Bernal (Mexico)

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Bernal
Coordinates: 20 ° 44 ′  N , 99 ° 56 ′  W
Map: Querétaro
marker
Bernal
Bernal on the map of Querétaro
Basic data
Country Mexico
State Querétaro
Municipio Ezequiel Montes
City foundation 1642
Residents 3965 
Detailed data
height 2075  m
Bernal town center
Bernal town center
Bernal Rocks
Bernal Rocks
Iglesia San Sebastian
Iglesia San Sebastian

Bernal (also San Sebastián Bernal ) is a place with about 4,000 inhabitants in the Mexican state of Querétaro . Bernal belongs to the municipality of Ezequiel Montes and has been recognized as Pueblo Mágico since 2005 because of its colonial architecture .

location

Bernal is about 60 km (driving distance) northeast of Santiago de Querétaro on the southern edge of the Sierra Gorda at an altitude of about 2075 m above sea level. d. M. The climate is temperate and has little rain; the nights can be cold.

population

The region of Bernal was inhabited by the indigenous population of the Otomí people until the arrival of the Spaniards ( Conquista ) . Later, Spaniards and members of other Indian tribal groups joined them.

economy

The staple foods are corn and beans, but these are rarely grown in the arid environment. Instead, they have specialized in the cultivation of opuntia and wine , which get along well with the calcareous soils.

history

The traditions contradict each other in the founding date of Bernal: While one tradition reports that the place was founded in 1647 by Lieutenant Alonso Cabrera and his companion of ten soldiers and three of his sons, other traditions say that the place Bernal was founded in the year 1642 existed when 26 Spanish families were founded. With the arrival of the Spaniards, a military garrison was immediately established to protect against the attacking Chichimecs . In the 19th century, Bernal witnessed the French intervention in Mexico .

Attractions

  • The village of Bernal is located at the foot of the approximately 8.7 million year old Peña de Bernal , which is the largest monolith in the world with a height of 433 m ( prominence 350 m) . The rock, which according to the local population has magical powers and is said to give a long life, is visited by several thousand tourists every year. On the occasion of each year in the spring held the feast of the day and night are equally long ( equinoccio ) traveling many people from the world to "let recharge new energy" with. The rock was inscribed on the list of the intangible cultural heritage of mankind by UNESCO in 2009 , along with other still-living traditions of the Otomí - Chichimecs .
  • The place itself scores with its sometimes winding streets and its sometimes 200 or 300 year old houses, some of which are lined with arcades.
  • Parts of a colonial administration building ( El Castillo ) were converted into a mask museum and a hotel.
  • The St. Sebastian church dates from the early 18th century.

Web links

Commons : Bernal, Querétaro  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Bernal - Map with altitude information
  2. Bernal - climate tables
  3. Peña de Bernal - largest monolith in the world (English) ( Memento from March 13, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  4. Peña de Bernal - Intangible Cultural Heritage (English)