As I continue to make my way around the city, I find even more wonderful things to see. Come along with me for week three.
If you missed my earlier posts on my visit to Morelia, you can read those here:
I also wanted to provide more photos this week, so I apologize for the slower page load time!
A Little History
The Spanish, when setting up Nueva España (New Spain), originally named this city Vallodolid, in recognition of the city with the same name in Spain. (Oddly enough, there is also another Vallodolid in México—settled at about the same time—in Yucatán State.) But as the native populations began to resent the Spanish rule, it was often the clergy that started to organize in opposition. At 6:00 am on 16 September 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo rang the bells of his cathedral to call the parishioners to action—and urged them to take up arms against the Spanish.
This simple act serves as the beginning of the war for independence from Spain, and each year at 11:00 pm on September 15th, Méxicans all across the country gather in the public squares for el Grito (the cry) of ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México! This kicks off the official celebration of Independence Day in México on September 16. (Not Cinco de Mayo, as Corona Beer would have you believe!)
José Marîa Morelos was a priest in Vallodolid who had studied under Hidalgo, and he quickly joined the movement, proving to be a masterful tactician. His small armies of local citizens won a number of battles against the Spanish. In 1843, he presented a document called the Sentimientos de la Nación (Feelings of the Nation) at the National Constituent Congress. In the Sentimientos, he outlined, in 23 points, his vision for a new nation (which included dividing power among legislative, executive, and judicial branches and the abolition of slavery.)
Unfortunately, in 1845 he was captured and put on trial for treason and crimes against the Spanish crown. His original sentence was for exile to Africa, but he was hastily retried and sentenced to execution. That sentence was carried out on 22 December 1815, and in 1828, the city of Vallodolid was renamed Morelia in honor of his contributions to Méxican independence.
I don't think you would be wrong to equate Morelia's place in history with that of Philadelphia in the United States. The house where Morelia was born is now a museum to his life and the stirrings of the independence movement, and Méxican tourists visit here to connect with that past. (I visited last week, and it was very informative.)
Preservation
Morelia has vigorously protected its historic centro over many years, revering the wealth of Spanish Colonial architecture all in the native pink stone. This commitment to preserving the colonial history helped in winning its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
While there are a number of more modern buildings throughout the city, buildings in the centro are all in the colonial style—almost all of them built of the local pink stone. Because of this, the centro looks completely unified, and very attractive.
But a modern city needs building types that weren't imagined 200 years ago. This building is an excellent example of sensitive reuse of a historic building. Notice how they've fit a couple of levels of parking garage into a traditional structure, in a neighborhood where parking is very much in demand. I love seeing projects like this!
Moving Water
In 1728, renovation began on a dilapidated aqueduct to once again bring water into Morelia's center. Completed in 1730, the 253 arches support the aqueduct, which brought water from a reservoir outside town into the center, providing water for all of the city's fountains. Citizens (well, women) would bring their water jugs to the fountain to haul fresh water back to the house.
The aqueducto was restored in 1998, and remains a symbol of the city (although other Mexican cities also have aqueducts!) One of Morelia's taxi companies uses the aqueduct in their logo.
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Callejón del Romance
What might be, in a different city, a cramped alley becomes, in Morelia, the Callejón del Romance (Romance Alley). Running for just one long block, it is filled with small houses and cafés, with occasional quotations on the walls of lines from romantic poetry. For those that want to secure their relationship with a padlock, there is a spot to add one to the collection of other locks.
Calzada Fray Antonio de San Miguel
Another stunning part of Morelia has its roots as a public works project. A severe drought for several years in the mid-17th century caused great poverty, and Father Antonio de San Miguel saw how it affected his parish. He didn't want to simply provide handouts, so the church hired an architect to develop plans for a beautiful pedestrian way leading to the church. He then hired parishioners to work on the project, allowing them to earn a living in a very lean time.
Today, it is lusciously shady and inviting, and the integral benches along its length invite one to sit awhile and take in its beauty.
Shopping
Lest you think Morelia is nothing but historical buildings, know that outside the center lies a very modern city. I was so pleased to visit a couple of high-end shopping malls that could compete with any mall in the United States.
Plaza las Americas lies not far from the centro, and within walking distance of my apartment. It has over 170 shops with restaurants, a bookstore with one wall of English-language books, and a number of clothing and department stores. (Believe it or not, one of the anchor stores is Sears—although the Mexican Sears is owned by billionaire Carlos Slim and has rights to the name only.)
What made me laugh was a Ralph Lauren Kids boutique—even though there isn't a Ralph Lauren store for adults!
What made me happy was a large Bed Bath & Beyond store—it will be so much easier leaving my kitchen items behind in Pittsburgh when I know I can purchase replacements for a very good price!
For even higher-end shopping, there is the Paseo Altozano, which sits on the hills in the south of the city. The Altozano neighborhood contains a number of luxury apartments and houses, and the mall was designed to provide for those residents. It has a grocery store (Super Chedraui Selecto) that is bigger and fancier than any supermarket in Pittsburgh. (I don't think there is any product—foreign or domestic—that they don't carry.) It's stunning, and I can't wait to shop there.
Altozano also has an balcony which looks back over the city below—an incredible view of the whole city!
Morelia United
Through Rosey Izquierdo, the relocation specialist I've been working with, I've met the members of Morelia United, the local expat group. They meet for coffee/breakfast every Thursday morning on the rooftop patio of a lovely restaurant, and this week there were about 22 people there. Many of them have lived in Morelia for five or more years, so they will be very helpful as I settle in.
Many of them had lived in other cities in México, and found their way to Morelia, drawn for its beauty and climate. They've made me feel very welcome, as I think they see someone new moving to the city as a compliment and testament to their own feelings for Morelia.
Morelia United also runs a little free library at the restaurant with a couple of shelves of books in English, so I now have a source for new reading material (and a place to donate books I've read.)
On Friday evening, I went with some other Morelia United members to a voice contest featuring local singers. The restaurant/bar where the competition was held was in a converted private home with a large central courtyard. When the contest ended, it was lovely to walk in the centro with everything lit up!
Update on the Little Black Truck
Back in Week 1, I speculated on the purpose of the black truck with the jaunty tune that shows up in our parking lot every afternoon. It seemed to me to be selling baked goods, but without any kind of signage, I just wasn't sure.
Yesterday, the truck stopped and a neighbor went out to meet it. The driver opened the back of the truck, which appeared to be filled with various loaves of bread. I also saw the neighbor across the street make a purchase. I don't know if you can just purchase bread there at will, or if it operates as a subscription service that delivers your order, but now the truck (and its catchy tune) are a part of my day.
See you next week!