Misplaced Pages

#145854

49-423: Ixcateopan de Cuauhtémoc is located 36 km west of famous silver town of Taxco de Alarcón , traveling on the state highway. Unlike its neighbor, the vegetation surrounding Ixcateopan is forested with pine, red and white cedar , and walnut trees. Along the highway, there is a waterfall by the name of Cascada de Cacalotenango, which has a small chapel at the top. The distance between Ixcateopan and Chilpancingo ,

98-411: A basic education (including 17% who did not finish primary education), and approximately 6% of residents aged 15 and over were illiterate. Approximately 87% of homes had refrigerators, and 51% had washing machines. Approximately 8% of homes lacked piped water, and 5% had a dirt floor. Silverwork and tourism related to Taxco's status as a silver town is the mainstay of the economy. Mining is no longer

147-428: A forgery by archeologists, although many locals and cultural activists still consider it to be genuine. The town of Ixcateopan has about 2,400 residents, which is over a third of the municipality’s inhabitants. One thing that stands out about this town is that streets are paved in unpolished white marble and many of the walls around properties contain it as well. The town of Ixcateopan has similar colonial architecture as

196-404: A major employer in the city; the last major mining operation on the outskirts of town, Industrial Minera México S.A., phased out operations beginning in 2007 due to the depletion of reserves and labor problems. Most commercial activity related to silver is the production and sale of silver jewelry, silverware and other goods. Commerce in silver here is both regional and international. Streets in

245-589: Is a local specialty. Basketball is the most popular sport in Taxco Municipality. In the city of Taxco, there are basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts, as well as soccer fields. 18°33′23″N 99°36′18″W  /  18.55639°N 99.60500°W  / 18.55639; -99.60500 Eulalia Guzm%C3%A1n Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include

294-468: Is a small city and administrative center of Taxco de Alarcón Municipality located in the Mexican state of Guerrero . Taxco is located in the north-central part of the state, 36 kilometres (22 miles) from the city of Iguala , 135 kilometres (84 miles) from the state capital of Chilpancingo and 170 kilometres (106 miles) southwest of Mexico City . The city is heavily associated with silver, both with

343-403: Is important as Cuauhtémoc’s birthday (23 February) and death (28 February) are commemorated here. His day of birth draws the most dance groups who come from all over Mexico, the U.S., Canada and South America, to lay offerings, dance and sing in many different languages. Preparations at the church/museum and the rest of the town occupy the days and nights before the 23rd. For several days straddling

392-534: Is in the shape of a Mesoamerican ballcourt with rings, players and skulls, derived from the most likely source of Taxco's name. Before the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico, the indigenous community known as "Taxco" was not located where the modern city is now. The name referred to a village about ten kilometers to the south, which is now referred to as Taxco El Viejo (Old Taxco). In pre-Hispanic times, this village

441-464: Is known that the site was occupied up until the Spanish arrival in 1521. The archeological zone is formed by a series of constructions over a natural elevation and occupied about 5,000 m2/square meters (approximately 1.24 acres). Local materials were used in its construction: flagstone , limestone , marble and smooth pebble which were covered in stucco and painted. This excavated complex was dedicated to religious ceremonies, administrative activities and

490-528: Is located in the "Humboldt House", named so because German writer Alexander Von Humboldt spent a night here in 1803. This house was restored in 1991 to become the Museum of Viceregal Art and contains colonial period art and artifacts, some of which belonged to José de la Borda. Two other churches of note are the Church of the former monastery of San Bernardino de Siena, and the Church of Veracruz. The Church of

539-685: Is one of three that house monuments to the playwright Juan Ruiz de Alarcón, who was born in a house near here. On the north side of town is one of the major colonial period silver haciendas, the Ex Hacienda del Chorrillo . The hacienda was constructed by knights of Hernán Cortés and is one of the oldest in the region. Its aqueduct, built in 1534, is partially preserved. Holy Week in Taxco involves elaborate processions and ceremonies that have gained international fame. Between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday , there are ten major processions, six during

SECTION 10

#1732772567146

588-477: Is the official chronicler of Ixcateopan and the guardian of the museum. Cuauhtemoc has become a symbol of Mexican cultural identity and for many dancers who come here to celebrate, a symbol of their modern identity. Cuauhtémoc has become a symbol of ethnocultural identity, nationalism and resistance, and this place brings indigenous people from all over Mexico and other nations in the Americas. The end of February

637-517: Is the sign of Taurus near the Church of Santa Prisca, which used to indicate the area of butcher shops. Buildings in the city typically have Spanish-style, red-tile roofs. The town's main plaza, officially called Plaza Borda after José de la Borda, is commonly referred to as the Zócalo. On the north side of this plaza is the Casa Borda (Borda House), the most important non-religious construction in

686-513: The Assumption, Ichacateopan, Guerrero, are the remains of Cuauhtemoc, the last lord of the Mexica and heroic defender of Mexico-Tenochtitlan Recent investigations determined that the remains are judged not to be of Cuauhtémoc, but instead corresponding to eight different bodies and the skull is female. Early research reports by Eulalia Guzmán , distorted the facts. Today the burial is considered

735-764: The Jornadas Alarconianas (Alarconian Days) in May, the Jumil Festival in October, and the National Silver Fair in late November and early December. Maize is a staple of food in Taxco. Common dishes include pozole and tacos . Dishes distinctive of Taxco include jumiles (a type of stink bug) prepared in tacos or Mole sauce , cecina (a cured meat), plum and bean tamales , and a drink called berta (honey margarita). Criollo cheese

784-645: The Mexican War of Independence, it was taken by Hermenegildo Galeana in 1815. During the Reform Wars, it was taken by Porfirio Diaz in 1865. During the Mexican Revolution , it was taken by Jesus Moran and Margarito Giles in 1911, and occupied by Carranza's forces in 1916. Silversmithing was reinvigorated in Taxco by American William Spratling , who moved to the town in the 1920s, creating silver design workshops and exported items, mostly to

833-511: The Santa Prisca Church, is located on the east side of the main plaza of Taxco, and is one of the few Baroque buildings in the state of Guerrero. It was built between 1751 and 1758 by José de la Borda (ca. 1700–1778), who had made a great fortune in the silver mines surrounding the town. Despite his wealth, however, the opulence of the church nearly bankrupted him. It is built with pink stone, flanked by two towers which are plain in

882-469: The United States. With its fame for silversmithing, tourism became a major economic force in Taxco. In March 2024, three adults were beaten (one fatally) by a lynch mob after accusations they had kidnapped for ransom and murdered eight-year-old Camila Gómez. Taxco is located in the north-central part of the state, 36 kilometres (22 miles) from the city of Iguala, 135 kilometres (84 miles) from

931-569: The World. The city of Taxco lies on very rugged terrain and has steep, irregular streets. The streets are also narrow and generally lack sidewalks, making them picturesque but dangerous. Adding to the charm is that most streets are paved with dark stones, adorned with lines, pictures and even murals of white stone. Some of the pictures in the street are from the Zodiac and meant to indicate certain commercial activities in times past. One example of this

980-402: The archeological site on the southern edge of town, Ixcateopan draws archeologists, anthropologist and historians. The Museum of Santa María de la Asunción, located just south of the main plaza in the center of town, was the parish church for the community from the 16th century until the mid-20th, when it was declared a national monument. Since the discovery of the alleged Cuauhtémoc's tomb under

1029-541: The area. Mining operations in the area during the early colonial period was carried out mostly by mining haciendas such as the Hacienda del Chorrillo and the Hacienda San Juan Bautista , established by Cortés or his knights. In the mid 18th century, José de la Borda arrived to Taxco and started more modern operations in mines called Pedregal, El Coyote, San Ignacio and Cerro Perdido. For most of

SECTION 20

#1732772567146

1078-457: The ballgame". However, one interpretation has the name coming from the word tatzco which means "where the father of the water is," due to the high waterfall near the town center on Atatzin Mountain . "De Alarcón" is in honor of writer Juan Ruiz de Alarcón who was a native of the town. Like many municipalities in central Mexico, the municipality's coat-of-arms is an Aztec glyph . This glyph

1127-598: The birthday itself, dances and ceremonies continue almost non-stop, accompanies by huehuetls (Aztec drums), and wind instruments made of animal horns and large conch shells and accompanied by copal incense. South of the Santa María de la Asunción Museum on Vicente Guerrero Street is the archeological zone of Ixcateopan. The site has been dated from between 350 and 1450 C. E. with at least five construction stages, three of which are dated from between 1350 and 1450 C.E. Although construction seemed to have ceased after 1450, it

1176-554: The capital of the state of Guerrero, is 180 km. The explored archeological remains are located at the Ixcateopan (archaeological site) . The name Ixcateopan (sometimes spelled Ichcateopan) from the Nahuatl words “ichcacates” (or “ixcatle”) and “moteopan,” “teopan,” or “teopancalli.” Most interpret the first word as meaning cotton and the second temple, leading to a translation of temple of cotton. However, some sources claim

1225-575: The city. The front facing the Zócalo has two stories, but the back, facing the Plaza de Bernal, has five. This is due to the uneven ground on which the house was built. Much of the house is now dedicated to the Casa de Cultura (Cultural Center) where classes in languages, fine arts and sports such as judo are taught. The rest of the main plaza is surrounded by silver shops, restaurants and bars. The Parish of Santa Prisca y San Sebastián , commonly referred to as

1274-416: The colonial period, the area was sparsely populated, including the town of Taxco itself. For this reason, it was governed as a dependency of Mexico City. When the modern state of Guerrero was created in 1850, Taxco was chosen to be the seat of the municipality of the same name. Since it was the only town of any size in the area, the town was taken a number of times during a number of different conflicts. During

1323-510: The corroborative efforts were mixed with researchers casting doubt on the age of the bones found, the documents that led to their discovery and the authenticity of the artifacts found at the site. In 1976, a Judging Commission determined: First. That the skeletal remains belong to eight individuals and come from different epochs and different forms of burial. Second. That the young adult mestizo whose remains face and teeth are part of Ichcateopan finding could not have been buried in 1529 [the year of

1372-399: The death of Cuauhtemoc] (...) Fourth. That oral tradition does not start until the 16th century and in its current form is known only since 1949. Fifth. That all documents-both those that gave rise to the finding as presented later-are apocryphal and were developed after 1917 (...) There is no scientific basis for claiming that the remains found on September 26, 1949 in the church of St. Mary of

1421-498: The development of what is now the north of Guerrero state in the late pre-Hispanic period, when it was populated by groups such as the Matlatzincas , Tepoztecos, Nahuas as well as Chontales. The site was first excavated in 1976 by archeologist Juan Yaveún, with subsequent studies by Guadalupe Martínez, Alajandro Pastrana, José Hernández Rivera and Elizabeth Jiménez. However, excavations in the mid 2000s have uncovered new finds at

1470-560: The evening and four during the day. Most processions are about two and a half kilometers long and take about two hours to complete. These commemorations date back to at least 1622 when they began in the atrium of the Church of the former monastery of San Bernardino de Siena. Now these processions and ceremonies center upon the Santa Prisca Church. Other notable events include the San Antonio Abad Festival in January,

1519-475: The famous American artist and architect William Spratling . Spratling discovered Taxco in 1929 and was amazed by the artisanal traditions and craftsmanship employed by the local silversmiths. Prior to Spratling's arrival, Taxco was mostly a silver mining town but was not known for silver designing. He visited the nearby town of Iguala and enlisted the help of master silversmiths Artemio Navarrete, Alfonso Mondragón, and Wenceslao Herrera Spratling's first workshop

Ixcateopan de Cuauhtémoc - Misplaced Pages Continue

1568-546: The former monastery of San Bernardino de Siena is the oldest in the area, constructed at the end of the 16th century and restored in the 19th after a fire. This convent's orchard is now the garden of the Posada San Javier Hotel. The Church of Veracruz is located on the Plazuela de la Veracruz on Juan Ruiz de Alarcón. Its principal attraction is an image of Christ which is nicknamed "The General". This plaza

1617-584: The inhabitants of this area before the Conquest were the Cohuixas and the Chontals. The indigenous community located at what is now the southern edge of the town dates back to at least 350 C. E. This community was an important regional ceremonial center as well as the headquarters for the guardian soldiers. It was also closely associated with the production of cotton and cotton products, a valuable commodity at

1666-414: The larger Taxco: white houses topped with peaked roofs with red clay tile roofs. However, they are not as well-maintained as those in Taxco. Because of the discovery of Cuauhtémoc’s tomb here, Ixcateopan has become a place of national interest. Flags fly here at half mast on 28 February, the anniversary of Cuauhtémoc’s death. Because of the discovery of the tomb of Cuauhtemoc and the continued discoveries at

1715-560: The local evangelist, and Fray Bernardino de Sahagún wrote texts about the death and burial of Cuauhtémoc which were initially kept at the Church of San Hipólito in Mexico City but somehow wound up in the hands of the family of Salvador Rodriguez Juárez, who was the doctor of Ixcateopan in the first half of the 20th century. The documents had been passed down in his family for generations. They told of how Cuauhtémoc’s body had been recovered and brought to Ixcateopan and initially buried at

1764-518: The local hierarchy’s relations with the rest of the world. Religiously, it was of regional importance. Ixcateopan was a Chontal settlement that was conquered by the Aztecs, by Moctezuma I and Ahuitzotl. The Chontales are a little-known group with most information about them coming from documents written in 1579, but nothing of their language is known as no human remains from their burials have been found. stages The site has provided much information about

1813-483: The lower half but highly decorated in the upper bell portions. The cupola is covered in colored tile. Inside, there are a number of floor-to-ceiling altarpieces , all covered in gold. Near the main plaza are two museums: the William Spratling Museum , which contains silver and archeological pieces from Spratling's personal collection, and the Museum of Viceregal Art. The Museum of Viceregal Art

1862-448: The main altar, this building and its grounds have been converted from a religious sanctuary to a civil one. Most, but not all, of its Christian iconography has been taken out. Where the main altar used to be is now a shrine to the last Aztec emperor, with his false remains on public display. A small museum occupies the former church’s annex. Jairo Rodríguez, son of the doctor who made the documents about Cuauhtemoc's burial public knowledge,

1911-412: The mining of it and other metals and for the crafting of it into jewelry, silverware and other items. Today, mining is no longer a mainstay of the city's economy. The city's reputation for silverwork, along with its picturesque homes and surrounding landscapes, have made tourism the main economic activity. The name Taxco is most likely derived from the Nahuatl place name Tlachco , which means "place of

1960-522: The palace of his maternal grandparents in 1525. In 1529, Fray Toribio de Benavente had the body moved to a spot in front of the destroyed pagan temple, where the Church of Santa María de la Asunción would be built over him. The documents indicated that this tomb was nearly directly under the main altar of the church. After Rodríguez Juárez showed the documents to elders at the parish church, the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH)

2009-584: The real name of the area is Zompancuahuithli, and the name was changed to Ixcateopan after the arrival of Cuauhtemoc's body and means (here is the temple/church). The glyph in the Mendoncino Codex for Ixcateopan reflects both interpretations, a cotton flower, a depiction of Cuauhtémoc and a pyramid. “De Cuauhtémoc” was added to Ixcateopan’s name by the Congress of the State of Guerrero in 1950. Some of

Ixcateopan de Cuauhtémoc - Misplaced Pages Continue

2058-685: The site including a set of stairs that run from south to north on the main plaza, dwellings and storage facilities as well as workshops with ceramics showing Aztec and Cholulteca influence and purely local designs. With these, it is possible to reconstruct something of these people’s relations with these groups. Most of the excavations here have followed an east-west axis and about 3,000 m2 have been explored. Efforts have been made to have Ixcateopan and “archeological monuments zone” as well as obtain resources to continue excavations here. Taxco de Alarc%C3%B3n Taxco de Alarcón ( Spanish: [ˈtasko] ; usually referred to as simply Taxco )

2107-480: The south and the Autobuses Estrella Blanca station in the northeast. There is no airport in Taxco. Transport within Taxco is generally by taxi, or "Kombis"—converted Volkswagen vans that serve as minibuses. Taxco was home to many influential and popular designers and silversmiths specifically in the early and mid 20th century. One of the most prominent figures in popularizing Taxco silver was

2156-681: The state capital of Chilpancingo and 170 kilometres (106 miles) southwest of Mexico City. The climate in Taxco is mild, with average highs around 27 °C (81 °F) and average lows around 17 °C (63 °F) year-round. The dry season lasts from November to April, with rains typically occurring from June to September. Taxco's population as of 2010 was 52,217 (in 13,933 households), of whom 48% were men and 52% were women. Taxco's population grew rapidly from 1950 (10,023) to 2000 (50,488). Taxco's development indicators are fairly good relative to other towns and cities in Mexico. As of 2010 , approximately 38% of residents aged 15 and over lacked

2205-614: The time. Ixcateopan was one of the last cities to be subjugated by the Aztec Empire . The location served as a point to gather and then distribute tribute from surrounding areas. Mexica from other parts of the Aztec Empire, including soldiers, came here due to the wars between them and the Purépecha Empire . Because of this, Ixcateopan, originally a purely Chontal city, became multicultural. Fray Torbio de Benavente,

2254-494: The town are filled with silvershops selling jewelry, silverware and other goods. The city has been named one of Mexico's " Pueblos Mágicos " (Magical Towns) due to the quality of the silverwork, the colonial constructions and the surrounding scenery. Taxco lies along Mexican Federal Highway 95 and the toll road Mexican Federal Highway 95D . Taxco has two long-distance bus stations: the Terminal Estrella de Oro in

2303-465: Was contacted, which sent archeologist Eulalia Guzmán to investigate the authenticity of the documents. After examining the documents, investigating the oral traditions of the area and other archeological and historical evidence, it was decided to excavate in the place where the documents indicated. The authenticity of the find was challenged, so the INAH sent other teams to investigate the find. Results of

2352-409: Was set up on Calle de Las Delicias in Taxco. Some modern day designers including Reveka Rose and AtomicDrip still employ original techniques popularized by Spratling and his students to create modern day pieces with silver sourced from Taxco. Today, over 3,000 silversmith artisans call Taxco home. This is a testament to the influence that Spratling had on making Taxco the proclaimed Silver Capital of

2401-581: Was the most important in the area as it was the seat of the Aztec governor who presided over tribute collection in the surrounding seven districts. The modern Spanish town of Taxco was founded by Hernán Cortés in an area previously known as Tetelcingo , because of the abundance of silver here. Mining here began in the pre-Hispanic period with natives extracting a number of stones for decorative and ritual purposes. The Spanish discovered silver lodes here in around 1532, which started commercial silver mining in

#145854