Panchimalco
Encyclopedia
Panchimalco is a town
in the San Salvador
department
of El Salvador
.
Panchimalco ("The Place of Flags and Shields," from the Nahuatl
, "Pant," meaning banner or flag; "Chimal," meaning shield or herald, and "co," place) is Its 35,000 inhabitants, sometimes called "Panchos," are descendants of Pipil Indians fleeing the Spanish takeover of San Salvador during the 16th century, into areas originally inhabited by Mayan
and Nahuatl peoples.
, Panchimalco is considered one of the last two remaining bastions of indigenous people or "Indians" in El Salvador. Villagers still weave and wear colorful native textiles and maintain many indigenous traditions. However, the native language is not one of them. As of the last few years, no Nahuatl speakers remain in Panchimalco. Salvadoran "Indians" comprised 51.6 percent of the Salvadoran population in the 1769-1798 census, but at current time they are numbered at less than 100,000 in all of El Salvador. The number was greatly reduced when forces loyal to Gen. Maximiliano Hernandez massacred up to 30,000 peasants during the Salvadoran peasant uprising of 1932 known as La Matanza
.
done in the French baroque
style, but its most well-known feature is its bleached white colonial façade. Like many colonial churches, it fronts a central square centered around a large cypress tree. The clay floor is not original, but marks a restoration completed in 1970. The church was declared a national historic monument by the Salvadoran congress on February 27, 1975.
Nearby attractions include the town Los Planes de Renderos from whose lookout post spectacular views of San Salvador and the valley can be appreciated; the "Puerta del Diablo" (Devil's Gate) rock formation and Balboa Park, a handsome green retreat also overlooking San Salvador. All three are located within a municipal zone also called Panchimalco, though locals interpret Panchimalco to mean only the historic old town. The Panchimalco zone comprises 14 hamlets or cantons: El Divisadero, Pajales, Panchimalquito, Las Crucitas, San Isidro, Los Troncones, Azacualpa, Amayón, Los Palones, Los Planes de Renderos, el Guayabo, El Cedro, Quezalapa, Loma and Media.
Panchimalco was named as among the ten top tourist sites in El Salvador by the Confederation of Latin American Tourist Organizations.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the San Salvador
San Salvador Department
San Salvador is a department of El Salvador in the west central part of the country. The capital is San Salvador, which is also the national capital. The department has North of the Rio Lempa Valley, the "Valle de las Hamacas" and a section of Lake Ilopango...
department
Departments of El Salvador
||A list of the departments of El Salvador in alphabetical order.Department :# Ahuachapán # Cabañas # Chalatenango # Cuscatlán # La Libertad # La Paz...
of El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
.
Panchimalco ("The Place of Flags and Shields," from the Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
, "Pant," meaning banner or flag; "Chimal," meaning shield or herald, and "co," place) is Its 35,000 inhabitants, sometimes called "Panchos," are descendants of Pipil Indians fleeing the Spanish takeover of San Salvador during the 16th century, into areas originally inhabited by Mayan
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
and Nahuatl peoples.
Indigenous people
Panchimalco is known for its indigenous population and its festivities. Together with IzalcoIzalco
Izalco is a municipality in the Sonsonate department of El Salvador.Volcan Izalco is an icon of the country of El Salvador, a very young parasitic cone on the flank of Santa Ana volcano...
, Panchimalco is considered one of the last two remaining bastions of indigenous people or "Indians" in El Salvador. Villagers still weave and wear colorful native textiles and maintain many indigenous traditions. However, the native language is not one of them. As of the last few years, no Nahuatl speakers remain in Panchimalco. Salvadoran "Indians" comprised 51.6 percent of the Salvadoran population in the 1769-1798 census, but at current time they are numbered at less than 100,000 in all of El Salvador. The number was greatly reduced when forces loyal to Gen. Maximiliano Hernandez massacred up to 30,000 peasants during the Salvadoran peasant uprising of 1932 known as La Matanza
1932 Salvadoran peasant uprising
The peasant uprising of 1932, also known as La matanza , was a brief, peasant-led rebellion that occurred on January 22 of that year in the western departments of El Salvador...
.
History
The Spanish established Panchimalco as a village, and built its famous colonial church, one of the most important historical monuments in El Salvador. Its original construction date, circa 1725, make it the oldest surviving colonial structure in El Salvador. The church, consecrated to the Holy Cross of Rome, and bearing that name (Santa Cruz de Roma), has been damaged in the various earthquakes that have shaken El Salvador through the centuries, beginning with one registered in 1736. The church consists of a single nave covered by a roof supported by 16 wooden beams. It contains an altar reredosReredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
done in the French baroque
Baroque
The 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, but its most well-known feature is its bleached white colonial façade. Like many colonial churches, it fronts a central square centered around a large cypress tree. The clay floor is not original, but marks a restoration completed in 1970. The church was declared a national historic monument by the Salvadoran congress on February 27, 1975.
Culture
The festivities held in Panchimalco are colorful and religious in nature. The Flower & Fronds Fair (Feria de las Flores y Palmas) celebrates the Virgin Mary devotion of the local Catholic church. The cofradías or "co-fraternities" are civic organizations in support of different church festivals, and they organize the various carnivals and celebrations. The procession of the Holy Cross of Rome is the town's official patronal festival. The dance of the Moors and Christians is an odd vestige of a tradition brought over by the Spaniards, which celebrates a Spanish victory over Muslim invaders during the Dark Ages.Nearby attractions include the town Los Planes de Renderos from whose lookout post spectacular views of San Salvador and the valley can be appreciated; the "Puerta del Diablo" (Devil's Gate) rock formation and Balboa Park, a handsome green retreat also overlooking San Salvador. All three are located within a municipal zone also called Panchimalco, though locals interpret Panchimalco to mean only the historic old town. The Panchimalco zone comprises 14 hamlets or cantons: El Divisadero, Pajales, Panchimalquito, Las Crucitas, San Isidro, Los Troncones, Azacualpa, Amayón, Los Palones, Los Planes de Renderos, el Guayabo, El Cedro, Quezalapa, Loma and Media.
Panchimalco was named as among the ten top tourist sites in El Salvador by the Confederation of Latin American Tourist Organizations.