Morelia is the capital of the
MexicanThe 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...
stateThe United Mexican States is a federation made up of thirty-one "free and sovereign states". These states constitute one federated State or Union. The federal government has exclusive jurisdiction over the Federal District, a territory which does not belong to any state but to all, as well as...
of
MichoacánMichoacán formally Michoacán de Ocampo , is one of the 31 constituent states of Mexico. It borders the states of Colima and Jalisco to the west, Guanajuato and Querétaro to the north, México to the east, Guerrero to the south-east, and the Pacific Ocean to the south.Michoacán has an area of...
. The city is situated at an elevation of 1,921 meters above sea level in the region of the Guayangareo Valley, surrounded by the Punhuato and Quinceo Hills.
The city is the biggest in the state, and the population of the conurbated area was 642,319 people (608,049 in the city of Morelia), according to the census of 2005 (Segundo Conteo de Población y Vivienda 2005). The municipality of Morelia, of which the city serves as municipal seat, has an area of 1,199.02 km² (462.94 sq mi) and a population of 684,145. It includes such outlying towns as Morelos and Capula. The metropolitan area includes the municipality of
TarímbaroTarímbaro is a municipality in the Mexican state of Michoacán which Valtazar Gaona is the major of. The municipality has an area of 258.57 square kilometres and is bordered to the north by Copándaro, Meson Nuevo and Cuitzeo, to the east by Álvaro Obregón, to the south by Morelia and Charo, and to...
, and had 735,624 inhabitants in 2005.
The city's mayor is Fausto Vallejo Figueroa, from the
PRIThe Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that wielded power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the...
. It is his third non-consecutive term as presidente municipal.
Current President Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa was born in Morelia.
The city's historic downtown area, which houses more than 1000 colonial buildings and churches, became a
World Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site that is on the list that is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 state parties which are elected by their General Assembly for a four-year term.A World Heritage Site is a...
in 1991.
History
Before the arrival of the
SpaniardsThe Spanish colonization of the Americas was the settlement and political rule over much of the western hemisphere which was initiated by the Spanish conquistadors and fought mostly by their native allies...
, the region was inhabited by a people known as the Pirindas, and the place was called "Guayangareo". Morelia was officially founded on May 18, 1541, by the first viceroy of New Spain,
Antonio de MendozaAntonio de Mendoza, Marquis of Mondéjar, Count of Tendilla , was the first viceroy of New Spain, serving from April 17, 1535 to November 25, 1550, and the third viceroy of Peru, from September 23, 1551 to July 21, 1552...
, as "City of Michoacán". It was inhabited by 50 Spanish noble families and by Purepecha Indians (brought from
PátzcuaroPátzcuaro is a large town and municipality located in the state of Michoacán. The town was founded sometime in the 1320’s, at first becoming the capital of the Tarascan state and later its ceremonial center...
and Tiripetio to serve the Spanish). In 1545, the name was changed to "Valladolid".
Unlike
PátzcuaroPátzcuaro is a large town and municipality located in the state of Michoacán. The town was founded sometime in the 1320’s, at first becoming the capital of the Tarascan state and later its ceremonial center...
, an indigenous city of which Valladolid was a rival for a long time, Valladolid was essentially Spanish, inhabited by conquistadors and their descendants, and by upstarts that came from the metropolis. In 1547 it got the title of city, and was given a coat of arms in 1553.
The rivalry between Pátzcuaro and Valladolid occurred when they began a dispute about where the seat of the
bishopric of MichoacanThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Morelia is a Metropolitan Archdiocese, responsible for the dioceses of Apatzingan, Ciudad Lázaro Cárdenas, Tacámbaro and Zamora...
should locate.
The Spaniards wanted Valladolid to be made into an episcopal city, but
Vasco 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.-Early career and appointment to the second Audiencia:Vasco de Quiroga was born into a noble family...
, who always defended the Indians from the Spaniards, wanted this title to be granted to Pátzcuaro. In 1571, six years after Vasco de Quiroga's death, King
Philip IIPhilip II was King of Spain and Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, during his wife Mary Tudor's reign, King of England and Ireland...
upgraded Valladolid to an
episcopal cityAn episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
.
In 1580, Valladolid replaced Pátzcuaro as the capital of Michoacán. During the colonial period a number of religious orders established themselves in the city, allowing it to take an important place in the history of
artArt is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music, literature, film, sculpture, and paintings...
and
cultureCulture is a term that has different meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
in
New SpainThe Viceroyalty of New Spain , was the political unit of Spanish territories in North and Central America, and Asia-Pacific. The territory included the present-day California, Southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America , the Caribbean, and the Philippines. It was ruled by a viceroy from...
. Important
architecturalFor a topical guide to this subject, see Outline of architecture. Architecture is the art and science of designing and constructing buildings and other physical structures for human shelter or use....
sites from the colonial period include the Catedral de Morelia, the Aqueduct (built between 1785 and 1789 by Fray Antonio de San Miguel), the Governor's Palace, the Palacio Clavijero, and numerous churches,
conventA convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
s, and houses. The Conservatorio de Música de las Rosas of Morelia was the first music conservatory in the
AmericasThe Americas, or America, are lands in the Western hemisphere or New World, comprising the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. America may be ambiguous in English, as it is more commonly used to refer to the United States of America...
.
The city is the birthplace of
José María Morelos José María Teclo Morelos y Pavón was a Mexican Roman Catholic priest and revolutionary rebel leader who led the Mexican War of Independence movement, assuming its leadership after the execution of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in 1811...
(1765), after whom it was renamed on September 12, 1828, and who along with Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla began the
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 Mexican War of Independence movement was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought independence from Spain...
from Spain in 1810. It was also the birthplace of
Agustín de IturbideAgustín Cosme Damián de Iturbide y Aramburu 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...
(1783), later Emperor of Mexico, and
Josefa Ortiz de DomínguezJosefa Ortiz de Domínguez was a conspirator and supporter of the Mexican War of Independence, who fought for independence against Spain, in the early 19th century...
, who played a key role in the instigation of the Independence movement.
The city hosted the 2003 G-20 Conference on behalf of
MexicoThe 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...
.
On September 15, 2008, at 11 p.m., during festivities celebrating the 198th anniversary of the
Declaration of IndependenceA declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
, civilians gathered on the Plaza Melchor Ocampo
were attackedThe 2008 Morelia grenade attacks took place on 15 September 2008 on the occasion of the Mexican Independence Day anniversary when thousands of people were gathered in the Plaza Melchor Ocampo, the main square of the Mexican city of Morelia, Michoacán...
by a fragmentation grenade, followed by a second detonation four blocks away. Official sources confirmed eight dead and 135 injured. Terrorist groups linked to
organized crimeOrganized crime or criminal organizations can be defined as a transnational grouping of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for the purpose of generating a monetary profit...
and drug trafficking were alleged to be responsible for these attacks. On September 26, 2008, three arrests were made in connection with the attacks.
Historic monuments
The Historic Downtown Area
(Centro Histórico), a
UNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945...
World Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site that is on the list that is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 state parties which are elected by their General Assembly for a four-year term.A World Heritage Site is a...
, encompasses approximately 150 city blocks at the city center, roughly corresponding to the urban area of the city at the end of the eighteenth century. The Centro Histórico contains over 1,000 historical buildings and sites.
Morelia is characterized by the magnificence of its monuments which are mostly colonial. The most remarkable buildings are the baroque cathedral, finished in 1744; the convent of San Francisco, built in 1513; the convent of San Agustín, founded in 1550; the college and temple of La Compañia de Jesus, started in 1580 and known as Palacio Clavijero; the convent of El Carmen, constructed in 1597; the convent of Santa Catarina that dates from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Other important constructions are the 1613 convent of La Merced, the college of
Santa Rosa María-People:*Saint Rose of Lima *Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne *Saint Rose of Viterbo -Manitoba:*Sainte Rose du Lac, Manitoba, a small French-speaking town**Ste. Rose du Lac Airport**Ste...
whose foundation was in 1743; the palace of the Executive, its construction started in 1734 and finished in 1770; the eighteenth century palaces of the Legislature and of the Judiciary; the sixteenth century college Primitivo y Nacional de San Nicolas de Hidalgo, reconstructed in 1882, the eighteenth century Museo Michoacano; and the house where José María Morelos was born, on Corregidora street, which is now used as a museum, library and for cultural events.
The Casa de las Artesanías features a large variety of high quality
artisanAn artisan is a skilled manual worker who crafts items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewelry, household items, and tools...
al works. There are several other notable historical churches in town including the Templo de las Rosas annex to the Conservatorio de las Rosas, which are both examples of
baroqueBaroque is an artistic style prevalent from the late 16th century to the early 18th century. The popularity and success of the Baroque style was encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church, which had decided at the time of the Council of Trent that the arts should communicate religious themes in...
architecture, and the
Templo de San DiegoTemplo de San Diego is a Roman Catholic church located in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. The church is named after Saint Juan Diego who is generally accepted as the first person to witness the Virgin of Guadalupe. It is an active church today and is considered a part of the Downtown Moreila UNESCO...
(also known as Santuario de Guadalupe), built with an interpretation of the
RococoRococo is a style of 18th century French art and interior design. Rococo rooms were designed as total works of art with elegant and ornate furniture, small sculptures, ornamental mirrors, and tapestry complementing architecture, reliefs, and wall paintings...
style using indigenous colors and techniques. The monumental
aqueductAn aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
, built in colonial days to bring water into town, was functional through 1910. It is made up by more than 250 arches. Its construction started in 1787 and finished in 1789. The inner city is built of reddish
sandstoneSandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains. Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any color, but the most common colors are tan, brown, yellow,...
, lending the city a unique character among Mexico's many noteworthy colonial cities and giving origin to the name
Ciudad de las Canteras Rosas ("city of pink stone") that is sometimes used in reference to Morelia.
Other attractions
Monarcas Morelia, a soccer team playing in the
Primera División de MéxicoThe Primera División de México , simply known 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 2009 has 18 clubs, divided into three groups competing for league titles...
, is based in Morelia.
Morelia has three
golfGolf is a precision club-and-ball sport, in which competing players , using many types of clubs, attempt to hit balls into each hole on a golf course while employing the fewest number of strokes. Golf is one of the few ball games that does not require a standardized playing area...
courses: "Club Campestre de Morelia" founded in 1968, which has 9 holes with great difficulty because of very large trees and beautiful lakes; "Tres Marías", a 27-hole
Jack NicklausJack William Nicklaus , also known as "The Golden Bear", is regarded by many to be the greatest professional golfer of all time. Nicklaus, who holds the record for the most victories in major championships , was continuously ranked as the world's number one golfer on McCormack's World Golf...
-designed course that hosts the LPGA once a year; "Club Erandeni", which recently opened its fairways to the public. A fourth, designed by Carter Morrish, is under development in Bosque Monarca, now known as Altozano.
At the southern edge of the city is the Santa María mountain range, and is home to upscale residential districts, private sector schools and the Universidad Vasco de Quiroga and the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. Under construction in this area is Paseo Morelia, a shopping center which will be among the largest in Latin America, slated to open in late 2008. The main road leading to this area has been recently re-named Juan Pablo Blvd., and it leads to a traffic circle bearing a bronze statute of the late
Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła served as Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death almost 27 years later. His was the second-longest pontificate; only Pope Pius IX served longer...
. Land has been donated in the vicinity for the construction of a school operated by the Legionaries of Christ. Originally called Montaña Monarca, this development has been renamed Altozano and is patterned after the Ave Maria planned community near
Naples, FloridaNaples is a city in Collier County, Florida, USA. As of 1 July 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on 1 July 2007...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Since 2006, the first half of the prestigious
Linares chess tournamentThe annual Linares chess tournament, usually played around the end of February, takes its name from the city of Linares in the Jaén province of Andalusia, Spain, in which it is held...
has been held in Morelia.
Education
Among the public and private universities located in Morelia are:
- Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo
Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo is a public institution of higher education located in Morelia , Michoacán, Mexico...
(public). This is the main university of Michoacán. It was founded in 1551 as the Colegio de San Nicolás by Vasco 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.-Early career and appointment to the second Audiencia:Vasco de Quiroga was born into a noble family...
, first bishop of Michoacán. It is one of the oldest universities in America and one of the most important public universities of Mexico.
- UNAM
UNAM or UNaM may refer to:*National Autonomous University of Mexico , the large public autonomous university based in Mexico City...
- Unidad Morelia (public).
- Instituto Tecnológico de Morelia
The Morelia Institute of Technology , also known as Morelia Tech , is a public university in Morelia, Michoacán, México founded in 1964.- Undergraduate Programs :...
(public).
- Universidad Vasco de Quiroga (private)
- Universidad Latina de América, UNLA (private)
- Universidad La Salle (private)
- Universidad de Morelia (private)
- Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) Campus Morelia (private)
- Universidad Tec Milenio (private)
- Universidad Internacional Jefferson (private)
External links
Population statistics from INEGI Mexican Municipality Encyclopedia Official website Photo gallery of Morelia Information about Morelia Google map of Morelia with points of interest