Santa Clara del Cobre

Santa Clara del Cobre
Coordinates: 19 ° 24 ′ N , 101 ° 38 ′ W Santa Clara del Cobre on the map of Michoacan	Santa Clara del Cobre
	Santa Clara del Cobre
Basic data
Country	Mexico
State	Michoacan
Municipio	Salvador Escalante
City foundation	1521
Residents	14,359 (2010)
Detailed data
surface	8.54 km 2
Population density	1,681 inhabitants / km 2
height	2225 m
Website	Santa Clara del Cobre
	Santa Clara del Cobre - Plaza Mayor
	Santa Clara del Cobre - Copperware

Santa Clara del Cobre is a small town with about 16,000 inhabitants in the municipality (municipio) Salvador Escalante in the center of the Mexican state Michoacán . Because of its colonial city center, it is one of the Pueblos Mágicos .

location

The small town of Santa Clara del Cobre is located 20 km south of Lake Pátzcuaro in the wooded mountains of the western Sierra Volcánica Transversal at an altitude of approx. 2225 m . Morelia , the capital of the state, is approximately 70 km (driving distance) to the northeast. The climate is temperate because of the altitude; the rain, which is abundant by Mexican standards (approx. 1165 mm / year), comes from the Pacific Ocean and falls mainly during the summer months .

population

year	2000	2005	2010
Residents	11,959	13,069	14,359

Only a small part of the population is of Spanish descent; Colloquial language is mostly Tarasco , the language of the Purépecha Indios.

economy

While the villages in the surrounding area are more agriculturally oriented, numerous smaller trade, craft and service companies have settled in Santa Clara del Cobre. The most important products of the small town are copper goods of all kinds, some of which are silver-plated or decorated in other ways.

history

The region was already settled in pre- Hispanic times by the Purépecha Indians, who were able to successfully defend themselves against attacks by the Aztecs . The place was founded in 1521 by the Franciscan Martín de Jesús under the name Santa Clara de Acuero ; a second foundation took place in 1553 under the name Santa Clara de los Cobres . In 1765 two neighboring villages settled by Indians were incorporated. In 1858 the place received city rights; However, it burned down twice at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, so that the Spanish population moved to Pátzcuaro and other places. In 1932 the town was in honor of a hero of the Mexican War of Independence in Salvador Escalante renamed - a name which, however, was only for the community inventory.

Attractions

The streets and houses of the small town are mostly one-story because of the risk of earthquakes .
Numerous stores offer copper products for sale.
The Church of the Purísima Concepción , built in the 18th century, is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of Mary . The nave is spanned by a wooden vault.
The church of Nuestra Señora del Sagrario dates from the same period; the nave is also spanned by a wooden vault.
The single- story Museo del Cobre is located in a colonial-era building with large courtyards.