San Luis de la Paz

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San Luis de la Paz, a charming city with great historic and cultural wealth, was founded in August 25, 1552, as a defensive town in the Silver Road, which linked the Zacatecas mines with Mexico City during Spanish domination. It owes its name to the peace treaty between Otomi Indians, who were Spaniard allies, and the native Chichimecas, in the day of Saint Louis of France, August 25. The Chichimeca Nation, as it is also known, is an attractive touristic center.

Population Data. San Luis de la Paz is a city and its surrounding municipality of the same name located in the northeastern part of the state of Guanajuato in Mexico. The municipality lies adjacent to the southern border of the state of Zacatecas. The city serves as the municipal seat of the municipality. At the Mexican census of 2005 the city had a population of 45,998 inhabitants, while the municipality had a population of 101,370. The municipality has an area of 2,030.14 km² (783.84 sq mi). Its largest other community is the town of Misión de Chichimecas.

History. Before the Spanish conquest, its territory was inhabited by Chichimeca Indians, fearful nomad warriors who were never completely militarily defeated by the European intruders. It was home to the first Jesuit mission in Mexico, under whose administration became a thriving mining, agricultural, and cattle raising center during Colonial times. Its mining support services reached their glory during the Mineral de Pozos bonanza at the end of the XIX Century. During the first half of the XX Century, it suffered from the instability of the Mexican Revolution and Cristero War. In the 1970s and 1980s, the economy was reactivated due to a new agricultural boom. However, at present time, San Luis de la Paz is suffering a recession and is looking for ways to diversify its economy.

Culture. With deep-rooted customs and traditions, San Luis de la Paz distinguishes itself by making an effort to preserve the cultural heritage of its ancestors. Among the main festivities and events, we can mention: The Encounter Ceremony, the Regional Fair, the Virgencita Celebration, and the Processions to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Mineral de Pozos, our sister community, offers a variety of interesting celebrations like: The Festivity of Our Lord of Labor, the Toltequidad Party, and The Mariachi Festival. Gorgeous and resourceful hand-crafted products, like wool articles and Pre-Columbian music instruments are made in San Luis de la Paz and Pozos respectively. Moreover, the Chichimeca Mission, the last one of this ethnicity in Mexico, in spite of globalization makes an attempt to safeguard its language, chichimeco-jonaz, as well as the elaboration of the symbolic chimal.

Tourism. San Luis de la Paz, with its colonial elegance and narrow streets, preserves until now unique places and buildings that talk about its fascinating past. They range from native rock paintings in nearby hills, and remains of antique cobblestone Spanish roads, to forgotten chapel ruins and old structures. Mineral de Pozos, the most important mining town in the state of Guanajuato from the end of the XIX century to the beginning of the XX, is just like being in the movies (like James Bond and the Magic Roudabout)! It amazes to see everywhere deserted and rundown remains of ancestral constructions like the Jesuits’ Mining Ovens and the Modelo Schools. Vergel the Bernalejo it’s an Eden. It’s a place with wonderful natural sceneries, and caves that hide marvelous stalactites and stalagmites. It also is a forest where there are many kinds of trees like pines and firs, which are home to wild animals like deer and eagles. Finally, it is surrounded by many legendary mountains and rock formations, like the Bernalejo hill and the Bridge of God.

Economy. San Luis de la Paz is the most important agricultural and commercial center of the Sierra Gorda (northeast zone) in the state of Guanajuato. Furthermore, it is an ideal spot to install a manufacturing firm because of its strategic location in the center of Mexico and proximity to the important highway 57, and more so because of its fine educated and hardworking people.

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Coordinates: 21°18′N, 100°31′W