Esquipulas
| Esquipulas | ||
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Coordinates: 14 ° 34 ′ N , 89 ° 21 ′ W Esquipulas on the map of Guatemala
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| Basic data | ||
| Country | Guatemala | |
| Department | Chiquimula | |
| Residents | 65,000 | |
| Detailed data | ||
| surface | 532 km 2 | |
| Population density | 122 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| height | 950 m | |
| Time zone | UTC −6 | |
| City patron | James d. Ä. | |
| Website | ||
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Esquipulas ( Nahuatl : "Isquitxochitl =" destroyed tree with white flowers ") is a small town with approx. 30,000 inhabitants or a municipality ( municipio ) with a total of approx. 65,000 inhabitants on an area of approx. 532 km² in the Chiquimula department in southeast Guatemala Esquipulas is the most important place of pilgrimage in Central America .
Location and climate
The town or municipality Esquipulas, which is bordered on all sides by 1600 to 1800 m high mountains, is located near the headwaters of the Río Lempa at approx. 950 m above sea level. d. M. The city is about 200 km (driving distance) east of Guatemala City ; the Mayan city of Copán in the neighboring country of Honduras is approx. 70 km (as the crow flies) away. The climate in the city and its surroundings is temperate; Rain falls mainly in the months of May to October.
population
Esquipulas is located in the former settlement area of the Chortí -Maya. The population grew enormously in the 20th century due to immigration from the rural areas in the area. Colloquial language is - besides various dialects - mainly Spanish.
Economy and tourism
Most of the community's residents live directly or indirectly from agriculture; some also work as craftsmen, small traders or service providers (e.g. in the transport industry). Pilgrimage tourism plays an important economic role.
history
In the Mayan Classic period, the possibly already existing place, whose original name is unknown, belonged to the sphere of influence of Copán . The Aztecs called him Isquitzuchil ; the Spaniards, who penetrated here around 1525, changed the Aztec name to Santiago Yzquipulas . Around the year 1560 they re-established the place where no artifacts from pre-Hispanic times have been found so far.
According to tradition, in 1594 the residents of the town asked the carver Quirio Cataño , who came from Portugal but who lives in Antigua Guatemala , to make a black wooden crucifix for their small church. Around 1650 the place had grown significantly and had about 1,000 inhabitants. Around 1680 it was therefore decided to build a larger parish church, in which the crucifix ( Cristo Negro ), now regarded as miraculous , was placed. In the 1850s, the three-aisled, four-tower basilica was built , in which the crucifix is still housed today and which offers enough space for pilgrims. Already in 1957 she was raised to the rank of a territorial prelature .
Attractions
- The three-aisled basilica of Esquipulas , designed in restrained baroque styles, is the destination of numerous believers from many countries in Central America . The facade, flanked by side bell towers, shows pairs of double columns with niches in between. The pediment is accompanied by volutes and small ornamental obelisks , which can also be found on the towers ending in an octagon with a dome . The cornices, which are not at the same height, are unusual.
- The parish church ( Parroquia de Santiago ), which is around 70 years older, has a single nave and is significantly smaller overall. In the facade, which is decorated with decorative obelisks , there are niches with figures of saints.
- At the end of the 19th or beginning of the 20th century, an aqueduct was built to ensure the city's water supply.
See also
Web links
- Esquipulas - Video (English)
- Esquipulas - various dates and facts 2005 (Spanish)
- Esquipulas - Map with elevations
Individual evidence
- ↑ Esquipulas - Climate diagrams
- ↑ Esquipulas - Aqueduct ( Memento of the original from May 15, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
