Irapuato, Guanajuato
Encyclopedia
Irapuato is a Mexican
city (and municipality
) located at the foot of the Arandas mountain (in Spanish
: 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
, at 1,724 m (5,656 ft) above sea level. 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. 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 pig
s and cattle
. The fruits and flowers of Irapuato's luxurious gardens are well known throughout Mexico.
s. 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)". 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.
ore were discovered at the present day site of the capital city of Guanajuato
. This discovery led to a massive migration of Spanish settlers to the area.
The Cañon de los Murciélagos (Canyon of the Bats) is located outside the city of Irapuato in the Sierra de Pénjamo. It is home to thousands of bats, but it is open to the public for hiking and other activities. The terrain is rugged and depending on elevation, vegetation varies from low evergreen rainforest to rainforest that loses its leaves each year. The area also contains waterfalls and natural pools.
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:
La inundacion de 1973 Agosto 18
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
city (and municipality
Municipalities of Mexico
Municipalities are the second-level administrative division in Mexico . There are 2,438 municipalities in Mexico, making the average municipality population 45,616...
) located at the foot of the Arandas mountain (in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: cerro de Arandas), in the south central region of the state of Guanajuato
Guanajuato
Guanajuato officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 46 municipalities and its capital city is Guanajuato....
. It lies between the Silao River and the Guanajuato River
Guanajuato River
The Guanajuato River is a tributary of the Lerma River in the central region of Mexico called the Bajio . The river begins in the silver-rich Guanajuato mountains near the state capital of Guanajuato...
, a tributary of the Lerma River
Lerma River
The Lerma Santiago River is Mexico's second longest river. It is a river in west-central Mexico that begins in Mexican Plateau at an altitude over above sea level, and ends where it empties into Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest lake, near Guadalajara, Jalisco...
, at 1,724 m (5,656 ft) above sea level. It is located at 20°40′N 101°21′W. The city is the second-largest in the state (only behind León
León, Guanajuato
The city of León, formally León de los Aldama is the sixth most populous city in Mexico and the first in the state of Guanajuato. It is also the seat of the municipality of León...
), with a population of 342,561 according to the 2005 census, while its municipality
Municipalities of Mexico
Municipalities are the second-level administrative division in Mexico . There are 2,438 municipalities in Mexico, making the average municipality population 45,616...
has a population of 463,103. 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
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and it is famous for its strawberries and the raising of pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s and cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
. The fruits and flowers of Irapuato's luxurious gardens are well known throughout Mexico.
History
Prehispanic era
In the pre-Hispanic era, the site was inhabited by the Chichimecas (c. 1200 C.E.), a group of semi-nomadic hunter-gathererHunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
s. Later on, the Tarascans (also known as the P'urhépecha
P'urhépecha
The P'urhépecha, normally spelled Purépecha in Spanish and in English and traditionally referred to as Tarascans, are an indigenous people centered in the northwestern region of the Mexican state of Michoacán, principally in the area of the cities of Uruapan and Pátzcuaro...
) conquered the region and initiated the establishment of a permanent settlement. They constructed buildings in the tarascan architectural style, produced pottery, and practiced agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. They called the settlement Xiriquitzio (or Iriquitzio), which the Spanish conquerors pronounced "Jiricuato" (or Jiricuicho), which meant "the place with houses (or low dwellings)". 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.
Conquest
In the 16th century, vasts amounts of silverSilver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
ore were discovered at the present day site of the capital city of Guanajuato
Guanajuato, Guanajuato
Guanajuato is a city and municipality in central Mexico and the capital of the state of the same name. It is located in a narrow valley, which makes the streets of the city narrow and winding. Most are alleys that cars cannot pass through, and some are long sets of stairs up the mountainsides....
. This discovery led to a massive migration of Spanish settlers to the area.
Attractions
- Fountain of Dancing Water (in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: 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.
- Irapuato Zoo (in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Parque Zoológico de Irapuato): The Irapuato Zoo, which is located on the outskirts of the city, is home to 103 mammalMammalMammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, 271 birdBirdBirds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, and various species of fish. The zoo was established in 1992 by Ing.Emilio Tome Elias y el architectArchitectAn architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Vicente Cázares Rodriguez, with the support of the then state governorGovernorA governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
, Carlos Medina Placencia.
- Plaza Cibeles Mall (in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Plaza Cibeles): This is the newest and largest mallShopping mallA shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in the city of Irapuato. The mall contains many stores such as the LiverpoolLiverpool (store)Liverpool is mid-to-high biggest chain of department stores in Mexico, operating 79 stores and one luxury shopping center Galerías Insurgentes, throughout Mexico and continuing to grow...
chain, and a CinépolisCinépolisCinépolis is a Mexican chain of movie theaters. Its name means City of Cinéma and its slogan is La Capital del Cine .Cinépolis is the biggest cineplex chain in Mexico with 205 theaters in 65 cities,...
movie theatre. The mall was named after the famous Plaza de CibelesPlaza de CibelesThe Plaza de Cibeles is a square with a neo-classical complex of marble sculptures with fountains that has become an iconic symbol for the city of Madrid.-Cibeles Fountain:...
, a famous square in MadridMadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, which features a beautiful sculptureSculptureSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
and fountainFountainA fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
that have been adopted as a symbol for the city of Madrid.
- John Paul II Monument (in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Monumento al papa Juan Pablo II): Bronze statue of Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul IIBlessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, located in the Miguel HidalgoMiguel HidalgoMiguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla y Gallaga Mandarte Villaseñor , more commonly known as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla or simply Miguel Hidalgo, was a Mexican priest and a leader of the Mexican War of Independence.In 1810 Hidalgo led a group of peasants in a revolt against the dominant...
square next to the Irapuato Cathedral. The statue was made out of keys that were donated by all of the people of Irapuato. The bronzeBronzeBronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
sculpture has a steelSteelSteel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
skeleton and has a weight of 300 kg (661 lbs). It was unveiled on February 15, 2006.
- Irapuato Cathedral (in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Catedral de Irapuato): The cathedralCathedralA cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
was built in 16th century in the baroqueBaroqueThe Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style. The outside facade is also baroque. The interior is in the neoclassical architectural styleNeoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
. The cathedral is laid out in the traditional Latin Cross style.
- Miguel Hidalgo Square (in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: 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 IndependenceMexican War of IndependenceThe Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
movement.
- Little Hospital Church (in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Templo del Hospitalito): This was the first church built in lrapuato. The interior was completed in 1713 and the facadeFacadeA facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
in 1733. It is baroque in style and dedicated to the Lady of Mercy (in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: 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 SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Hospital de Indios), which was built two centuries earlier by Vasco de QuirogaVasco de QuirogaVasco de Quiroga was the first bishop of Michoacán, Mexico and one of the judges in the second Audiencia that governed New Spain from January 10, 1531 to April 16, 1535....
in 1550.
- Dolphin (or Florentine) Fountain (in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Fuente de los delfines (o Florentina)): In 1864, Maximilian I of MexicoMaximilian I of MexicoMaximilian I was the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire.After a distinguished career in the Austrian Navy, he was proclaimed Emperor of Mexico on April 10, 1864, with the backing of Napoleon III of France and a group of Mexican monarchists who sought to revive the Mexican monarchy...
donated three bronze Florentine fountains to the state of Guanajuato. These fountains are located in lrapuato, LéonLeón, GuanajuatoThe city of León, formally León de los Aldama is the sixth most populous city in Mexico and the first in the state of Guanajuato. It is also the seat of the municipality of León...
, and the city of GuanajuatoGuanajuato, GuanajuatoGuanajuato is a city and municipality in central Mexico and the capital of the state of the same name. It is located in a narrow valley, which makes the streets of the city narrow and winding. Most are alleys that cars cannot pass through, and some are long sets of stairs up the mountainsides....
.
- Sergio Leon Chávez Stadium (in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Estadio Sergio Leon Chávez): Former home of Irapuato FC. It was one of the stadiums used in the 1986 FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. It has a maximum capacity of 32,000 spectators.
- Sun Clock (in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Reloj del Sol): The clockClockA clock is an instrument used to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell". A silent instrument missing such a mechanism has traditionally been known as a timepiece...
is over a century old and it is located in the Juan Alvarez Square. The clock is elevated on a pedestalPedestalPedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
and column.
The Cañon de los Murciélagos (Canyon of the Bats) is located outside the city of Irapuato in the Sierra de Pénjamo. It is home to thousands of bats, but it is open to the public for hiking and other activities. The terrain is rugged and depending on elevation, vegetation varies from low evergreen rainforest to rainforest that loses its leaves each year. The area also contains waterfalls and natural pools.
Education
The city of Irapuato is home to some private universities, and a single public university:- The Higher Technological Institute of IrapuatoInstituto Tecnológico Superior de IrapuatoThe Higher Technological Institute of Irapuato , popularly known as ITESI, is a public, coeducational university located in the city of Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico....
(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
The Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute is a Mexican non-governmental scientific research affiliated to the National Polytechnic Institute and founded by president Adolfo López Mateos on 17 April 1961, initially planned...
(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 EducationMonterrey Institute of Technology and Higher EducationThe Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education commonly shortened as Monterrey Institute of Technology or Monterrey Tech is one of the largest private, nonsectarian and coeducational multi-campus universities in...
(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)
La inundacion de 1973 Agosto 18
People born in Irapuato
- Sergio AvilaSergio ÁvilaSergio Gabriel Ávila Valle also known as El Gaucho is a Mexican footballer...
(b. September 2,1985,profesional soccer player. - Silvia NavarroSilvia NavarroSilvia Angelica Navarro Barva is a Mexican actress who began as a contract player for TVAzteca, where she starred in the telenovelas Perla and Montecristo....
(b. September 14, 1978) Actress - Roberto Hernandez,Jr. (b. January 24,1936,) s.
- José Antonio PatlánJosé Antonio PatlánJosé Antonio Patlán Valtierra is a Mexican Football player who is currently playing for Club Universidad de Guadalajara. He plays as a Centre Back and as a Defensive Midfielder....
Soccer Player. - Francisco RotllánFrancisco RotllánFrancisco Rotllán Zavala is a retired professional footballer from Mexico, who played as a forward during his career. He was a member of the Mexico national football team competing at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.-References:***...
Soccer Player. - Samuel RuizSamuel RuizSamuel Ruiz García was a Mexican Roman Catholic prelate who served as bishop of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, from 1959 until 2000. This zone in Mexico is characterized by its poverty and its indigenous population...
Catholic prelate. - Juan Carlos ZaragozaJuan Carlos ZaragozaJuan Carlos Zaragoza Murillo is a Mexican footballer. He currently plays for Club León in the Liga de Ascenso....
Profesional soccer player
Images
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Sister cities
Green BayGreen Bay, WisconsinGreen Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
, WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
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MurciaMurcia-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
External links
- D IRAPUATO.COM SPANISH
- Presidencia Municipal de Irapuato Official website
- Irapuato Article on Wikipedia Español