León, Guanajuato
Encyclopedia
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. It has a strong leather industry, offering shoes, boots, belts, jackets, and other leather accessories both to national and international markets.
In the 2010 census the National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Data Processing (INEGI) reported 1,436,733 people living in the city of León, and 1,792,047 in the Greater Leon Metropolitan Area
.
Its first-class services and hotel industry turn it into one of the most important centers in Mexico with numerous options of entertainment
, gastronomy
, leisure activities, arts
and recreation
.
It is also considered one of the most environmentally friendly
cities in Mexico and has a high number of cyclists, in part because of its integration a network of bike lanes to the SIT system.
, Purísima del Rincón
and San Francisco del Rincón
. The municipality of León, which has an area of 1,219.67 km² (490.92 sq mi), also includes numerous smaller outlying communities, the largest of which are Centro Familiar la Soledad, Medina, and La Ermita.
There is a large Argentinian
immigrant community in the city, as well as one formed by descendants of Lebanese
immigrants.
bus rapid transit
colloquially known as "La Oruga" (The Caterpillar). The municipally-operated Oruga started its operation on September 27, 2003; León pioneered its use in Mexico. León is served by Del Bajío International Airport
which is located in the city of Silao
.
A new air cargo area is part of GTO Inland Port’s master plan which will have a direct connection to the airport’s runway
n period. Most of these are identified with the Chupícuaro culture. By the Classic period, the area was under Teotihuacan
and Toltec
influence. In the 13th century, the Chichimeca
s, mostly of the Guamare
and Guachichil
subgroups, overran the area, migrating from an area of what is now San Luis Potosí
. They remained through the Colonial period.
In 1530 Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán
arrived with allied Tarasco Indians to the area, naming it Nuestra Señora. Homesteads were granted by the governor of Nueva Galicia
Francisco Vázquez de Coronado to Spaniards Rodrigo de Vázquez and Juan de Jasso. Farming and cattle-raising was introduced here around 1546 by the Spaniards but these settlers were under constant threat by the Chichimecas, who recognized the Spanish as invaders. These settlers requested assistance from the viceregal authorities in Mexico City
.
As a response, viceroy
Martín Enríquez de Almanza
ordered the founding of a city here, with the name of León in 1575. To carry out the order, Juan Bautista de Orozco founded the village of León on 20 January 1576, creating its first town council and laying out its initial streets. In 1580, it attained the rank of "alcadía mayor" meaning it has governing authority of much of the land and smaller towns surrounding it from the Sierra de Comanja to the Lerma River
. For example, two other towns founded in the area were San Miguel and Coecillo. In San Miguel, the Spaniards settled the Otomi people
s and in Coecillo were settled the Purépechas, Mexica
s and the Chichimecas that did not oppose Spanish rule. As the population of the area grew, a number of municipalities would eventually break off, such as San Francisco del Rincón, Purísima del Rincón (Purísima Concepción), Cd. Manuel Doblado (San Pedro Piedra Gorda), Huanímaro, Abasolo, Cuerámaro and Pénjamo.
In 1582, the first hospital of San Cosme y San Damián was established by Father Espino.
The Jesuits arrived to León in 1731, founding the "Compañía Vieja" which is now the site of the Temple of the Immaculate. They also constructed the Temple of the New Company, which would become the Cathedral, however they never finished it as they were expelled from Mexico in 1767. On 2 July 1732 arrived an image of Our Most Holy Mother of Light. She would later be declared the patron saint of the city, in 1849.
The population of the area suffered epidemics in 1643, droughts in 1630 and 1712–1714, famines in 1714 and 1786, and flooding in 1637, 1749, 1762 and 1803.
Independence forces under José Rafael de Iriarte arrived to the town on 4 October 1810. However, two months later royalist forces under Felix Calleja retook the locality, with insurrectionist sympathizers facing reprisals. About 2,000 insurgents on horses attacked the town but were repulsed by Count Pérez Gálvez. Royalist forces were attacked here in 1817 by Francisco Javier Mina
without success. The town remained in royalist hands until the end of the Mexican War of Independence
, when Agustín de Iturbide
arrived. The town did not celebrate its first Grito de Dolores
to mark independence until 1825. In 1827 it became one of the four "departments" of the newly-created state of Guanajuato, and in 1830, it gained city status.
In 1840, Father Ignacio Aguado founded the College of San Francisco de Sales and the College of La Madre Santísima was founded in 1844.
During La Reforma
War, the city changed hands various times between Liberal and Conservative forces between 1858 and 1860. The most notable battle of that war here was when General José Iniesta attacked the town on 18 February 1859. In that same year, León even separated for a time from the rest of the state of Guanajuato.
In 1862 the bishopric of León was founded, separating the city of León and nine other municipalities such as Irapuato, Guanajuato
and Dolores Hidalgo
from the bishopric of Michoacán
. Bishop Diez de Sollano opened the Conciliar Seminary in 1864. This bishop consecrated the Basilica Cathedral in 1866, even though it was not completed, giving the image of the Virgin of the Light a permanent home.
From 1863 to 1866, the French occupied León during the French Intervention
, with Emperor Maximillian
visiting the city in 1864. His arrival was much celebrated here, with fireworks and a hot air balloon
exhibition put on by the Alemán brothers. However, when Liberal forces finally had permanent control over the town, two incidents occurred. On 30 September 1867, Coronel Cecilio Delgado Estrada ordered his men to shoot over the heads of people who prayed in the streets, causing some to be wounded. Another incident of this type occurred in 1877. The second was more permanent. The Liberals decommissioned the convent and college of Saints Peter and Paul, converting it into offices for city government. It remains such to this day.
On 2 January 1946 a mob gathered in the plaza in front of the municipal palace to protest elections seen as illegitimate. These protesters were fired upon, killing many. This plaza has been named the "Plaza of the Martyrs" in their honor.
in León. The plan to install these scanners and the potential risks to personal privacy were discussed on the Katherine Albrecht show on August 31, 2010.
architectural style and occupies part of the site of the old "Colegio Grande del Seminario de los Padres Paulinos" (Grand Seminary College for Pauline Priests) who had to abandon the city in 1860.
From 1861 to 1867 it was a military barracks. After the French Intervention, it was remodeled to conserve its original architecture by Coronel Octaviano Rosado to become the seat of government on 21 March 1869. The patio of the building contains a bronze statue of Benito Juarez to commemorate the centennial of his death in 1972. Since then, the building has had a number of additions such as the dome that now covers this patio, and a number of murals. These murals were painted in 1972 and 1973 by Jesus Gallardo covering the walls of the main stairwell and the hallway of the upper floor around the patio.
2000, however the 45-meter tall tower on five plinth
s was completed on time. It was built in a 5,400 square meter plaza, planted with trees. The project cost 4.5 million peso
s.
(Guanjuato International Airport) serves the city, although it is located in the neighboring city of Silao
.
system named “Optibus
”. Since September 28th, 2003 the Integrated Transport Optibús began to operate despite an existing need for a subway system "Metro", which originally was planned construction with two lines.
The system was the first of its kind in Mexico. Leon being the first city in the country with a BRT system, before it is implemented in Mexico City
as Metrobus and Guadalajara
as Macrobus.
Optibús System
The current route system is divided into four categories. These are:
There are currently three permanent transfer stations (San Jeronimo, Delta de Jerez and San Juan Bosco), two micro-stations (Santa Rita - Parque Juarez), which are the endpoints for trunk routes, feeder routes and auxiliary routes. At these stations are allowed to transfer without cost from any of these lines.
In addition, as a control measure, the “PagoBus” system has been instituted; this is an electronic card system that allows users to streamline their access to stations and bus and thus save money. There are 2 types of cards: Preferential and General, cost rates with 50 and 15% lower total cost.
The environmental benefits of the system are also high, not least because the system introduced articulated buses using Euro IV technology and ultra low sulfur, resulting in 5,600 tons of CO2 reduction annually.
) to serve 15,000 students in the west of Mexico. The project will be built on a 60 hectare site in the south of the city to serve students in Guanajuato, Jalisco
, Aguascalientes
, Querétaro
, San Luis Potosí
, Michoacán
and Zacatecas
, starting in 2011.
, which is one of the foremost teams in Mexico, five-time league champion, now playing in the Primera División A. The team's stadium, Estadio León
, also bears a Catalan
name: Nou Camp. FIFA World Cup
games have been played there (1970 and 1986).
A new franchise with the name of Curtidores appeared in the Primera División A in the mid-1990s, but, after being champion in 1999 and earning the right to play in the Primera División
, was sold and moved to Puebla
to become Puebla, F.C. In 2007 a new franchise named Union de Curtidores began playing at Segunda división.
Nowadays, there are several soccer teams in the city playing in the Tercera División
: Atlético ECCA, Juventud Cuerera and Conmudaj, among some others along with the women's league, Super Liga Femenil de Futbol
.
located at the Centro de Convenciones Poliforum Leon, one round of the World Rally Championship
. Thousands of fans camp at the nearby Sierra de Lobos to watch the rally. The Rally takes place in three cities: Guanajuato
, Silao
and León.
team, Lechugueros
, which plays in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional
(LNBP). They play in the Domo de la Feria
(formerly known as Auditorio Municipal). Before this team, the city had other professional basketball teams: Lechugueros (original franchise), Zapateros, Pony-León and Atléticos. These teams participated in the CIMEBA (Circuito Mexicano de Básquetbol), which was the main basketball league of Mexico in the 1970s and 1980s.
teams in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol
: Cachorros de León, in the late 1970s, and Bravos de León, in the late 80's. Bravos, after becoming champions of the league in 1990, and due to financial problems, were sold and moved to Minatitlán, Veracruz
. Since then, attempts to bring a new baseball team to the city have been unsuccessful.
Laredo
, United States
Irving
, United States
Lubbock, United States
Las Vegas
, Nevada, United States
Los Angeles
, United States
Cangas de Onis
, Spain
Leon, Spain
La Habana, Cuba
Fermo
, Italia
Bogota
, Colombia
Suzhou
, China
Novo Hamburgo
, Brasil
Leon, Nicaragua
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...
and the first in 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 is also the seat of the municipality of León. It has a strong leather industry, offering shoes, boots, belts, jackets, and other leather accessories both to national and international markets.
In the 2010 census the National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Data Processing (INEGI) reported 1,436,733 people living in the city of León, and 1,792,047 in the Greater Leon Metropolitan Area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
.
Its first-class services and hotel industry turn it into one of the most important centers in Mexico with numerous options of entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
, gastronomy
Gastronomy
Gastronomy is the art or science of food eating. Also, it can be defined as the study of food and culture, with a particular focus on gourmet cuisine...
, leisure activities, arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
and recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
.
It is also considered one of the most environmentally friendly
Environmentally friendly
Environmentally friendly are terms used to refer to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies claimed to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment....
cities in Mexico and has a high number of cyclists, in part because of its integration a network of bike lanes to the SIT system.
Population
In the 2010 census the National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Data Processing (INEGI) reported 1,436,733 people living in the city of León, and 1,792,047 in the metropolitan area, which includes the neighbouring municipality of SilaoSilao
Silao is a city in the west-central part of the state of Guanajuato in Mexico. It is the seat of the municipio with the same name. As of the 2005 census, the city had a population of 147,123, making it the seventh-largest community in the state...
, Purísima del Rincón
Purísima del Rincón
Purísima del Rincón is a Mexican municipality located in the state of Guanajuato. Its municipal seat is the city of Purísima de Bustos.The municipality has an area of 288.44 square kilometres , and is bordered to the north and east by San Francisco del Rincón, to the south by Manuel Doblado, and to...
and San Francisco del Rincón
San Francisco del Rincón
San Francisco del Rincón is a city and municipality in the western part of the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. The city serves as the municipal seat for the municipality of San Francisco del Rincón...
. The municipality of León, which has an area of 1,219.67 km² (490.92 sq mi), also includes numerous smaller outlying communities, the largest of which are Centro Familiar la Soledad, Medina, and La Ermita.
There is a large Argentinian
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
immigrant community in the city, as well as one formed by descendants of Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
immigrants.
Public transportation system
The city's public transportation system features a mix of buses and the OptibusOptibus
Optibus is a bus rapid transit system operating in León, Guanajuato, Mexico. Locally it is known also as "La Oruga" , due to its use of articulated buses. Most of the Optibus route uses city streets, but with dedicated bus lanes and high-level platform stations. The system was inaugurated on...
bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
colloquially known as "La Oruga" (The Caterpillar). The municipally-operated Oruga started its operation on September 27, 2003; León pioneered its use in Mexico. León is served by Del Bajío International Airport
Del Bajío International Airport
Del Bajío International Airport is an international airport located in Silao, Guanajuato, close to León, Guanajuato, Mexico. It handles national and international air traffic of the area that includes the city of León and the state capital, Guanajuato...
which is located in the city of Silao
Silao
Silao is a city in the west-central part of the state of Guanajuato in Mexico. It is the seat of the municipio with the same name. As of the 2005 census, the city had a population of 147,123, making it the seventh-largest community in the state...
.
Health
León is a regional health center, there are important hospitals like Ramirez Guadiana, Aranda de la Parra, Angeles, Medica Campestre.Industrial parks
60% of the shoes produced in Mexico are made in León, and there are also chemical industry, leather, transportation, plastic, polymer, box companies. There is also cluster of automotive industries, including a General Motors plant in the nearby municipality of Silao. León is also national headquarters of the bank Banco del Bajío owned by Salvador Oñate, and is the headquarters of regional divisions of banks such as Banamex, HSBC etc.Customs facility
A newly built facility within GTO Inland Port’s premises speeds up the logistics process. Clearing customs in a border city or seaport is no longer a requirement for companies located in GTO Inland Port; now they use this very convenient facility.Rail container facility
A rail container yard is now offering inter-modal services for rail transportation. The facility is operated by the largest rail company in Mexico and has one of the longest rail spurs in the Country.Guanajuato International Airport
The most well connected regional airport is located adjacent to GTO Inland Port. The passenger terminal has several non-stop daily flights to US cities such as Houston (IAH), Dallas (DFW) and Los Angeles (LAX).A new air cargo area is part of GTO Inland Port’s master plan which will have a direct connection to the airport’s runway
Expositions
In the Poliforum there are trade fairs throughout the year. The principal two are Sapica (Shoe Fair), and ANPIC (suppliers of the shoe industry).History
In the León area there are ten distinct archeological zones, dating from the pre-classic MesoamericaMesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
n period. Most of these are identified with the Chupícuaro culture. By the Classic period, the area was under Teotihuacan
Teotihuacan
Teotihuacan – also written Teotihuacán, with a Spanish orthographic accent on the last syllable – is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, just 30 miles northeast of Mexico City, containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian Americas...
and Toltec
Toltec
The Toltec culture is an archaeological Mesoamerican culture that dominated a state centered in Tula, Hidalgo in the early post-classic period of Mesoamerican chronology...
influence. In the 13th century, the Chichimeca
Chichimeca
Chichimeca was the name that the Nahua peoples of Mexico generically applied to a wide range of semi-nomadic peoples who inhabited the north of modern-day Mexico and southwestern United States, and carried the same sense as the European term "barbarian"...
s, mostly of the Guamare
Guamare
The Guamares were an indigenous group that were concentrated in the region of the present state of Guanajuato. They were part of the Chichimecas.The Guamares were centered in the Guanajuato Sierras, but some bands ranged as far east as Querétaro...
and Guachichil
Guachichil
Of all the Chichimeca natives, the Guachichiles occupied the most extensive territory, stretching north to Saltillo in Coahuila and to the northern corners of Michoacán in the south...
subgroups, overran the area, migrating from an area of what is now San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí officially Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is San Luis Potosí....
. They remained through the Colonial period.
In 1530 Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán
Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán
Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán or sometimes Nuño de Guzmán was a Spanish conquistador and colonial administrator in New Spain. He was Governor of the province of Pánuco from 1525–1533, and of Nueva Galicia from 1529–1534, President of the first Audiencia from 1528-30. He founded several cities in...
arrived with allied Tarasco Indians to the area, naming it Nuestra Señora. Homesteads were granted by the governor of Nueva Galicia
Nueva Galicia
El Nuevo Reino de Galicia or Nueva Galicia was an autonomous kingdom of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It was named after Galicia in Spain...
Francisco Vázquez de Coronado to Spaniards Rodrigo de Vázquez and Juan de Jasso. Farming and cattle-raising was introduced here around 1546 by the Spaniards but these settlers were under constant threat by the Chichimecas, who recognized the Spanish as invaders. These settlers requested assistance from the viceregal authorities in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.
As a response, viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
Martín Enríquez de Almanza
Martín Enríquez de Almanza
Don Martín Enríquez de Almanza was the fourth viceroy of New Spain, who ruled from November 5, 1568 until October 3, 1580. He was subsequently viceroy of Peru, from September 23, 1581 until his death in 1583. His birthplace and origins are uncertain...
ordered the founding of a city here, with the name of León in 1575. To carry out the order, Juan Bautista de Orozco founded the village of León on 20 January 1576, creating its first town council and laying out its initial streets. In 1580, it attained the rank of "alcadía mayor" meaning it has governing authority of much of the land and smaller towns surrounding it from the Sierra de Comanja to 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...
. For example, two other towns founded in the area were San Miguel and Coecillo. In San Miguel, the Spaniards settled the Otomi people
Otomi people
The Otomi people . Smaller Otomi populations exist in the states of Puebla, Mexico, Tlaxcala, Michoacán and Guanajuato. The Otomi language belonging to the Oto-Pamean branch of the Oto-Manguean language family is spoken in many different varieties some of which are not mutually intelligible.One of...
s and in Coecillo were settled the Purépechas, Mexica
Mexica
The Mexica were a pre-Columbian people of central Mexico.Mexica may also refer to:*Mexica , a board game designed by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling*Mexica , a 2005 novel by Norman Spinrad...
s and the Chichimecas that did not oppose Spanish rule. As the population of the area grew, a number of municipalities would eventually break off, such as San Francisco del Rincón, Purísima del Rincón (Purísima Concepción), Cd. Manuel Doblado (San Pedro Piedra Gorda), Huanímaro, Abasolo, Cuerámaro and Pénjamo.
In 1582, the first hospital of San Cosme y San Damián was established by Father Espino.
The Jesuits arrived to León in 1731, founding the "Compañía Vieja" which is now the site of the Temple of the Immaculate. They also constructed the Temple of the New Company, which would become the Cathedral, however they never finished it as they were expelled from Mexico in 1767. On 2 July 1732 arrived an image of Our Most Holy Mother of Light. She would later be declared the patron saint of the city, in 1849.
The population of the area suffered epidemics in 1643, droughts in 1630 and 1712–1714, famines in 1714 and 1786, and flooding in 1637, 1749, 1762 and 1803.
Independence forces under José Rafael de Iriarte arrived to the town on 4 October 1810. However, two months later royalist forces under Felix Calleja retook the locality, with insurrectionist sympathizers facing reprisals. About 2,000 insurgents on horses attacked the town but were repulsed by Count Pérez Gálvez. Royalist forces were attacked here in 1817 by Francisco Javier Mina
Francisco Javier Mina
Francisco Javier Mina was a Spanish lawyer and army officer and a Mexican revolutionary.-Biography:...
without success. The town remained in royalist hands until the end of the Mexican War of Independence
Mexican War of Independence
The 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...
, when Agustín de Iturbide
Agustín de Iturbide
Agustín Cosme Damián de Iturbide y Aramburu , also known as Augustine I of Mexico, was a Mexican army general who built a successful political and military coalition that was able to march into Mexico City on 27 September 1821, decisively ending the Mexican War of Independence...
arrived. The town did not celebrate its first Grito de Dolores
Grito de Dolores
The Grito de Dolores also known as El Grito de la Independencia , uttered from the small town of Dolores, near Guanajuato on April 19, 1810 is the event that marks the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence and is the most important national holiday observed in Mexico...
to mark independence until 1825. In 1827 it became one of the four "departments" of the newly-created state of Guanajuato, and in 1830, it gained city status.
In 1840, Father Ignacio Aguado founded the College of San Francisco de Sales and the College of La Madre Santísima was founded in 1844.
During La Reforma
La Reforma
La Reforma was a period halfway through the 19th century in the history of Mexico that was characterized by liberal reforms and the transformation of Mexico into a nation state...
War, the city changed hands various times between Liberal and Conservative forces between 1858 and 1860. The most notable battle of that war here was when General José Iniesta attacked the town on 18 February 1859. In that same year, León even separated for a time from the rest of the state of Guanajuato.
In 1862 the bishopric of León was founded, separating the city of León and nine other municipalities such as Irapuato, 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....
and Dolores Hidalgo
Dolores Hidalgo
Dolores Hidalgo Dolores Hidalgo Dolores Hidalgo (in full, Dolores Hidalgo Cuna de la Independencia Nacional is the name of a city and the surrounding municipality in the north-central part of the Mexican state of Guanajuato....
from the bishopric of Michoacán
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
. Bishop Diez de Sollano opened the Conciliar Seminary in 1864. This bishop consecrated the Basilica Cathedral in 1866, even though it was not completed, giving the image of the Virgin of the Light a permanent home.
From 1863 to 1866, the French occupied León during the French Intervention
French intervention in Mexico
The French intervention in Mexico , also known as The Maximilian Affair, War of the French Intervention, and The Franco-Mexican War, was an invasion of Mexico by an expeditionary force sent by the Second French Empire, supported in the beginning by the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Spain...
, with Emperor Maximillian
Maximilian I of Mexico
Maximilian 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...
visiting the city in 1864. His arrival was much celebrated here, with fireworks and a hot air balloon
Hot air balloon
The hot air balloon is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology. It is in a class of aircraft known as balloon aircraft. On November 21, 1783, in Paris, France, the first untethered manned flight was made by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes in a hot air...
exhibition put on by the Alemán brothers. However, when Liberal forces finally had permanent control over the town, two incidents occurred. On 30 September 1867, Coronel Cecilio Delgado Estrada ordered his men to shoot over the heads of people who prayed in the streets, causing some to be wounded. Another incident of this type occurred in 1877. The second was more permanent. The Liberals decommissioned the convent and college of Saints Peter and Paul, converting it into offices for city government. It remains such to this day.
On 2 January 1946 a mob gathered in the plaza in front of the municipal palace to protest elections seen as illegitimate. These protesters were fired upon, killing many. This plaza has been named the "Plaza of the Martyrs" in their honor.
Plans
Global Rainmakers will roll out a program to install iris scannersIris recognition
Iris recognition is an automated method of biometric identification that uses mathematical pattern-recognition techniques on video images of the irides of an individual's eyes, whose complex random patterns are unique and can be seen from some distance....
in León. The plan to install these scanners and the potential risks to personal privacy were discussed on the Katherine Albrecht show on August 31, 2010.
Cathedral
The main church is called the Basilica Cathedral of Our Holy Mother of the Light and is the seat of the Archdiosis of Leon. Construction of the church was begun in 1746 by the Jesuits and is a combination of Baroque and Neo Classic architectural styles. Construction was halted only eight months after it began when the Jesuit order was expelled from Mexico by the Spanish Crown. The Obregon family, however, took over its construction, continuing into the 19th century. The Archdiosis of Leon was created in 1864, with its first bishop, José María de Jesús Diez de Sollano y Dávalos helping to get the towers and cupola completed as he chose the church as the seat. It was finally completed and consecrated on 16 March 1866.Expiatorio
Its full name is the Santuario Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Expiatory Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). Construction of this temple was begun in 1920 by Bernardo Chavez with the support of Bishop Emeterio Valverde y Téllez. It is neo Gothic in design, based on the old European medieval cathedrals but much of the outide wallspace is without decoration. Its work was halted by the Cristero Wars. Since then construction has continued off and on and it is considered 80% complete. An important source of income for the temple's construction is the sale of crypts. This practice was begun in 1924. A chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Lourdes was begun in 1935 and later a chapel dedicated to the Virgen of Guadalupe, which is separate from the main building, built between 1935 and 1939.Municipal Palace
The current Municipal Palace is of IonicIonic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
architectural style and occupies part of the site of the old "Colegio Grande del Seminario de los Padres Paulinos" (Grand Seminary College for Pauline Priests) who had to abandon the city in 1860.
From 1861 to 1867 it was a military barracks. After the French Intervention, it was remodeled to conserve its original architecture by Coronel Octaviano Rosado to become the seat of government on 21 March 1869. The patio of the building contains a bronze statue of Benito Juarez to commemorate the centennial of his death in 1972. Since then, the building has had a number of additions such as the dome that now covers this patio, and a number of murals. These murals were painted in 1972 and 1973 by Jesus Gallardo covering the walls of the main stairwell and the hallway of the upper floor around the patio.
Portal of the Millennium
This monument was built to celebrate the arrival of the new millennium and has become a landmark for arrival into the city. There was some concern that the monument would not be ready for New Year'sNew Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
2000, however the 45-meter tall tower on five plinth
Plinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
s was completed on time. It was built in a 5,400 square meter plaza, planted with trees. The project cost 4.5 million peso
Peso
The word peso was the name of a coin that originated in Spain and became of immense importance internationally...
s.
Heroes' Causeway Arch
This arch (Arco de la Calzada de los Héroes, in Spanish), topped by a bronze lion, was begun in 1896 and has been modified a number of times in the hundred years or so since then. The first lion was added in 1943 by Francisco Lozornio Castillo made of bricks and mortar. This was replaced by the bronze one in 1958. The idea for a bronze lion was that of famous matador Antonio Velázquez, a native of Leon, whose bravery in the ring earned him the nickname of the "Heart of Leon". Not long before his death in 1959, he complained that the brick lion should be replaced with a better work of art, causing something of a commotion in the Leon community. This caught the attention of sculpture Humberto Peraza Ojeda who made the one that sits atop the arch today.Del Bajío International Airport
The Del Bajío International AirportDel Bajío International Airport
Del Bajío International Airport is an international airport located in Silao, Guanajuato, close to León, Guanajuato, Mexico. It handles national and international air traffic of the area that includes the city of León and the state capital, Guanajuato...
(Guanjuato International Airport) serves the city, although it is located in the neighboring city of Silao
Silao
Silao is a city in the west-central part of the state of Guanajuato in Mexico. It is the seat of the municipio with the same name. As of the 2005 census, the city had a population of 147,123, making it the seventh-largest community in the state...
.
Cycling
The city's bicycle paths are extensive. Leon is one of the most bicycle-friendly large cities in Latin America and has an extraordinary track record in active transport, keeping the biking and walking share above 39% of the total trips, one of the highest values in Latin American cities.Integrated Transportation System
Integrated Transportation System (ITS) (Sistema Integrado de Transporte in Spanish) refers to the development and implementation of a Bus rapid transitBus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
system named “Optibus
Optibus
Optibus is a bus rapid transit system operating in León, Guanajuato, Mexico. Locally it is known also as "La Oruga" , due to its use of articulated buses. Most of the Optibus route uses city streets, but with dedicated bus lanes and high-level platform stations. The system was inaugurated on...
”. Since September 28th, 2003 the Integrated Transport Optibús began to operate despite an existing need for a subway system "Metro", which originally was planned construction with two lines.
The system was the first of its kind in Mexico. Leon being the first city in the country with a BRT system, before it is implemented in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
as Metrobus and Guadalajara
Guadalajara
Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
as Macrobus.
Optibús System
The current route system is divided into four categories. These are:
- Trunk routes: They consist of five main lines that cross the city from end to end. The buses are also known as Orugas (caterpillars in Spanish) due to its articulated mid section. They have capacity for 175 passengers. The Optibus transit system consists of 52 stations located in the central area of the main avenues of the city.
- Feeder and Auxiliary Routes: These are urban bus routes that were integrated into the regular system, as a stop as they have one or more transfer stations. Are identified by the letter A (Feeder route / yellow decals) or X (Auxiliary route / blue decals).
- Conventional Routes: These routes that circulate through most of the city and are distinguished by having the corporative colors from its owners: orange, red, pink, purple and green.
- Suburban Roads: Roads are circulating outside or on the city edge communities as Comanjilla, Duarte, Loza de los Padres, La Hacienda, etc.
There are currently three permanent transfer stations (San Jeronimo, Delta de Jerez and San Juan Bosco), two micro-stations (Santa Rita - Parque Juarez), which are the endpoints for trunk routes, feeder routes and auxiliary routes. At these stations are allowed to transfer without cost from any of these lines.
In addition, as a control measure, the “PagoBus” system has been instituted; this is an electronic card system that allows users to streamline their access to stations and bus and thus save money. There are 2 types of cards: Preferential and General, cost rates with 50 and 15% lower total cost.
The environmental benefits of the system are also high, not least because the system introduced articulated buses using Euro IV technology and ultra low sulfur, resulting in 5,600 tons of CO2 reduction annually.
Education and research
The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) has begun to build a campus in the city of León (first one outside Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
) to serve 15,000 students in the west of Mexico. The project will be built on a 60 hectare site in the south of the city to serve students in Guanajuato, Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
, Aguascalientes
Aguascalientes
Aguascalientes is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 11 municipalities and its capital city is Aguascalientes....
, Querétaro
Querétaro
Querétaro officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Querétaro de Arteaga is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities and its capital city is Santiago de Querétaro....
, San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí officially Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is San Luis Potosí....
, Michoacán
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
and Zacatecas
Zacatecas
Zacatecas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas....
, starting in 2011.
Universities
- University of Guanajuato
- National Autonomous University of Mexico
- Ibero-American University
- Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education
- National Polytechnic Institute
- La Salle University
- Polytechnic of Guanajuato
Football
The city's main professional soccer team is Club LeónClub León
Club León, is a Mexican professional football club based in the city of León, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. They currently play in the Liga De Ascenso formerly known as "Primera A", the second tier of football in Mexico since their relegation from the Primera Division in 2002.León has won...
, which is one of the foremost teams in Mexico, five-time league champion, now playing in the Primera División A. The team's stadium, Estadio León
Estadio Nou Camp
The Estadio León, unofficially known as Nou Camp, is a mid-sized football stadium with a seating capacity of 33,943 built in 1967, and located in the city of León, Guanajuato, in the Bajío region of central Mexico. This sport facility is used mostly for football matches and is the home of the Club...
, also bears a Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
name: Nou Camp. FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The 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...
games have been played there (1970 and 1986).
A new franchise with the name of Curtidores appeared in the Primera División A in the mid-1990s, but, after being champion in 1999 and earning the right to play in the Primera División
Primera División de México
The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
, was sold and moved to Puebla
Puebla
Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
to become Puebla, F.C. In 2007 a new franchise named Union de Curtidores began playing at Segunda división.
Nowadays, there are several soccer teams in the city playing in the Tercera División
Tercera División de México
Tercera División is Mexico's fourth tier in the Mexican League System. The Tercera División is divided into 15 groups. For the 2009/2010 season, the format of the tournament has been reorganized to a home and away format, which all teams will play in their respected group...
: Atlético ECCA, Juventud Cuerera and Conmudaj, among some others along with the women's league, Super Liga Femenil de Futbol
Super Liga Femenil de Futbol
The Super Liga Femenil de Fútbol is the top level women's football league in the Mexican football league system. The league was made as an attempt to help women's football grow in Mexico. The first nationwide league was established in 2008...
.
Rally Mexico (WRC)
Since 2004 the city has hosted the headquarters of Rally MexicoRally Mexico
The Corona Rally Mexico, formerly known as Rally America is a round of the FIA World Rally Championship. The rally entered the championship schedule in the 2004 season. The event's itinerary is based in the state of Guanajuato...
located at the Centro de Convenciones Poliforum Leon, one round of the World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
. Thousands of fans camp at the nearby Sierra de Lobos to watch the rally. The Rally takes place in three cities: 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....
, Silao
Silao
Silao is a city in the west-central part of the state of Guanajuato in Mexico. It is the seat of the municipio with the same name. As of the 2005 census, the city had a population of 147,123, making it the seventh-largest community in the state...
and León.
Basketball
Since 2004, León has a basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team, Lechugueros
Lechugueros de León
The Lechugueros de León is a Mexican professional basketball team based in León, Guanajuato, Mexico playing in the Southern Division of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional . Lechugueros played in the classic Circuito Mexicano de Basquetbol in the early 70's, and joined the LNBP in 2004....
, which plays in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional
Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional
The Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional is the top professional basketball league in Mexico. The league was founded in 2000 with 11 teams, expanding to 24 as of 2008...
(LNBP). They play in the Domo de la Feria
Domo de la Feria
Originally named "Auditorio Municipal", the Domo de la Feria is an indoor arena built in the middle 80's in León, Mexico. It is primarily used for basketball and is the home arena of the Lechugueros de León. It holds 5,240 people....
(formerly known as Auditorio Municipal). Before this team, the city had other professional basketball teams: Lechugueros (original franchise), Zapateros, Pony-León and Atléticos. These teams participated in the CIMEBA (Circuito Mexicano de Básquetbol), which was the main basketball league of Mexico in the 1970s and 1980s.
Baseball
León had two baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
teams in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol
Liga Mexicana de Beisbol
The Mexican League is a summer minor league baseball league with teams based across Mexico. Along with the International League and the Pacific Coast League, it is one of three leagues playing at the triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It is the only Minor League...
: Cachorros de León, in the late 1970s, and Bravos de León, in the late 80's. Bravos, after becoming champions of the league in 1990, and due to financial problems, were sold and moved to Minatitlán, Veracruz
Minatitlán, Veracruz
Minatitlán is a city in southeastern Mexican state of Veracruz in the Olmec region of the state and the north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.In 2010 the greater metropolitan area had a population of 356,020...
. Since then, attempts to bring a new baseball team to the city have been unsuccessful.
Notable natives and residents
- Vicente FoxVicente FoxVicente Fox Quesada is a Mexican former politician who served as President of Mexico from 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2006 and currently serves as co-President of the Centrist Democrat International, an international organization of Christian democratic political parties.Fox was elected...
, President of Mexico from 2000 to 2006 and Governor of Guanajuato, owned a ranch in San Francisco del Rincón. - Carlos Medina PlascenciaCarlos Medina PlascenciaCarlos Medina Plascencia is a Mexican politician affiliated to the conservative National Action Party . He is a former mayor of León, senator and interim governor of Guanajuato...
, politician affiliated to the conservative National Action Party and former mayor. - María GreverMaría GreverMaría Grever was the first Mexican female musician to become a successful composer.Maria Joaquina de la Portilla Torres was born to a Spanish father and Mexican mother in Mexico. After spending much of her childhood in Spain, she returned with her parents to Mexico at the age of 12. She studied...
, famous composer.
Sister Cities
San Diego, United StatesLaredo
Laredo
- Cities :*Laredo, Texas, United States*Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico - Towns :*Laredo, Cantabria, the original Spanish town with this name.*Laredo, La Libertad, Peru*Laredo, Missouri, United States...
, United States
Irving
Irving
Irving is originally a Scottish surname, a variant of the name Irvine, which is derived from the eponymous River Irvine inDumfriesshire. It may also refer to:pinguino bailarin-Family name:* Amy Irving , American film and stage actress...
, United States
Lubbock, United States
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada, United States
Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, United States
Cangas de Onis
Cangas de Onis
Cangas de Onís is a municipality in the eastern part of the province and autonomous community of Asturias in the northwest of Spain. The capital of the municipality is also Cangas de Onís....
, Spain
Leon, Spain
León, Spain
León is the capital of the province of León in the autonomous community of Castile and León, situated in the northwest of Spain. Its city population of 136,985 makes it the largest municipality in the province, accounting for more than one quarter of the province's population...
La Habana, Cuba
Fermo
Fermo
Fermo is a town and comune of the Marche, Italy, in the Province of Fermo.Fermo is located on a hill, the Sabulo with a fine view, on a branch from Porto San Giorgio on the Adriatic coast railway....
, Italia
Bogota
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia
Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
, China
Novo Hamburgo
Novo Hamburgo
Novo Hamburgo is a city in the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.Its population is 237,044 . The city covers an area of 217 square kilometers, and the average temperature is 19°C, a mild one for the region...
, Brasil
Leon, Nicaragua
León, Nicaragua
León is a department in northwestern Nicaragua . It is also the second largest city in Nicaragua, after Managua. It was founded by the Spaniards as Santiago de los Caballeros de León and rivals Granada, Nicaragua, in the number of historic Spanish colonial homes and churches...
External links
- Portal de León Official website
- WWW.LeonGuanajuato.COM Portal LeonGuanajuato.COM
- Periódico a.m. The region's leading daily newspaper
- www.discover-leon.com — Guide to Leon, Mexico.