| Tepatitlán de Morelos | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s): Tepa, La Perla de los Altos | |
| Motto: Su tesoro está en su gente (Its treasure is in its people) | |
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Tepatitlán de Morelos
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Mexico |
| State | Jalisco |
| Foundation | 1883 |
| Government | |
| • Presidente Municipal | Cecilia González Gómez |
| Area | |
| • City | 1,532.78 km2 (591.81 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 820 m (2,690.29 ft) |
| Population (2005) | |
| • City | 94,952 |
| • Density | 54.13/km2 (140.21/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 136,703 |
| • Metro density | 82.61/km2 (213.96/sq mi) |
| • Demonym | Alteño, Tepatitlense |
| Time zone | Central Standard Time (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | Central Daylight Time (UTC-5) |
| Website | [1] |
Tepatitlán de Morelos is a city and municipality founded in 1883, in the central Mexican state of Jalisco. It is located in the area known as Los Altos de Jalisco (Highlands of Jalisco), about 70 km east of state capital Guadalajara. Its surrounding municipality of the same name had an area of 1,532.78 km² (591.81 sq mi). Its most distinctive feature is the Fine Baroque Cathedral, pictured below, although it has many other attractive locations. Some of the most important ones are:
The nickname of the city is "Tepa". It is also the largest producer of eggs in Mexico, the largest pork producer in the state, and the primary milk basin in the country, as well as a large producer of tequila. The fleur-de-lys can be seen in a number of public spaces and buildings, including the Santuario de Guadalupe and the internationally famous Santuario del Señor de la Misericordia, which houses an oak-carved crucifix that, according to the legend, was found by a poor farmer on the Cerro Gordo in 1835; every year from the 25 to the 30 of April, the city hosts the Feria Tepabril which celebrates the Señor de la Misericordia.
Fher, lead-singer/songwriter of the internationally recognised Mexican rock band Mana, has mentioned in an interview for Latina Magazine, that he sampled the best tequila of his life in Tepatitlan. This is considered by some a snub to Tequila, Jalisco (the city which bears the name of the drink).
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Tepatitlán means “Hard Stone Place”, in the Nahuatl language. But recent artifactual discoveries indicate that the name may actually have a different meaning than the one that is conventionally accepted. The matter has yet to be settled conclusively by scholars and officials.
According to popular legend, in 1835, Don Pedro Medina, a poor, old farmer, saw from the outside of his home in the countryside an intense light, coming from the Cerro Gordo. The first few days, he thought it must have been some kind of coal or wood furnace. But he kept seeing the light for a few more days, so he decided he would climb the mountain up to the place to see what was going on. When he finally got to the place where he had seen the light, he found nothing, until he turned his head towards an oak tree, and found in it, an image slightly reminiscent to a crucifix. He was so amazed, he decided it he wanted everyone to see his "Father" as he called it, and so, decided to chop the tree down, and take it into the city. Pedro Medina was a poor man, so to get it from up on the mountain, to his ranch, he had to ask his neighbor for a couple of oxen to bring it down. However, when they cut the image down, and attached it to the oxen, it would not move, so Medina told his "compadre" to turn the image face up, and as soon as they did this, the oxen moved with immense ease. In town, the adoration to the holy image grew so big, that Don Pantaleon Leal offered Don Pedro Medina his home as a shrine to the image. And after a few years, in 1831, the Shrine erected in his honor stands, and every year, the city fills with over 2 million visitors to adore him and ask him for favors. His feast is celebrated on the 30 of April, day on which he was brought into his current shrine, and grand festivities are held, for he is the patron of the city.
The municipality has a population of 136,703, of which 104,377 (2009 estimate) live within the city limits of the municipal seat, Tepatitlán, and the rest in the outlying communities and ranches.The city is the state's sixth-largest community and serves as a significant city outside of the capital, providing the most important university in the region of Los Altos, and an important economic and business center. Around 81% of the population of the municipality is urban, concentrated mostly in the municipal seat, and other large towns. The annual growth rate is at about 18.9%, placing among the fastest growing populations in the state of Jalisco.
Of neoclassic style, with baroque reminiscence, this grand temple was built from 1742–1775, from piedra braza. It is topped with two slender, neoclassic towers, 63m in height each, and three airy domes, all of this designed by the tepatitlense mason, Don Martín Pozos; On the side of the facade, it has a curious architectural element: a semi-hexagonal pórtico, which was added as a support for the heavy and slender towers, which he was told, would fall if he did not add support. In the inside, it is embellished by the main altar, constructed entirely of white marble from Carrara and the sculptures of the four Evangelists, sculpted by the Italian architect, Augusto C. Volpi, of which the statue of St. John is detailed with such exquisite beauty, it doesn't stand any less than Michelangelo's David. Another great example of the local craftsmanship is the sculptural group of La Piedad, carved in oak wood by Agustín Espinoza, which has been compared, kept in due proportion, to Michelangelo's Pietà. One of the most remarkable facts of this church is its wall clock, located on the south tower, facing the Plaza de Armas, which has been giving the time to the residents 141 years non-stop.
The Santuario del Señor de la Misericordia, the temple of San Antonio, with a great history during the second Cristero War, the building that houses the City Museum, and various constructions of the XIX Century, are many other attractive sites in the city which are worth a visit.
It was in 1727, that the older "town hall" was expanded with the terrain donated by Mrs. Elena de la Rua, and after it started functioning as city hall, it was completely remodeled from 1905-1908 under the direction of Don Francisco de Paula Palomar, who designed it with a near-neoclassic style, mixed with French Baroque in its decor; and in 1954, it was added to the design its current aspect, so jolly, and unique in the western Mexico. Of neoclassic style, the City Hall is regarded as one of the most beautiful of the region. It is a two story building that holds on the walls of the staircase, a mural of the history of the city, measuring 80m² Its three façades form a design of undeniable beauty which gives it is lordship and poise for City Hall.
Tepatitlán enjoys a beautiful weather yearlong, and an amazing tranquility in these times of hurries, and this results in a quality of life that others envy. Its lands are "skinny", as described by Agustín Yáñez, but have been transformed into productive due to the efforts of the citizens. The beautiful flora includes trees such as ash, which grows in profusion, maroon walnut, eucalyptus, licorice and some acacias. It is a paradise for citrus. the canyon of the Rio Verde, with its tropical climate at the bottom, about 500 mts. deep, contains deposits of hot springs and spectacular scenery, half-exploited by some resorts. The fauna is somewhat reduced to common species such as rabbits, hares, some snakes, bobcats, coyotes, and some pumas, which seeing their lands being invaded, migrated to feed on the cattle There is a relatively small amount of oaks, remnants of what was once "great oak-land", which disappeared consumed by coal furnaces. It was announced in 2009, that the Federal Government will spend around 350 million pesos on the construction of the Centro Nacional de Recursos Genéticos which will be sort of a Noah's Ark. The center has space for up to three million species; it is expected that by the end of 2012, the center will house 136,850 species.
The Government of the municipality of Tepatitlán de Morelos is organised into the H. Ayuntamiento (City Council), which is composed of 17 Members from the following agencies:
The municipality of Tepatitlán de Morelos is divided into 7 subdivisions: 6 Delegaciónes (delegations) and a Municipal Seat as follows:
| Name | Population | Titular/Delegado (Delegate) |
|---|---|---|
| Capilla de Guadalupe Delegation | 12,147 | Fernando Gutiérrez González |
| Capilla de Milpillas Delegation | 4,908 | Ignacio Villalobos Prado |
| Mezcala de los Romero Delegation | 3,486 | José Luis González Ruvalcaba |
| Pegueros Delegation | 3,187 | Crisóbal Gallardo Ulloa |
| San José de Gracia Delegation | 7,132 | Atanacio Navarro Castellanos |
| Tecomatlán Delegation | 1,466 | Francisco Mendoza Márquez |
| City of Tepatitlán de Morelos | 104,377 | Cecilia González Gómez |
As well as one of the most important cities in the state, it is one of the most educated: the literacy rate exceeds 97%. Located here is the State Agricultural University, a dependancy of the University of Guadalajara, founded 1994. The university offers 15 undergraduate level courses and master's degree as follows: Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Laws semiescolarizado, Bachelor of International Business, BS of Accounting, Bachelor of Livestock Engineering Systems, Bachelor in Computer Engineering, Bachelor of Agribusiness, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Nursing in Nutrition, Bachelor of Dentistry, Bachelor of Psychology, Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, MS in Animal Nutrition, and Degree to Nursing. The city also has 213 basic education schools, 35 secondary schools, and 13 "high schools.