Pátzcuaro is a living reminder that history is not made up of black and white cartoon characters. Most often, life has plenty of gray areas. And gray characters.
In the 1500s, the Purépecha ruled an area of central Mexico centered on Lake Pátzcuaro and covering the current state of Michoacán and parts of Guanajuato and Jalisco. The Aztec had attempted to conquer the Purépecha empire, but they lost each battle. After one battle, the Purépecha slaughtered 30,000 Aztec prisoners.
When the Spanish tribe, along with an army of native allies, invaded the Purépecha empire, resistance was slight. Instead, the young emperor pledged homage to the conquistadors, converted to Christianity, and hoped that he had made a deal to save his crown and people.
He was wrong. A new Spanish force, Nuño de Guzmán, came to power. He tortured and killed the emperor and enslaved the people. Living up to what has become the modern view of the Spanish conquistador.
At this point, one of those remarkable men showed up to play the role of deus ex machina. Father Vasco de Quiroga arrived in 1533 at about the same time Spain arrested Guzmán.
A humanist and disciple of Thomas More, Don Vasco saw an opportunity to assist the Purépecha through More’s Utopia. He established a hospital and a seminary for the Indians, out of compassion, but also as an advocate of the Spanish empire.
He then persuaded the secular authorities to let the enslaved Indians spend some time developing regional skills. Following More’s outline, each village would specialize in a certain manufacture. Copper. Furniture. Musical instruments.
And it worked. A society destroyed was rebuilt. The remnants of that system can still be seen in the surrounding villages. And we just may make some trips this month to see the results.
But I suspect old Don Vasco, whose bones are interred in the church, smiles down on this hodge-podge Purepecha enterprise zone.
24 comments:
I doubt Don Vasco would appreciate that array of haphazard stalls ruining the view of the church. I hope they are all swept away as soon as possible. Such enterprises, when I arrived in Morelia in 2000, had virtually destroyed the beauty of the Colonial downtown which was hidden behind tarps and makeshift stalls. A few years later, they were all removed, and Morelia is a far better place today for it.
Did you notice the Masonic symbols over Vasco de Quiroga's tomb?
He would not have approved of those puestos any more than the Virgen de Salud would've approved of the juegos mecanicos set around the Basilica on her day.
Nice summary - did not know about each village specializing - explains allot ...
The "hodge-podge" enterprise zone appears to be the same everywhere in Mexico. I was looking at pics from another blogger a couple of days ago and I believe the same shtuff was in her lens too; maybe even the same people.
We Northerners with our stubborn unemployment should probably pray for our own Don Vasco to teach us practical skills that we might produce our own blue-tarp economy. Macrame pot-holder anyone?
ANM
The United States could use far more trade schools and a greater acceptance of the fact that not everyone is university material. There are plenty of trade schools in Mexico, plus we do not look down our noses so much at blue-collar people.
The photo of the church and the market brought back pleasant memories as do many of your posts. I played tourist and bought a carved wooden doll complete with clothes of one of the Los Viejos.I know there are people who don't enjoy the marketplaces , but I do.
Nice shot looking towards the lake... Looks a little monochromatic though, with the red/white schema... Donde estan de colores, mi amigo?
Cheers,
Dan in NC
From an aesthetic perspective, I would agree, The squares in Morelia are much improved without the tarp city. But it is still an interesting historical connection.
I didn't. But I will take another look. The wood grill does a great job of obstructing the view.
I suppose Dan Brown's next book will be centered in Pátzcuaro.
That enterprising spirit, though, is something that makes Mexico so inviting.
Education in The States was once designed to teach students how to think critically and how to be effective citizens of the Republic. That easily could be done for most people in high school. Unfortunately, those days are gone.
The fruit and vegetable market I like,.
Pátzcuaro tends to be a bit low on the color palette. Plus the sun has been playing hide and seek behind clouds. We are just getting another thunder storm right now.
Like many things in Mexico, once a tradition starts, it continues.
Typically there are about ten times more stalls then that surrounding all of the church. I did almost all my Christmas shopping last November in all those stalls. Magnificent wool sweaters. Children's pinafores, hats, mittens. The list goes on. I can't imagine why anyone would begrudge the people selling these items from being set up. Gentrification according to Gringo standards are destroying the daily culture of Mexico, in my opinion.
By the way, Santa Clara de Cobre was producing copper long before the Spaniard came. It is documented. But I do think Don Vasco was extremely ahead of his time. The same appears to happen in the vicinity of Oaxaca City.
You'll see very few Purepecha working under those tarps.in Patzcauro. If you want a fabulous tour of the area, from a Purepecha's view point and knowledge, ask Felipe to put you in contact with Arminda. The cost for a day is beyond worth it.
She is a dear, dear, unique friend.
If I survive today's rain storm, I will check with him.
If the tarps disappear, I doubt it will be Gringo concerns. The stalls in Morelia disappeared because the Mexican authorities thought they were in the way of the architecture. Or so I was told.
Thanks for historical clarification on Santa Clara. I was actually thinking specifically of that town and the copper while reading Steve's post ...
All those blue tarps made me think you had accidentally gone to Alaska. Do you suppose that when the church was originally built there were also stalls set up in the plaza to sell copper goods, furniture, musical instruments, just no blue tarps?
The blue tarps are a new addition to the stalls (about 15 years old). It used to be white manta fabric made in the mills of Mexico. But then plastic came into being and the people are able to use over and over again. I haven't seen a market with fabric coverings except in Chichicastenango Guatemala in their market...........it was lovely.
There is a tiny market set up every Friday for the locals to trade and sell with each other. It is so sweet. They bring pottery, plants - not a huge market. They cook in big cauldrons. I have photos taken in the last ten years that could have been taken 300 years ago. I think its wonderful that they continue their cultures.
The Morelia street vendors were so numerous you could hardly push your way down the sidewalk in some areas, literally. And the Colonial architecture was completely hidden. Ah, the local charm! Let's bring it back. Dang gentrification! Of all the nerve!
I do agree with Babs, though, that the markets do add entrepreneurial charm to the area. THe square in Morelia now showcases the architecture, but not the people.
Like many successful people, such as Bill Gates, Don Vasco built on what he found. He didn't invent copper work or furniture making. He simply corralled the crafts into areas where it currently existed and built on that foundation. As a result, he restored a good deal that had been destroyed.
I am not certain if the stalls existed when the church was being constructed. The church itself is a sad tale. Don Vasco designed a cathedral with five naves. The bishop seat was moved to Morelia, and the church was demoted to a basilica. With one nave, it is a mere shadow of its original plan.
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