-era buildings and shaded by ficus trees. Even without the various old haciendas in the area, the town would be worth a visit. However, although there is a well-paved road leading to the town itself, those planning a visit to the outlying areas should consider traveling in high-clearance vehicles. The roads leading to those places are mostly unpaved and some are maintained better than others.

After silver was discovered, mills to refine the ore were built. These were called haciendas de beneficio and the initial operations were set up by a women named Isabel Pérez and two brothers named Diego and Francisco Rodriquez. Many others followed over the centuries. Although the boom-and-bust cycle of silver mining meant some mines were abandoned, many were reopened later when economic conditions improved or new technologies were developed. 

Overview

Google map of the area around Hostotipaquillo. To reach the town, take the 15D cuota (toll road) west past Tequila. Exit at Magdelena and take the 15 Libre (free road) west through Magdalena. After approximately 10.5 km (6.3mi), turn off to the right at the sign for Hostotipaquillo. This road will take you directly into the town and to its plaza. 

Many of the pueblos on the map above originated as either haciendas de beneficio, or farming/ranching haciendas that serviced the mining industry. These include Santo Domingo de Guzman (top right quarter of the map) where ex-Hacienda La Herencia is located. Also included are Huajacatlán, Labor de Guadalupe, Santa Maria, La Quemada, Ojo Zarco, San Andrés, San Nicolas, Santo Tomás, and La Venta de Mochitiltic. There are others in the area which I have not yet located.

Colonial-era map of Real de Hostotipaquillo and its haciendas de beneficio. North is to the left and south to the right. The map shows a kind of lop-sided wheel with the town in the left center and various roads branching out like spokes to the various mines and haciendas de beneficio. While there is still some mining in the area, in colonial times the mines and other sites were as thick as flees on a junk-yard dog. Some Spanish terms relating to the colonial mining industry include:

Real- (pronounced ray-all) A mining district designated by the Spanish Crown. Real de Hostotipaquillo was one of these and at one point was a Real of Reales.

Haciendas de beneficio- Ore-processing operations. They might be owned independently or by the same person or family who owned one or more of the mines.

Haciendas de ganado y agricola- these produced livestock and/or grains like corn or wheat. Often, the owner of this kind of hacienda would also own a mine and a refining operation. The idea was to create a fully integrated business.

Refining processes:

Proceso de Fuera- an early refining process which used fire to melt the silver out of the ore. This worked fine for high quality ore found near the surface, but this eventually became scarce. Mines were then dug deeper but the ore was of lower quality and the deeper levels sometimes caused flooding, which often resulted in abandonment.

Proceso de Azoque- Developed in the 16th century, it was not widely used until the 17th and 18th centuries. Crushed ore was spread out like a giant pancake and then mixed with mercury and water by the feet of horses or humans. This caused the mercury to amalgamate with the silver and leach to the bottom, where it was collected and heated to burn off the mercury, leaving nearly pure silver. 

Hostotipaquillo's high-desert back country

Rows of blue agave stretch off toward the mountains. The clear, sunny, winter day produced grand vistas. The country north of the city of Hostotipaquillo is a series of hills, valleys, and broad plateaus. Much of this area is planted with blue agave, from which tequila is made. The Rio Santiago, which originates at Lake Chapala, runs through a deep gorge at the base of the mountains you see in the background before heading west to the Pacific Ocean. 

Mines were generally located high in the mountains but, because water was needed for the refining process and for the people who worked there, haciendas de beneficio were built near arroyos (creek beds) or rivers, The ore was initially broken up near the mine, then loaded on mules and taken down mountain trails to a hacienda de beneficio for further crushing and refining. 

These facilities were generally remote from towns, so small pueblos tended to grow up around them to provide services and places for the mine-workers' families to live. That is the origin of many of the small pueblos in the area, including Santo Domigo Guzman, our goal.

A friendly motorcylist gave us directions. Once you leave the paved roads of the town, things can get pretty confusing. There are few markers or directional signs and roads head off in every direction. When I plotted our route, I used Google satellite maps to identify any possible landmarks, but there were few. At this point we had stopped to figure out if we were on the correct road. 

As luck would have it, this friendly young guy came putting along from the direction we were heading. He seemed amused by this encounter with bewildered foreigners. I doubt that he sees many, since this area is definitely "off the beaten track". However, he assured us that we were going the right direction. In rural Mexico, the locals are nearly always friendly and helpful.

Ex-Hacienda La Herencia / Santo Domingo

The ex-hacienda is on the northern edge of Santo Domingo Guzman. At first, I wasn't sure this was the right place. My research hadn't turned up any photographs and the structures above didn't conform to the architectural pattern with which I was familiar. The buildings were definitely old, but I just wasn't sure. The road past it continued up a steep gravelly hill that looked a bit daunting. In fact, two of our three drivers were very reluctant to try it. 

However, the third driver, Jim B, is always game for a challenge. He and I left the others in the shade of a big tree and headed out to determine if the hacienda was further up the hill. The road was very steep and filled with hairpin turns around precipitous drop-offs that made even Jim B a bit nervous. We didn't find any alternative sites, but when we got to the top of the ridge, we were rewarded with a stupendous view.

The Rio Santiago gorge runs through steep mountains. This was the sight that greeted us when we topped the ridge. The rugged mountains rolled away for many miles. Far below us, we could see sections of Rio Santiago. Although I had seen parts of the river near where it drains Lake Chapala and also up near Guadalajara, I had never seen it in this area except on maps. 

In fact, the area is so remote that there is only one bridge that crosses the river anywhere near here and there are very few pueblos close to its banks. As my father used to say, country like this is "out where God buried his bicycle."

Cattle hung out near where our friends waited. One of them was enjoying a snooze in the warm sun. Mexican cattle are generally quite docile, but you never can be sure. They are large, heavy, and are equipped with very respectable horns. While hiking, a friend of mine once got trampled when she got in between a cow and her calf. She wasn't badly hurt, but she could have been. 

The cattle were near the entrance gate of a crumbling old structure that we now believed to belong to the ex-Hacienda La Herencia. In Spanish, Herencia means "inheritance" and that is the name used on the Google map of the area. I have since found a Mexican government document from 1987 showing a different name. The area around Santo Domingo Guzman was once part of Hacienda Santo Domingo, which is also the name of a nearby and still-functioning mine. 

Jim G chats with the dueño of the old property. After we hooted and helloed for some time outside his gate, this fellow appeared from around the side of the building. His name was Juan and he was the dueño (owner). He confirmed that it was part of the old hacienda de beneficio now called La Herencia. Juan is in his eighties and he told us his family has tried to persuade him to move, but this is his home and he is determined to stay.

Juan invited us onto his property and showed us around. I have always been charmed by the old Mexican custom of hospitality embodied in the phrase "mi casa es su casa" (my house is your house). I have encountered it everywhere and with people of every social class, from the very poor to the wealthy. It is one of the things I like best about Mexico.

The walls of Juan's house were a mixture of rough stone and adobe. It was hard to say if this was originally the casa grande (big house) of the  property or had served some other function. The materials of the outer walls seemed quite old, although the roof was made of modern corrugated metal. 

Construction styles change over the centuries and you can often see this through the materials used. Adobe is generally the oldest, although I have seen new structures built with it. Rough stone followed adobe, then cut stone, then brick. Many old haciendas are a mixture of these, the result of remodeling over time. 

Be it ever so humble... This is the main entrance to Juan's home. The rough stone of the wall probably indicates 17th century construction. There were a number of other structures attached to the main house, including tool sheds or places for animals like the cattle we encountered near his gate. 

In the yard in front of this door was a group of trees that appeared to be a small orchard, although I didn't see any fruit at the time. Even though Juan is in his later years, between the cattle and the orchard, the place still seemed to be a going concern. 

Juan in his home. He graciously allowed us to walk through and take a few photos, including this one. Juan lives a simple, quiet, but apparently comfortable life in this remote pueblo. The fan indicates that the house has electricity and it has a solid concrete floor rather than dirt. 

I have been unable to discover much information about ex-Hacienda La Herencia. However, the government document says that ex-Hacienda Santo Domingo encompassed much of the area around the pueblo of Santo Domingo Guzman.

The document detailed a series of land transfers from the ex-hacienda to the ejido (communal farmers' organization) of Santo Domingo Guzman. It also mentioned several of the former owners of the ex-hacienda. These transfers were part of the land reform that occurred as a result of the Revolution. 

With great dignity, Juan returns to his home. After our brief tour, we decided that we had imposed on Juan enough and that it was time to leave. He walked us out to the gate and bid us goodbye with a polite adios, que las vaya bien ("goodbye, may it go well with you"). Then he turned and walked slowly back to his house. (Photo by Vinnie Heptig)

Following the Revolution of 1910-1917, ex-Hacienda Santo Domingo was owned for a time by a woman named Hermelinda Orozco. In 1937, at the height of the land reform era, she sold the property to another woman, Petra Hernandez Medina. 

When Petra died in 1966, the property was inherited by a man named C. Refugio Hernandez Camacho, who continued to own it during the land reform transfers leading up to at least 1987. This inheritance may be the origin of the name ex-Hacienda La Herencia (The Inheritance). 

Over the decades between 1939 until 1987 (the last date I have), several substantial parcels of land were transferred from the ex-hacienda to the ejido. Now, 37 years later, I doubt that very much of the original hacienda land remains.

Our Return

The roots of a ficus tree surround a large stone with a mural. We found this tree on the road leading away from Santo Domingo Guzman. It was so striking that we stopped for a photo. There was no sign to indicate who the figure on the boulder might be. 

However, the patron saint of the pueblo is Santo Domingo, so there is a good chance that this little mural was done to honors him. Santo Domingo (St. Dominic) was the founder of the Dominican Order, one of several groups of friars that evangelized the native people after the Conquest. (Photo by Vinnie Heptig)

The Hacienda Hunters picnic by a lake near Hostotipaquillo. We often stop for a picnic on these adventures. It is less expensive than stopping at a restaurant and takes up less time. The picnic food is always tasty and there is always more than we can eat. When we picnic at an hacienda site where there is a caretaker, we often invite him and his family to share in the feast.

This completes Part 1 of my series on Hostotipaquillo's haciendas. If you enjoyed it and have a question or would like to make a comment, please do so in the Comments section below or email me directly. If you leave a question, please include your email address so that I may respond in a timely fashion.

Hasta luego, Jim

Mexicans love dancing!

The "Owl Man" at the Ajijic Center for Culture and Arts. This fellow was part of a group whose musicians played replicas of pre-hispanic instruments. I nicknamed him the "Owl Man" because of his headdress. His wings were attached to his arms so that he could extend them fully and the total effect was definitely bird-like. I later found out from a friend that his real name is Sergio and he is from San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas. On Facebook he is called Xiu Ocelotl. For more on this performance, click here. 

In this posting, I will show you some of the dance performances we have witnessed during our travels around the country. Some were connected to important religious fiestas, while others celebrated national holidays. Still others, like the one with the Owl Man, were performances in local cultural centers. All of them were wildly colorful and full of deep cultural meanings.

Sonajeros at the Candelaria Fiesta, Tuxpan. Sonajeros get their name from the rattles they carry. A long piece of wood is embedded with metal disks similar to miniature cymbals. Holding the handle at one end, the dancer shakes the instrument and the disks clash together. When hundreds of these are rhythmically shaken by large troupes of dancers, the sound is impressive. The Sonajeros dance in formation, and I was struck by the similarity of their movements to the close-order drill I learned in the military. It turned out that there is a reason for this. 

The Sonajeros originated in pre-hispanic times. Their vests, made of braided ribbons, mimic the cotton armor worn by Aztec warriors. The Sonajero rattle resembles the basic Aztec hand-weapon, called a macuahitli. It was about the same size as the Sonajero instrument, but instead of small metal disks to make music, it was edged by razor-sharp obsidian blades. The macuahitli was a fearsome weapon, capable of cutting off a man's arm with one swipe. However, it could do little damage against Spanish armor and the cotton vests were no protection against steel swords or cross-bow arrows, much less bullets from the early firearms carried by the Spanish.

 

Chayacates at the Candelaria Fiesta, Tuxpan.  Chayacates wear masks that mimic the appearance of colonial-era Spaniards, but their antlered headdresses are indigenous. Their rattles are made from gourds filled with pebbles or seeds. Like the Sonajeros, there were hundreds of them. Both sets of dancers were composed of people from the various neighborhoods of Tuxpan. After suiting up, they all danced through town and converged into a huge parade which ended at the Plaza.

The Chayacate tradition arose separately from the Sonajeros. In 1774, a great epidemic hit Tuxpan. The local priest called everyone together and asked that they pray to San Sebastian, the patron saint for those afflicted by epidemics. They did and, miraculously, the epidemic subsided.  To celebrate this, a great fiesta was established to coincide with Candalaria (Februrary 2). The Chayacate tradition has been handed down through the generations and San Sebastian's statue is carried during the parade to honor his intervention on behalf of the people of Tuxpan.

Danza de los Viejitos (Dance of the Little Old Men), Patzcuaro. This is now performed in many parts of Mexico, but it originated in Michoacan during the colonial era. There are various stories about the origin of the dance, but the one I like best was given to us during our first visit to Michoacan. It seems that the Spanish conquistadors and their descendants viewed any kind of physical labor as below their status as hidalgos (gentlemen). In fact, even the lowliest soldier with a peasant background considered himself an hidalgo in relation to the indigenous people.  

As the story goes, the Spaniards would sit on their horses and watch while the indigenous people did all the actual work. Consequently, the lack of exercise weakened the Spaniards and turned them into viejitos at a fairly early age. The natives were forced to provide free labor as a form of tribute under the oppressive encomienda system. The indigenous folks invented this dance to mock the Spaniards covertly because any overt mocking would have resulted in immediate and severe punishment. 

A Danzante struts his stuff, Patzcuaro. The dancers are known as Danzantes. They wear 
white cotton shirts and pants, sometimes embroidered. Over this, they wear colorful blankets called serapes. On their heads, they wear straw hats adorned with ribbons of various colors. Their sandals have wooden soles to create a tapping sound. This is accompanied by taps from the dancers' canes as they mimic the hobbling of an arthritic old man. However, the performance is really quite athletic, so the Danzantes are usually young men wearing masks which imitate the faces of old Spaniards.

A male expat tips his hat to his female partner at the Ajijic Plaza. The woman was one of several who performed at the Michoacan crafts market that is held each December in the Plaza. The crafts people travel up to Lake Chapala to sell their beautiful wares to people who are looking for presents to give for Christmas. The dancers often entice members of their audience to join them. The confetti on the expat's head is contained in the hollow eggshells sold during fiestas. People have great fun cracking them over the heads of unsuspecting friends, relatives, or even random bystanders.

A Güegüe dances with his female partner at the Michoacan crafts fair. Güegües (pronounced "gway-gway") wear horrific masks. They are usually found dancing on the fringe of the main performances. Their purpose is to scare away evil spirits. They must be successful at this because I have never seen any such spirits at fiestas where güegües are present.

Traditional dancers at Dia de los Muertos, Ajijic Plaza. They wear clothing which approximates the 19th century attire of Jalisco's haciendas. The style above is probably recognizable to north-of-the-border folks, who may think it is typical of all of Mexico. However, traditional clothing styles vary greatly from one part of Mexico to another. The variety of clothing, food, and cultural traditions is an aspect of Mexico that I find particularly fascinating. To see more of the dancers at the Day of the Dead fiesta, click here.

Beautifully gowned dancers at Day of the Dead Fiesta, Ajijic Plaza. Gowns like these would have been more typical of Mexico's 19th century upper  classes. As they dance, the women whirl and twirl their gowns in a dizzying display of color and movement.

Dancers at Chapala's Cultural Center.  The jarocho costumes of these dancers are from Veracruz, on Mexico's Gulf Coast. They show a mix of colonial Spanish and indigenous influences. For example, the white color of the costumes is related to the indigenous purification rituals of the area. 

Female dance troupe at Chapala Cultural Center. The costumes these women wear are from Yucatan. The white, embroidered tops are tunics called huipils and are worn over the red skirts. Huipils are worn by the women of Yucatan for daily activities, not just for "dress up" or for dance performances.  In fact, while walking the streets of Mérida, we marveled at the women sitting on the curb and selling vegetables while wearing beautiful white huipils. How they could keep the dresses so clean remains a mystery to us.

Cross-dressing stilt dancer at Carnaval (Mardi Gras), Veracruz. When we visited Veracruz during Carnaval, we never knew what would happen next. I was listening to some street musicians when this person suddenly appeared. S/he was unusual enough in appearance, but the spectacularly vigorous dance performance was entirely on stilts. The only other time I have seen stilt dancers was also during Carnaval, but in Chetumal, capital of the Yucatan peninsula state of Quintana Roo.

Spontaneous dancer at Carnaval, in Veracruz. This very large woman lunged into the center of things and began dancing to the marimba music played by these street musicians. Her spontaneous performance soon had the crowd clapping and cheering.

Dancers in Mérida, Yucatan. These young women were performing for our tour group at one of the hotels where we stayed on an early trip through Mexico. The young man who was our tour director had arranged for them to entertain us. I commented to him that working with such lovely young women must be one of the perks of his job. He grinned at me and said "it's a tough job, but somebody has to do it." There was a group of rather severe-looking older Mexican women sitting in the background, obviously the chaperones. No doubt, our young tour director had to handle his arrangements rather carefully.

This completes my posting on Mexican dancing. I hope you enjoyed it and, if so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below or email me directly. If you leave a question in the Comments section, please include your email address so that I can respond in a timely manner.

Hasta luego, Jim

 

Guanajuato Revisited Part 17 of 17: The pueblo of Santa Rosa de Lima and its Mayólica Pottery factory.

 

Parroquia de Santa Rosa de Lima is located in a deep canyon.  The main part of the pueblo is just off Hwy 110. However, an older part, called the Cañon del Silencio (Canyon of Silence), is reached by following a road which winds down into a deep canyon. 

In this posting, we'll look at both the lower and the upper parts of the pueblo. I'll also tell you about the Mayólica Santa Rosa pottery factory which makes beautiful hand-painted ceramics of all shapes and sizes. In fact, we visited the town on the recommendation of our next door neighbor in Ajijic who had bought some ceramics there.

Overview

Santa Rosa de Lima is only a short drive from the city of Guanajuato. Just take Hwy 110 north and follow it 13.9 km (8.6 mi) toward the northeast. Very quickly the road enters heavily-forested mountains. This is where so much of Guanajuato's silver was mined in the colonial era. The drive takes about 25 minutes and would be worth it even without the town and its pottery factory.

The old pueblo of Santa Rosa de Lima

The old pueblo's plaza is small but very clean. The red and white banners draped overhead suggest that a fiesta has either just been completed or that the celebration will soon begin. Even though this place is fairly remote, the age and condition of the vehicles show a good level of prosperity.

Like so much in Guanajuato, the pueblo was a product of the 18th century silver boom. A mine called Santa Rosa de Lima was started by José Mariano Sardaneta, whose family owned the San Juan de Rayas mine (see Part 7 of this series). He opened the Santa Rosa mine in 1728, after his San Antonio mine flooded and had to be abandoned. The pueblo of Santa Rosa de Lima grew out of the mine's need for services, goods, and homes for the miner workers and their families.

View of the Parroquia from the plaza. The two steeples each have three levels but are otherwise very different from each other. The left one is shorter and each of its levels is smaller than the one below it. The right one is taller and its levels are all of relatively the same size. In addition, the right steeple's top level has a clock on each of its four sides. Many other clocks on Mexican buildings don't function, but these do and they gave the correct time.

Santa Rosa de Lima was the first saint born in the New World. Isabel Flores de Olivia was born in1586 in Lima, Peru. She got her nickname "Rosa" when one of her family's servants had a vision of Isabel's face turning into a rose. At her confirmation in 1597, Isabel formally took the name Rosa. She was extremely pious, severely ascetic, and devoted to the needy. Her parents pressured her to marry but, at age 20, she became a nun in the Third Order of Saint Dominic. 

As a method of penance, Rosa sometimes burned her face or hands. To remind herself of Jesus' crown of thorns, Rosa wore a heavy crown of silver with spikes which often became entangled with her hair. She sold flowers and made lace and embroidery to raise money for the poor. When she died in Lima in 1617, her funeral was a major event. Miraculously, the whole city smelled of roses that day and many other miracles are reported to have followed. Rosa was canonized in 1671. 

Side entrance to the Parroquia. The doorway is Baroque, while other parts of the church, including the main entrance, have a Neo-Classic style. When the church was constructed, Neo-Classic was becoming the dominant style in Mexico. Many churches built during this period that I have visited show a similar mixture of styles.

Construction on Parroquia Santa Rosa de Lima began in 1735, under the supervision of Padre Francisco Ramírez Rendón. This was only a few years after the opening of the new mine. The work continued for forty-six years until the church was finally inaugurated in 1771. Long periods of construction were not unusual during the colonial period. Money for church construction was often a problem. Difficulties such as mine flooding might cause shutdowns and dry up donations. 

The church's side door faces onto the beginning of an alley. Part way down the alley, several bicyclists push their vehicles toward the edge of town. A small dog lounges on the church steps, watching them as they leave. The bicyclists were clearly not locals and probably came from Guanajuato or elsewhere in Mexico. They face a tough climb up from the bottom of the Cañon del Silencio to Hwy 110. But from there to Guanajuato it is all downhill. 

The upper pueblo and the Templo del Sagrado Corozon.

Templo del Sagrado stands on the north side of the Camino Real. Camino Real (Royal Road) branches off Hwy 110 at the western end of town and the two roads parallel until 110 turns north while the Royal Road continues east. Camino Real is a name often given to roads built in the colonial period to connect important towns and cities. 

The entrance gate was built in Neo-Classic style. The gate was locked so I had to take my shots from outside. The church was constructed toward the end of the 19th century, which was a boom time for Guanajuato and its surrounding mining towns. Porfirio Diaz was President of Mexico during this period and he set about modernizing Mexico, in particular its mining industry. 

Unfortunately, the benefits of the modernization accrued largely to the upper classes and particularly to Diaz and his cronies. The standard of living of the working class declined, including that of mine workers. Unrest spread and intensified over the 3 1/2 decades of what was known as the Porfiriato. Strikes by miners' unions became more frequent, but were often brutally suppressed.

The facade, and steeples of the church are also Neo-Classic. In front of the church is a broad open area, surrounded by a wall. This feature is called an atrium and is used for processions and events that need more space than can be provided inside the church itself. 

The Mexican Revolution broke out on November 20, 1910 and the country exploded like a pressure cooker with no steam outlet. Only a few months after it began, Porfirio Diaz was forced to flee to Europe. Five years later, he died comfortably in bed. Ironically, many of the leaders who drove him from office were assassinated over the next twenty years. 

One of the aftershocks of the Revolution was the Cristiada, or Cristero War (1926-29). Some of the provisions of the Constitution of 1917 were aimed at curbing the political and economic power of the Catholic Church. When President Plutarco Calles attempted to enforce them, the Church opposed it and right-wing reactionaries flocked to the cause. They were called Cristeros because their battle cry was ¡Viva Cristo Rey! ("Long Live Christ the King!"). 

The bloody struggle resulted in the execution of many Mexican priests who supported the Cristeros. One of these was Padre Gregorio Gutiérrez of Santa Rosa de Lima, who was known by the nickname "Goyito". He was captured while hiding out in the mountains that surround the pueblo. On May 14, 1928, Goyito was shot by a military firing squad. 

Fabrica Mayólica Santa Rosa

Fabrica Mayólica Santa Rosa. The fabrica (factory) is on the right just as you reach Santa Rosa de Lima, just before the Camino Real branches off to the right. Getting inside was a little confusing. After we repeatedly rang the bell by the door, a woman finally came. She explained that the main entrance is on the back side of the building, facing the Camino Real. A sign on the door might help, but hey, this is Mexico.

The building has three floors, with one used for the factory and the other two as show rooms. The variety of ceramics is overwhelming. They range from very small spoons to very large vases and every other kind of shape you can imagine (and some you probably can't). Every piece is beautifully hand-painted. Unfortunately, the fabrica's owners don't allow photographs in the showrooms, so the only one I have is of the dish you see below.

Hand-painted dish from Fabrica Mayólita Santa Rosa. Since the fabrica doesn't allow photos inside the building, I took one of the small dish that Carole and I brought home. Over the last 45 years, Mayólica Santa Rosa has been operated by three generations of the Salazar family. Currently, it is managed by Maria del Carmen Aguilera Salazar. 

The pottery is created by a group of artisans who use clay collected locally to make the pottery and local minerals to make the paints and glazes. Maria oversees every step to ensure the craftsmanship is of high quality. The family has another fabrica called JB Diseno in San Miguel Allende. There, pewter items are crafted.

Tras Lomita Restaurante

After leaving Santa Rosa de Lima, we lunched at Tras Lomitas restaurant. It is only a couple of miles back toward Guanajuato on the left side of the road. Tras Lomitas ("Behind little hills") is situated up on the hillside overlooking Hwy 110 and the rolling wooded hills beyond.

Large windows provide diners with great views. There is also a balcony along the front of the restaurant where you can eat. The fare is mostly traditional Mexican, with some Gringo options. The staff were friendly and efficient and well-deserving of the nice tip we left them. As you can see from the number of diners, the place is popular.

This completes Part 17 of my Guanajuato Revisited series and also finishes the series itself (I'll bet you thought it would never end!) I hope you enjoyed the series. If you would like to leave any thoughts or questions, please do so either in the Comments section below or email them directly to me. If you use the Comments section, please remember to include your email address so that I may respond in a timely manner.

Hasta luego, Jim

Guanajuato Revisited Part 16 of 17: Plaza Allende and Jardin Embajadoras

Don Quixote and his companion Sancho Panza keep watch over Plaza Allende. The chief characters from the book "Don Quixote" stand on the rocky hillside above the plaza. You can find many depictions of the protagonists in Miguel Cervante's novel around Guanajuato, but these are the best, in my opinion. Don Quixote is mounted on his trusty steed Rocinante, while Sancho rides Dobby, his faithful donkey.

Don Quixote is pronounced Key-ho-tay, with the accent on the second syllable. "Don" is not a name but title of respect. The book, published in 1605 with a sequel in 1615, is considered the first modern novel. It is also one of the most translated books in the world as well as being one of the best-selling of all time. 

Up until then, chivalric romances had been the most popular style of fictional writing. Cervantes viewed these works as silly wastes of time and his novel spoofs them unmercifully. His chief character is a member of the lowest level of the nobility and Sancho Panza, the secondary character, is a simple farm laborer. Don Quixote goes mad while reading chivalric romances and decides he is a famous knight who must set off on a great quest.

In this posting, I'll briefly outline the story of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. I'll also show you both Plaza Allende and the nearby Jardin Embajadoras (Garden of the Ambassadors) and relate some the history of each.

 Overview of Plaza Allende

Google satellite view of Plaza Allende. In my last couple of postings, I showed the andador (walking street) called Manuel Doblado. If you continue to follow it from Plaza Ropero, it will lead you directly to Plaza Allende. Alternatively, if you follow the callejon (alleyway) called Del Campanero that runs under the pedestrian bridge of the Santo Café (another site from my last posting), it will also take you to Plaza Allende. The Plaza can be found at the bottom center of the photo above.

Don Quixote, in all his mad glory. I don't know if the sculptor intended it, but Rocinante seems be getting quite a chuckle out of the whole thing. By the beginning of the 17th century, the era of medieval knights was a fading memory. During the previous couple of centuries, fully-armored and mounted noblemen had been repeatedly defeated by common foot soldiers. 

As early as the Hundred Years War (1337-1453), English archers wielding their long bows had repeatedly slaughtered heavily-armored French knights. In other wars, Swiss foot soldiers were able to capture or kill Austrian knights by using hooked pikes to pull them off their horses. When gunpowder use became widespread, the armored warrior's day was over. It took awhile for Europe's nobility to accept that they could easily be killed by the lowliest peasant, if he was armed with gun.

It was in this context that chivalric romances had become popular, somewhat like the 20th century American fascination with 19th century cowboys on their cattle drives and wagon trains fighting off Indian attacks. The works written about those earlier periods were full of sentimental nonsense that ignored hard dirty realities that were sometimes dangerous but mostly filled with boredom. Cervantes' book was an antidote for romantic tales of chivalry.

Carole walks in the plaza. Behind her is the small stone Teatro Cervantes. The theatre was inaugurated in 1979 by Carmen Romano de Lopez Portillo, the wife of the then-President of Mexico. The Teatro and its plaza is one of many venues in Guanajuato where the activities of the annual Festival Cervantes are held. Unfortunately, the theatre was locked, so we couldn't get a peek inside. The statues of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza are just out of view on the hillside to the right. 

In the book, a minor nobleman from La Mancha named Alonso Quijano goes mad from reading too many chivalric romances. He decides that his real name is Don Quixote de la Mancha and that his duty is to become a knight-errant and serve his nation by reviving chivalry. 

Since every knight needs one, Quixote selects the earthy peasant Sancho Panza as his squire. Strapping on a rusty suit of armor, Don Quixote sets off on his mighty steed, an old workhorse Rocinante. Chivalry also requires a lady love, so he picks a local slaughterhouse worker named Aldonza Lorenzo and renames her Dulcinea del Toboso.

A biker bar is located across Calle Sangre de Cristo from Teatro Cervantes. Oddly, the sign over its door is in English, giving the bar's name as "The Beer Company". Although small, it is a two story building with an umbrella-shaded deck on top. The line of motorcycles along one side suggests that this is a popular bar for Mexican bikers. 

When the newly re-named Don Quixote sets out, his first stop is an inn. He believes it to be a castle, filled with noble ladies, who are actualy prostitutes. Quixote insists that the innkeeper (the "lord" of the castle) must dub him as a knight. The innkeeper is understandably dubious about all of this. 

Adhering to one of the classic rituals of knighthood, Don Quixote keeps vigil at the castle's chapel (a horse trough). When some muleteers want to water their animals, he gets into a brawl with them for disturbing his vigil. The innkeeper finally goes through with the knighthood ceremony in order to get rid of this madman.

A group of foreign tourists walks along the length of the plaza. Beyond them, a six-story apartment building faces the plaza and its statues. The apartments on the second through the fourth stories have French doors and balconies, features which probably make them popular. 

After leaving the inn, Don Quixote encounters a servant being beaten by his master. The knight-errant orders the master to stop the beating and release the unfortunate servant. The man complies but resumes his beating as soon as Quixote leaves. He next encounters some traders along the road and becomes angry with them when they refuse to believe his Dulcinea is the most beautiful woman in the world. Charging on Rocinante, he falls off and one of the traders beats him up, leaving him unconscious.

Found by a kind peasant, he is brought home still unconscious. His housekeeper-niece and the parish priest decide to burn all his chivalric romances in order to bring him back to reality and end these crazy adventures. They are among several people in the story who step forward to rescue Don Quixote when he gets himself (and sometimes Sancho) in trouble. 

A small dog was carefully scrutinizing us from its high perch. Carole's sharp eye picked out this pooch on one of the building's balconies. Although it was a warm day, the little dog was wearing a coat. A worn boot stood next to the dog. The boot's mate was missing, so either it fell off the balcony or perhaps the remaining boot was a favorite chew toy.

Soon, Don Quixote recovers enough to set out on another adventure. In one of the most famous incidents, he mistakes some windmills for giant monsters and decides to charge them, with disastrous results. This has become the common expression "tilting at windmills", meaning to attempt something that is utterly foolish and misguided. The description of some course of action as "quixotic" has a similar meaning.

A colorful array of buildings surrounds the south end of Plaza Allende. The intersection above is where Calle Sangre de Cristo meets Calle Sostenes Rocha. Close to this intersection is an attractive little restaurant with the unusual name of "La Vida sin ti."

During Cervantes' story, Don Quixote and Sancho have a great many other hilarious adventures. Usually, these end up with one or both of them in trouble. At the end of the book published in 1605, Quixote gets into yet another fight. This time, he is thoroughly beaten up by a goatherd and some pilgrims and is again brought home. The first book ends here, but Cervantes wrote a sequel, which was published in 1615. 

 

Two foreign tourists study the menu at La vida sin ti. The name of this restaurant/bar means "The life without you". I speculated that the owner was mourning the end of a treasured relationship. On the other hand, perhaps s/he was celebrating its end, as in "good riddance!" We decided that this was just another of life's little mysteries and headed toward our next destination: Jardin Embajadoras.

Although the sequel of the 1605 book came out ten years later, today the two are published together as one book. Don Quixote has many additional adventures in the 1615 book, but finally comes to his senses. Before he dies, he apologizes for any harm he has done. The second book came out less than a year before Cervantes' own death in April of 1616.

Jardin Embajadoras

Jardin Embajadoras is shaped a little like a hockey stick. To reach it, just follow Calle Sangre de Cristo from Plaza Allende. The "paddle" of the hockey stick is thickly wooded, but among the trees are some interesting structures. 

A pedestrian overpass enables those on foot to safely enter the Jardin. Traffic on Guanajuato's streets can be chaotic, particularly given the large number of motorcycles that zoom around in all directions. The pedestrian overpass not only provides safety, but is also an attractive addition to the Jardin. This land was originally part of Hacienda San Agustin. Up until 1741, when Guanajuato was officially recognized as a city, the edge of the Jardin marked the town's administrative limit.

A statue mounted over a fountain is located in the wooded section. This is known as the Columna de la Libertad (Column of Liberty). The sculptor was a Guanajuato artist named Jesus Fructuoso Contreras. He has been called "the most representative sculptor of late 19th century Mexico". The statue above is of a woman, holding a torch aloft with her right hand and cradling a stone tablet with her left. 

A snarling lion appears on each of the four sides of the statue's base. Since there was no sign to provide information about the statue and its fountain, I had to do a considerable amount of Googling to discover the monument's name and sculptor.

Monument honoring the Mexican flag. The monument has a soldier standing on one side and a mine worker on the other. According to the sign on the monument, it was dedicated on September 16, 1949 as part of the celebration of Independencia, held annually on that day. 

This completes Part 16 of my Guanajuato Revisited series and I hope you have enjoyed it. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below or email me directly. If you leave a question, please remember to include your email address so that I may respond in a timely manner.

Hasta luego, Jim