Tapalpa
| Tapalpa | ||
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Coordinates: 19 ° 57 ′ N , 103 ° 45 ′ W Tapalpa on the map of Jalisco
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| Basic data | ||
| Country | Mexico | |
| State | Jalisco | |
| Municipio | Tapalpa | |
| City foundation | 1534 | |
| Residents | 18,096 (2010) | |
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| Detailed data | ||
| surface | 442 km 2 | |
| Population density | 41 people / km 2 | |
| height | 2070 m | |
| Post Code | 49340 | |
| Time zone | UTC −6 | |
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Tapalpa is a city of about 10,000 and the capital of a municipality ( municipio ) with about 20,000 inhabitants in the center of the Mexican state of Jalisco . Because of its historic city center, it is one of the Pueblos Mágicos .
location
Tapalpa is located in a valley in the central highlands of Mexico at an altitude of approx. 1980 to 2070 m above sea level. d. M. Mexico City is approx. 666 km (driving distance) in an easterly direction; Guadalajara , the capital of the state, is about 130 km to the northeast. The climate is temperate and by Mexican standards quite rainy.
Population and economy
Only a small part of the community's mostly Indian-born inhabitants speak the regional Otomí language and also Nahuatl , the language of the Aztec conquerors, has become rare; Colloquial language is mostly Spanish. Corn, wheat, beans and vegetables are grown in the villages of the parish; there are also numerous fruit trees. Several small craft workshops and shops have sprung up in the city; In the outskirts, smaller industrial companies for furniture production have also settled.
history
In pre-Hispanic times the area was inhabited by the Otomí ; However, these did not leave any stone buildings. In the 15th century, the Aztecs conquered the region, but its inhabitants repeatedly rebelled. In 1524 the region was conquered by Alonso de Ávalos, a relative of the conquistador Hernán Cortés , who resided here for more than 40 years; the province later unofficially bore his name ( Provincia de Ávalos ). Tapalpa was founded in 1534; shortly afterwards a small chapel, a square and a town hall ( casa consistorial ) were built.
Attractions
- The parish church ( Parroquía de San Antonio de Padua ) was built from rubble stones by the Franciscans around 1650 . The side bell tower - not integrated into the facade - is unusual . In the first half of the 20th century the church became too small for the growing population.
- The foundation stone for the opposite and much larger Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe was laid in 1950, but the three-aisled, neoclassical style building was not completed until 20 years later . He is almost completely - partly rounded - brick masonry and has a transept and a Vierungs dome on an octagonal drum .
- The mostly right-angled streets and alleys of the town center are paved and lined with older, often single-storey houses.
Surroundings
- The small village of Atacco , located approx. 2 km to the south-east, with its old chapel also has a colonial flair.
- A 105 m high waterfall ( Salto del Nogal ), its wooded surroundings and a nearby reservoir are popular excursion destinations.
- Several large smoothly polished boulders ( Los Piedrotas ) in the so-called "Valley of Riddles" ( Valle de Enigmas ) form an unusual group in the otherwise empty landscape.
- The Los Frailes rock formation, surrounded by forests, is ideal for hiking.
Web links
- Tapalpa, statistical data - photos and information (Spanish)
- Tapalpa - sights, photos + information (Spanish)
- Tapalpa, sights - photos + information (Spanish)
- Tapalpa, Pueblo mágico - Photo and information (Spanish)
- Tapalpa, church - photo and information (Spanish)
- Salto del Nogal waterfall - photo and information (Spanish)