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 | ||
Esquipulas Basilica |
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
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Plate_33_-_ESQUIPULAS.jpg/270px-Plate_33_-_ESQUIPULAS.jpg)
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.