Parque Juárez (Xalapa)

Parque Juárez is a public park in the city of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico.

It was inaugurated in 1892 and named in honor of Benito Juárez, 20 years after his death.

The park is located in central Xalapa with a terrace-like appearance adjoining the Palacio de Gobierno building, across the street from the Palacio Municipal and close to the Cathedral.

The southern side of the park looks over the valley below, offering scenic views of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains: Cofre de Perote to the West and snowcapped Pico de Orizaba to the South.^[1]

Since the early 16th century, the site had been the location of the Monastery of San Francisco.

In 1922, the Junta de Obras Materiales de Jalapa, presided by William K. Boone, proposed, designed and built a ramp to make it easier for vehicles to reach the center of the city from the (old) train station. In 1930, the rampa del Parque Juárez was renamed Paseo del Ayuntamiento and afterwards Paseo de la Constitución. At about the middle of the ramp there are four statues that represent the Cardinal Virtues: Fortitude, Justice, Prudence and Temperance. The first three were set in 1931; the last one in 1979.

The central garden of the park features enormous araucaria trees, some of which were brought to México as a present to Porfirio Díaz by the ambassador from Chile, some time before the inauguration of the park in 1892.

This park is conveniently located in the center and it is one of the most popular attractions in Xalapa. It offers amazing views of the cathedral, the state government building and you can look out over Xalapa’s valley and relax. You can buy snacks at the little stalls in the park. If you don’t want to eat it all, you can give the leftovers to the pigeons that live in the park. There are also people who dress up as their favourite children's movie or videogame characters and act like statues. However, when they are given a coin they make some kind of movement to give you a paper which has a phrase on it before returning to act as statues again. Also within the park, there are art galleries, an agora, workshops, an auditorium and a café.

References

Coordinates: 19°31′34″N 96°55′26″W / 19.52611°N 96.92389°W / 19.52611; -96.92389