 Uruapan: the centre of true Indian crafts
Added: 01/20/2006 |
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Uruapan is a tranquil city of about 250,000 inhabitants situated at 1,620 meters above sea-level and defined as ?the world capital of avocado? and ?the cradle of lacquer?. Nestled at the southern reaches of the Sierras, Uruapan spills onto endless hills and valleys bearing avocados, oranges, bananas, and coconut palms. Uruapan is an important cultural centre with archaeological zones and Indian crafting towns like Patzcuaro named by the United Nations one of 100 Historic World Treasure Cities.
Uruapan located some 120 kilometers from Michoacan's capital Morelia is a peaceful thinly populated city. Fray Juan de San Miguel, a Franciscan monk, is considered the founder of the city in 1534. Uruapan is situated at 1,620 meters above sea-level, the climate here being moderate and tropical with rains in summer. Though, generally hot a day through, Uruapan's temperature can drop a bit in the evenings and early mornings. So, take sweaters and closed shoes at hand for your stay in the area. In the distance you can see the magnificent Volcano Paricutin erupted on February 20, 1943, which is considered the youngest in the world and the only one the human being has seen born.
Uruapan owes its special features to the Cupatitzio River, as several beautiful places are located on this river's banks. They call Uruapan ?the place where the flowers bloom?. It is also called ?the world capital of avocado?. Nevertheless, the most deserved title is ?the cradle of lacquer?, due to the production of trays, cups, masks, and other wooden objects artistically decorated with the technique that goes back to the pre-Colombian period. Uruapan is a real Mexico and serves up a year-round menu of cultural events ranging from traditional costume competitions, concerts, fiestas to photography and painting exhibitions.
The Centro, or downtown area, which actually is not in the city centre, mixes up architectural styles from colonial times to the 1950s. Each direction points to contrasts ? in time, in landscape and in culture. The logical starting place is right downtown at the tree-lined, three-block long Plaza de Morelos y Martires de Uruapan. The absolute must-see, just north of the plaza, is La Huatapera built as one of the first hospitals on the American continent around 1534, which now houses the Museum of Popular Arts. Uruapan is famous for magnificent historical monuments like the Franciscan Parish Church and the chapels of the districts of La Magdalena, San Francisco, San Juan Bautista, San Pedro and San Miguel.
Uruapan endless hills and valleys are rich in avocados, oranges, bananas, and coconut palms. A five-minute drive to the north or west leads to pine forests which could be set in northern California. The region is well known for the production of the finest avocados in the country. Uruapan is accessible from Morelia via a new highway that passes through Patzcuaro in the nearby mountains.
Patzcuaro is at 2,140 meters elevation, 70 per cent of its 45,000 population being Indians. It's the market hub of a dozen smaller villages surrounding the sizeable Lake Patzcuaro. Each village is distinguished by its own craft: copperware, black pottery, mandolins and guitars, basketry, wooden chests, silver work, stone carvings, and a lot more. Uruapan is an important cultural centre with archaeological zones and typical ancestral crafting towns like Patzcuaro, named one of 100 Historic World Treasure Cities, according to the United Nations. Due to rich history, the location of Uruapan may satisfy different tastes and please the eye of the most fastidious visitors.
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