Sahuayo

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Sahuayo de Morelos
Sahuayo
Official seal of Sahuayo de Morelos
Seal
Nickname: Athens of Michoacán
Motto: Nation, Justice, Progress (Patria, Justicia, Progreso)
Coordinates: N_N_102º44’ O_E_type:city <span class="geo-dms" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for Expression error: Unexpected < operator°Expression error: Unexpected < operatorExpression error: Unexpected < operatorExpression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "�" Expression error: Unexpected < operator°Expression error: Unexpected < operatorExpression error: Unexpected < operatorExpression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "�"">Expression error: Unexpected < operator°Expression error: Unexpected < operatorExpression error: Unexpected < operatorExpression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "�" Expression error: Unexpected < operator°Expression error: Unexpected < operatorExpression error: Unexpected < operatorExpression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "�" / 20º03’ N, 102º44’ O
Country Mexico
State Michoacán
Boroughs La Yerbabuena
Rincón de San Andrés
La Puntita
Cerrito Colorado
Foundation 1530
Government
 - Type Municipality
Area
 - Total 128.05 km² (49.4 sq mi)
Elevation 1,561 m (5,121 ft)
Population
 - Total 59,316 city; 61,965 municipality (2,005 census)
Time zone CST UTC-6 (UTC)
 - Summer (DST) CDT UTC-5 (UTC)
Postal Code 59000
Area code(s) +52 (Mexico) / +353 (Sahuayo)

Sahuayo (formally: Sahuayo de Morelos, in honour of José María Morelos) is a city in the state of Michoacán, in western Mexico, near the southern shore of Lake Chapala. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name. Sahuayo was an important center for the Cristero war or "La Cristeada" and the city always has been an active center of commerce for the Chapala swamp, specially crafts, sandals (huaraches), hats (sombreros), made by Sahuayenses. The name means "turtle shaped pot " it has been called the Athens of Michoacán because of its many important poets, writers and painters. Today it is the seat for Arts propositions Association. The city had a 2005 census population of 59,316 persons, while the municipality had a population of 61,965. The area of the municipality is 128.05 km² (49.44 sq mi).

The Celebration each July 25 of El Patrón Santiago (Spanish only) or Saint James the Great and the dancing Tlahualiles are internationally recognized. The sister city of Sahuayo is Lancaster, California, United States

Contents

[edit] Location

Sahuayo is located to the northwest of the State, at the coordinates 20º03 ' north latitude and 102º44 ' west longitude, 1.530 meters above sea level. To the North of the Sahuayo border one finds Venustiano Carranza, D.F. (also known as San Pedro), to the east Villamar, to the south Jiquilpan, and Cojumatlán de Régules to the northwest. Its distance to the State Capital, Morelia, is 215 km. The name Sahuayo comes from the Nahuatl language, and is interpreted in many ways. According to the philologist and lawyer Cecilio A. Róbelo, it means "in where gives the scabies"; according to the Dr. "Don" Antonio Peñafiel, the word is made up of two elements: tzacual-ayotl, where tzacual (vessel) is one formed by a half coconut and "ayotl," which translates to "turtle"; hence (vessel turtle) or vessel that has the aspect of a turtle.

[edit] Seal

The first field appears a turtle on stone in arrogant attitude, that represents the foundation of Sahuayo by people of the same characteristics, year of 1530. In background to the bottom, three hills stand out at sight, that mean according to the tradition, the three towns that gave origin to Sahuayo, in second half of century XVI, also according to the intention of the designer can be considered the three governments: federal, state and municipal. In the third field a plumed serpent or Quetzalcoatl god of the mexicas is observed fighting with the cross whose fundamental meaning is not other that the definitive conquest of Sahuayo, made by Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán. In the fourth field of the municipal shield it appears a tree and a star absolutely including in the tree to the town of Sahuayo unifying it, symbolizing the root of their people. Finally with indelible signs they appear in the contour of the shield, printed three sacred words: “Patria, Justicia y Progreso” (Nation, Justice and Progress), moral values that deserve respect and joint operation to us.

[edit] Illustrious Personages

  • Luis Sahagún Cortés (1900- 1975).- Masterful painter. He was Director of the School of San Carlos in Mexico
  • Alfredo Gutiérrez Magallón.- Composer and violinist, of the Symphony Orchestra of Mexico
  • Demetrio Rojas.- Director of first published weekly newspaper in Sahuayo, “La Verdad” ("the Truth").
  • Pbro. Felipe Villaseñor (1929-2007).- Benefactor of the population of Sahuayo that constructed the dam to equip with water the population, managed the introduction of the drainage, it donated the land for the construction of a building for the Dominican Nuns and supported to the Salesianos so that they established the School of Arts and Offices.
  • Felipe Arregui.- It was the one who placed the first rock of the "Parroquia del Sagrado Corazón" (Parish of the Sacred Heart) and was the one in charge to raise it with its three altars and part of the scenery.
  • José Sánchez Villaseñor.- Philosopher and founding teacher of the "Universidad Iberoamericana" (Iberoamericana University), published several books.
  • Lilia Prado (Spanish only).- Famous actress born in this land.

[edit] Gastronomy

Sahuayo is famous for its typical food such as Carnitas, dry Birria, and Tacos al Pastor (Spanish only), etc; all this great variety of gastronomy is sure to leave its tourists with very good flavor of mouth. Their traditional breads like Tranca and the Cemita usually are usually accompanied by milk, cornflour drink (atole) or any other hot drink.

[edit] References

  • Michoacán Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México

[edit] Government Pages

[1] Tourist info Page(English)
Government Page 01 (Spanish only)
Government Page 02 (Spanish only)

[edit] Locator maps