Irapuato, Guanajuato

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Irapuato Ciudad de Irapuato
Historic Downtown of Irapuato
Seal
Nickname: Ciudad de las Fresas
Motto: Ad Augusta Per Angusta
Location of Irapuato in Mexico
Coordinates: 20°40′N 101°21′W / 20.667, -101.35
Country	Mexico
Founded (officially)	1589 (by Vasco de Quiroga[1])
Government
- Municipal President	Mario Turrent Antón
Area
- Total	845.16 km² (326.3 sq mi)
Elevation	1,730 m (5 676 ft)
Population (2005)
- Total	342,561 city; 463,103 municipality
- Density	547.95/km² (1,419.2/sq mi)
Time zone	Central Standard Time (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	Central Daylight Time (UTC-5)
Average temperature 21°C
Website: Official Website of the City of Irapuato

Irapuato is a Mexican city (and municipality) located at the foot of the Arandas mountain (in Spanish: el cerro de arandas), in the south central region of the state of Guanajuato. It lies between the Silao River and the Guanajuato River, a tributary of the Lerma River. It is located at 20°40′N, 101°21′W. The city is the second-largest in the state (only behind León), with a population of 342,561 according to the 2005 census, while its municipality has a population of 463,103 ^{[2] [3]}. The municipality has an area of 845.16 km² (326.32 sq mi) and includes numerous smaller outlying communities. The city's main industry is agriculture and it is famous for its strawberries and the raising of pigs and cattle. The fruits and flowers of Irapuato's luxurious gardens are well known throughout Mexico ^[4].

Contents 1 History 1.1 Prehispanic era 1.2 Conquest 2 Attractions 3 Education 4 Images 5 Sister Cities 6 References 7 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Prehispanic era

In the pre-hispanic era, the site was inhabited by the Chichimecas (c. 1200 C.E.), a group of semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers. Later on, the Tarascans (also known as the P'urhépecha) conquered the region and initiated the establishment of a permanent settlement. They constructed buildings in the tarascan architectural style, produced pottery, and practiced agriculture. They called the settlement Xiriquitzio (or Iriquitzio), which the Spanish conquerors pronounced "Jiricuato" (or Jiricuicho), which meant "the place with houses (or low dwellings)" ^[5]. The initial growth period, however, was short lived. The downfall of the Purépecha empire led to the abandonment of the settlement, at which point it was once again inhabited by the Chichimecas.

[edit] Conquest

In the 16th century, vasts amounts of silver ore were discovered at the present day site of the capital city of Guanajuato. This discovery led to a massive migration of Spanish conquistadors settling in the area ^[6].

[edit] Attractions

• Fountain of Dancing Water (in Spanish: Fuente de Aguas Danzarinas): The fountain, which was inaugurated on December 21, 2004, stands in the central plaza of Irapuato. Every night there is a light, music and water show. The fountain is lit up in a rainbow of colors, and the jets provide a choreographed show accompanied by music ^[7].

• Irapuato Zoo (in Spanish: Parque Zoológico de Irapuato): The Irapuato Zoo, which is located on the outskirts of the city, is home to 103 mammals, 271 birds, and various species of fish ^[8]. The zoo was established in 1992 by architect Vicente Cázares Rodriguez, with the support of the then state governor, Carlos Medina Placencia ^[9].

• Plaza Cibeles Mall (in Spanish: Plaza Cibeles): This is the newest and largest mall in the city of Irapuato. The mall contains many stores such as the Liverpool chain, and a Cinépolis movie theatre. The mall was named after the famous Plaza de Cibeles, a famous square in Madrid, Spain, which features a beautiful sculpture and fountain that have been adopted as a symbol for the city of Madrid.

• John Paul II Monument (in Spanish: Monumento al papa Juan Pablo II): Bronze statue of Pope John Paul II, located in the Miguel Hidalgo square next to the Irapuato Cathedral. The bronze sculpture has a steel skeleton and has a weight of 300 kg (661 lbs). It was unveiled on February 15, 2006 ^[10].

• Irapuato Cathedral (in Spanish: Catedral de Irapuato): The cathedral was built in 16th century in the baroque style. The outside facade is also baroque. The interior is in the neoclassical architectural style. The cathedral is laid out in the traditional Latin Cross style. ^[11].

• Miguel Hidalgo Square (in Spanish: Plazuela Miguel Hidalgo): A large public square in the historical center of Irapuato. The square contains the Fountain of Dancing Water as well as the Irapuato Cathedral. The square is named after Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the father of the Mexican Independence movement.

• Little Hospital Church (in Spanish: Templo del Hospitalito): This was the first church built in lrapuato. The interior was completed in 1713 and the facade in 1733. It is baroque in style and dedicated to the Lady of Mercy (in Spanish: Señora de la Misericordia). The church is built in the traditional Latin Cross style. The main altars contain images made from corn paste. The church was originally built as a chapel for the Indians' Hospital (in Spanish: Hospital de Indios), which was built two centuries earlier by Vasco de Quiroga in 1550 ^[12].

• Dolphin (or Florentine) Fountain (in Spanish: Fuente de los delfines (o Florentina)): In 1864, Archduke Maximilian of Hapsburg donated three bronze Florentine fountains to the state of Guanajuato. These fountains are located in lrapuato, Léon and the city of Guanajuato. ^{[13] [14]}.

• Sergio Leon Chávez Stadium (in Spanish: Estadio Sergio Leon Chávez): Former home of the Irapuato Freseros soccer team. It was one of the stadiums used in the 1986 FIFA World Cup ^[15]. It has a maximum capacity of 32,000 spectators.

• Sun Clock (in Spanish: Reloj del Sol): The clock is over a century old and it is located in the Juan Alvarez Square. The clock is elevated on a pedestal and column ^[16].

[edit] Education

The city of Irapuato is home to some private universities, and a single public university:

• The Higher Technological Institute of Irapuato (ITESI), is the only public institution decentralized from the state government.

The city is home to a research center of the Center for Advanced Research and Studies (CINVESTAV)specialized in plant biotechnology and genetics and the newly created National Center of Plant Genomics.

Some of the private universities include:

• The Irapuato campus of the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM), (also popularly known as el Tec de Monterrey or simply as el Tec).
• The Irapuato Institute (Instituto Irapuato)
• The Irapuato campus of the Quetzalcoatl University (UQI)
• There is also a branch of the University of Léon (Universidad de Léon).
• Liceo Cervantino University (Universidad Liceo Cervantino) (ULC)

[edit] Images

Mural depicting Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and the Mexican Independence movement.	Hospitalito Church	Mural depicting Irapuato's Tarascan and Spanish history
Aguas Danzarinas Fountain	Irapuato's Plaza Principal	Templo de la Soledad

[edit] Sister Cities

• Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States
• Murcia, Spain

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Presidencia Municipal de Irapuato Official website
• Irapuato Article on Wikipedia Español