Ocotlán de Morelos
Encyclopedia
Ocotlán de Morelos is a town and municipality
in the state of Oaxaca
, about 35 km south of the center of the city of Oaxaca
along Highway 175.
It is part of the Ocotlán District
in the south of the Valles Centrales Region
The area was a significant population center at the time of the Spanish Conquest, and for that reason an important Dominican
monastery was established here in the 16th century. The complex still exists, with the church still being used for worship and the cloister
area used as a museum. While mostly quiet, the city is an important distribution and transportation center for the south of the Central Valleys region of Oaxaca, a function which is expected to be reinforced with the opening of new highway being built to connect the city of Oaxaca with the Pacific coast. The city is known for artist Rodolfo Morales
, who painted aspects of his hometown in his works and sponsored projects to save and restore historic monuments here. For generations the municipality has been known for its crafts, with the ceramics making Aguilar family producing some of the best known craftsmen.
The name Ocotlan is from Nahuatl
and means "among the ocote
trees" with the appendage "de Morelos" added in honor of José María Morelos y Pavón. During the colonial period the area was known as Santo Domingo Ocotlán due to the Dominican friars who created a monastery here dedicated to Saint Dominic
. The Zapotec name for the area is "Lachiroo" which means "large valley" although some Zapotecs in the Tlacolula
area called it "Guelache" which means "plaza of the valley.
By the 18th century, Octolan has eight small neighborhoods including one called Santa María Tocuela (the oldest) and San Juan Chilatece in which the market was founded.
During the Mexican War of Independence, Morelos camped here for three days on his way to Acapulco. Ocotlan was officially declared a town in 1875.
In 1916, forces loyal to Venustiano Carranza
successfully defended the town from an attack led by General Macario Hernandez. Ocotlan was officially declared a city in 1926.
Since the Mexican Revolution
, the city has been mostly quiet but the current construction of a superhighway linking the city of Oaxaca has been bringing changes to the area. The road called Camino Real a San Juan was recently paved, and event that drew the attendance of the governor of Oaxaca. Other newly paved roads include Calle Industria, Calle Francisco Villa and Calle Ayuntamiento. The new paving is meant to relieve traffic congestion on the roads to Ejutla de Crespo
and the city of Oaxaca by providing alternate routes for current and future traffic.
In 2006, the social uprisings that affected much of Oaxaca
affected Ocotlán. Much of the social unrest centered around the mines that are located in the municipality and consequences continue to this day . A mining labor leader from the area, Napolean Gomez Urrutia, living in Vancouver, is seeking asylum in Canada after the Mexican government asked for his extradition. He is accused of fraud, criminal associated and other offences associated with the social uprisings. Before he left for Canada, Gomez Urrutia was demanding an investigation into the deaths of 65 workers at a coal mine in the area. In 2009, protesters from several communities in the municipality blocked a highway to demand the cancellation of an arrest warrant against residents who opposed the operation of a mine and demand talks to close the La Trinidad mine. The mine belongs to a Mexican-Canadian company called Cuxcatlan. Protesters claim the mine is polluting their lands. The protesters were supported by Section 22 of the SNTE and APPO.
An unrelated controversy in 2008 involved child pornography charges against the Colegio Guadalupe school. Implicated are several parents and photographer Norberto Dionisio Martinez. The photographs in question involved partially nude women, men and children in a classroom at the school. Angry parents have protested and sued the school although those involved claimed no pornographic acts were involved.
. It is also a point of transit for those traveling between the state capital and the coast, a role that will be enforced with the completion of the new modern highway. One reason the area is relatively quiet is that for many years, until recently, its churches, monastery, plazas and gardens lay unkempt against the effects of the sun and time, as well as vandalism. Most of the restoration work was sponsored by artist Rodolfo Morales, a native of Ocotlán.
The city's main attraction is the Temple and Ex-convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán. The complex was constructed in various stages between the 16th and 19th centuries. The construction of the monastery was halted on several occasions due the lack of manpower, due to the discovery of mines nearby such as Santa Catarina. The main vault, apse
, choir and sacristy
of the church were not finished until 1669. The pillars of the cloister were begun at this time as well, but were never finished.
From then until the early 19th century, much of the complex was poorly maintained and fell into ruins. Starting in 1804, the Dominicans worked to rehabilitate the building, with attempts continuing until the complex was appropriated by the federal government during the Reform Laws
. Ocotlan was one of the last towns in Oaxaca to still have friars in residence in the 19th century but by 1855, the last one had left. By 1885, the monastery area was completely abandoned, but the church was still functioning and remaining in relatively good condition.
After it was no longer used as a monastery, the complex has several uses, including that of a prison, where inmates made crafts. In the latter 20th century, the Rodolfo Morales Foundation restored and converted the monastery space into a museum, which contains one room with works by Morales, one room with Oaxaca crafts and one room with artwork from the colonial period. There are also sound and book libraries. In the courtyard where the old pillory is, are held cultural events and photography shoots. The church was also restored by the foundation, but maintains its religious function.
The church is fronted by a very large atrium
fenced by a stone wall. The main facade has two bodies and a crest with both Baroque
and Neoclassical
elements. The first body contains the door arch and the second is marked by the choir window. Both bodes are flanked by columns with Ionic order
capitols. The columns extend up the facade and have profuse vegetative decoration. At the top, there is a shell. In the interior is the Chapel of the Senor de la Sacristia, which is decorated in Neoclassical style.
The municipal palace has a sober Neoclassic facade built with pink stone, with columns and pediments. The main feature are the arches which rest on columns with rectangular bases, forming portals. It was designed to be a focus point for social interaction. The main feature of the interior is the mural work done in the council chambers by Rodolfo Morales in the 1950s, when he was a young man. The mural work depicts scenes from the history of Ocotlán as well as landscapes and representative scenes such as the municipality markets
, mining and agriculture. Unfortunately, this work does not receive the care it deserves as the chambers have been used for storage as well as meetings. This palace was constructed to commemorate the Centennial of Mexican Independence which occurred in 1910, and was completed in 1913.
The Rodolfo Morales house is a mansion from the 18th century which he rescued and lived in. Today, the building is a cultural center with an open air theatre, which can seat 200 people, galleries of work by local artists and a computer center. All activities and resources here are offered free of charge. The house is located just north of the main square and preserves a number of Morales personal effects, including collages. The building is also home to the Fundación Cultural Rodolfo Morales, A. C (Rodolfo Morales Cultural Foundation), which is a private, nonprofit organization which promotes education and culture in the Ocotlan District of the state of Oaxaca. The Foundation realizes restorations, the maintenance and conservation of architectural monuments, paintings and sculptures and trains young people in restoration work. The foundation was created in 1992 by Rodolfo Morales.
The Octolan railroad station was built along the old Ferrocarril San Jerónimo to San Pablo Huixtepec line in 1906. In 1909, a second platform was built.
A number of important traditions are maintained in the community. The feast of the Virgin of Ocotlán is celebrated on 15 May. Most of the festivities take place on the main square of the town with live music and regional food, especially tamale
s and atole
. The feast of the Señor de la Sacristia is celebrated on the third Sunday in May. One old tradition that is still maintained is a dancing procession to bring the bride and groom their wedding gifts to their new home.
However, the most important tradition is the weekly Friday market day (tianguis
), which is one of the oldest and largest in the Central Valleys region of Oaxaca. Produce and products from surrounding towns are available as well as manufactured products. Market day is not just buying and selling for rural and indigenous communities, it is a festive ritual which has been held regularly for thousands of years, attracting both locals and families from small outlying villages to both buy and sell. It is an opportunity for many to socialize with distant neighbors. Market day begins very early for both residents and those who travel to the town to sell. Many products such as plants, flowers, fruit, lime (material)lime for tortillas, live animals, fabric, ceramics, baskets, knives, saddles, hats, rope, alebrije
s, traditional footwear and drinks such as mezcal
and tejate. Many of the products are the crafts produced by other towns in the Central Valleys region of Oaxaca, such as textiles of Jalietza, and San Antonino Castillo Velasco
and the alebrijes of San Martín Tilcajete
. Prepared regional specialties are also offered here and the adjacent permanent municipal market. Some of the traditional foods here include several types of mole
(negro, rojo, Amarillo, coloradito and more), chichilo, tasajo, tamales in banana leaves and tacos with chapulines
(fried grasshoppers). Another favorite is ice cream in flavors such as nut, cactus fruit
, guanabana, horchata
and others. Sweet breads such as "mamones" "rosquitas" "marquezotes" and coconut tortillas are popular as well. Most of the food products are locally made, including chapulines, animal crackers made with piloncillo and ice cream.
The eighth campus of the Nova Universitas University, part of the SUNEO system, was inaugurated by Oaxaca governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz
in the city. The college focuses on providing educational opportunities to indigenous populations. Professors give classes both in person at the campus and provide distance learning through big screens in remote classrooms with special monitors to allow student-teacher dialogue. The distance learning scheme allows students in Ocotlan to study with professors from other parts of the state and even attend classes offered in foreign countries. The first degrees offered are Computer Science and Agricultural Science. The school also offered adult and remedial education.
The city has a tuna ensemble
called the "Tuna Universitaria Santo Domingo de Guzman." This group organizes recitals such as the one in December 2009 for Christmas, inviting other tuna ensembles. The ensemble was founded in 1978 with the objective of preserving the music and traditions associated with the musical style and receives funding from Oaxaca state as well as from private sources.
Rodolfo Morales’ career as an artist developed in fits and starts. In the 1950s, Morales was commissioned to do the mural work in the municipal palace of Ocotlan, painting it with historical and current scenes related to the municipality. Much of this mural work shows similarities to mural work done by Diego Rivera. From that time to the 1970s, Morales remained in obscurity, teaching art privately and for a UNAM
affiliated preparatory school. In the 1970s, his work was discovered by Mexican painter Rufino Tamaya, when Morales was in his 50s. This later work was more surreal than that of the mural he painted when he was younger. From the time of his discovery by Tamayo until 1986, Morales continued to work at the preparatory school even though his work was being sold in Europe, Mexico and the United States. In 1986, Morales retired from teaching to paint full time. The production from this time period brought him fame and fortune, allowing him to sponsor civic projects in his hometown. In 1992, he established the Rodolfo Morales Foundation dedicated to fomenting the culture of Oaxaca and supporting the youth of Ocotlan. The artist died in 2001. Much of the restoration work in the monastery and church were done by Morales himself, including feminizing the angels and making the faces more solemn.
While Morales is Ocotlán's best known creative mind, the town has been associated with crafts for generations. Some of the crafts still practiced here include basketry, textiles in the form of rebozo
s and other traditional clothing embroidered in silk thread, blade making, saddlemaking and miniatures in lead. The town is known for its red clay pottery, which is often painted in various colors. Octolan is part of a stretch of road on which are a number of crafts towns such as San Bartolo Coyotepec, San Martin Tilcajete, Santo Tomás Jlietza and Santa Ana Zegache.
Josefina Aguilar has been noted for her ceramic work since 1977 when she won the third Premio Nacional de Arte (National Art Prize) in 1977. Later, she would win statewide and other nationwide honors and would show her work internationally in places such as the United States and Europe, and her work can be found around the world. Guillermina Aguilar Alcantara is known for her nativity scenes, wedding scenes, candle sticks and other works done in clay. She and her sister Irene have also won a number of awards and has exported her wears to over a dozen countries. Much of this exporting success was due to a grant by Fomento Cultural Banamex which allowed the family operation to purchase shipping equipment.
Another known craftsman is Angel Aguilar, who is known for making knives, swords, machetes and the like using the same techniques as those used in the 16th century. Aguilar began making blades when he was ten, taught by his father and uncle. He is now teaching the craft to the next generation.
, San Martín Tilcajete
, San Juan Chilateca
, San Antonino Castillo Velasco
, Santiago Apóstol
, Ejutla de Crespo
, Santa Catarina Minas
, San Dionisio Ocotlán
, San Pedro Mártir
, Asunción Ocotlán
, San Pedro Apóstol
, Magdalena Ocotlán
, Santa Inés Yatzeche
and Santa Gertrudis
.
The territory's geography varies from mountains to flat valley area with some rolling hills. Principle elevations include Yavitise, and Guevexco which are part of the mountain region located to the east and Santa Catarina Minas and San Miguel Tilquiapam to the west. The main surface water is the Ocotlan River, which is a tributary of the Atoyac. Other rivers include the Chilana, Santa Rosa, Rio Grande, Riod Chichicapan, San Pablo, Taviche, Atoyac, Guanibay, Rio Bravo, La Garzona, Del Panteon and Paraiso. In addition there are intermittant streams that principally flow during the rainy season. The climate is temperate with some variation in temperature during the year and a moderate rainy season in the summer and early autumn. Most of the municipality's flora and fauna has been disturbed by man, with flat areas converted into farmland or settlements. Forests of pine and ocote still exist in the higher elevations.
There are deposits of gold, silver, iron, coal, lead, copper, zinc, antimony
, titanium
, asbestos
and other minerals.
Most of the population is involved in agriculture (23%), crafts and manufacturing (28%) and commerce (45%). One major crop is the castor oil plant
, along with corn, beans and various fruit trees. Livestock includes cattle, pigs, goats and domestic fowl. There is a processing plant which makes vegetable oil, with mezcal and dairy products produced in small workshops. Crafts include textiles and ceramics. Most working in commerce has small family businesses.
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...
in the state of Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
, about 35 km south of the center of the city of Oaxaca
Oaxaca, Oaxaca
The city and municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name . It is located in the Centro District in the Central Valleys region of the state, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at the base of the Cerro del Fortín...
along Highway 175.
It is part of the Ocotlán District
Ocotlán District, Oaxaca
Ocotlán District is located in the south of the Valles Centrales Region of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico.-Municipalities:The district includes the following municipalities:*Asunción Ocotlán*Magdalena Ocotlán*Ocotlán de Morelos...
in the south of the Valles Centrales Region
Valles Centrales de Oaxaca
The Valles Centrales is a region in the heart of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico.It includes the districts of Etla, Centro, Zaachila, Zimatlán, Ocotlán, Tlacolula and Ejutla...
The area was a significant population center at the time of the Spanish Conquest, and for that reason an important Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
monastery was established here in the 16th century. The complex still exists, with the church still being used for worship and the cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
area used as a museum. While mostly quiet, the city is an important distribution and transportation center for the south of the Central Valleys region of Oaxaca, a function which is expected to be reinforced with the opening of new highway being built to connect the city of Oaxaca with the Pacific coast. The city is known for artist Rodolfo Morales
Rodolfo Morales
Rodolfo Morales was a Mexican painter, who incorporated elements of magic realism into his work.Morales is best known for his brightly coloured surrealistic dream-like canvases and collages often featuring Mexican women in village settings...
, who painted aspects of his hometown in his works and sponsored projects to save and restore historic monuments here. For generations the municipality has been known for its crafts, with the ceramics making Aguilar family producing some of the best known craftsmen.
The name Ocotlan is from 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...
and means "among the ocote
Ocote
Ocote may refer to:*Pinus apulcensis*Pinus ayacahuite*Pinus cooperi*Pinus devoniana*Pinus durangensis*Pinus gordoniana*Pinus greggii*Pinus hartwegii*Pinus herrerae*Pinus jaliscana*Pinus leiophylla...
trees" with the appendage "de Morelos" added in honor of José María Morelos y Pavón. During the colonial period the area was known as Santo Domingo Ocotlán due to the Dominican friars who created a monastery here dedicated to Saint Dominic
Saint Dominic
Saint Dominic , also known as Dominic of Osma, often called Dominic de Guzmán and Domingo Félix de Guzmán was the founder of the Friars Preachers, popularly called the Dominicans or Order of Preachers , a Catholic religious order...
. The Zapotec name for the area is "Lachiroo" which means "large valley" although some Zapotecs in the Tlacolula
Tlacolula de Matamoros
Tlacolula de Matamoros is a city and municipality in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, about 30 km from the center of the city of Oaxaca on Federal Highway 190, which leads east to Mitla and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec ....
area called it "Guelache" which means "plaza of the valley.
History
The ethnicity of the first populations of this area is not known, but one of the earliest settlements is a site called Tortolita, located two km from the modern town center. When the Spanish arrived, the settlement had about 2,000 inhabitants, which is why the monastery was eventually founded here. In 1538, the bishopric sent Dominicans to found a parish. The monastery was founded in 1555 and called Santo Domingo de Ocotlán. The official founding of the town by Diego Hernandez Domingo Luis and Juan Vazquez also occurred in 1555. The complex was never finished because the local people also worked in the mines established nearby.By the 18th century, Octolan has eight small neighborhoods including one called Santa María Tocuela (the oldest) and San Juan Chilatece in which the market was founded.
During the Mexican War of Independence, Morelos camped here for three days on his way to Acapulco. Ocotlan was officially declared a town in 1875.
In 1916, forces loyal to Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza de la Garza, was one of the leaders of the Mexican Revolution. He ultimately became President of Mexico following the overthrow of the dictatorial Huerta regime in the summer of 1914 and during his administration the current constitution of Mexico was drafted...
successfully defended the town from an attack led by General Macario Hernandez. Ocotlan was officially declared a city in 1926.
Since the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
, the city has been mostly quiet but the current construction of a superhighway linking the city of Oaxaca has been bringing changes to the area. The road called Camino Real a San Juan was recently paved, and event that drew the attendance of the governor of Oaxaca. Other newly paved roads include Calle Industria, Calle Francisco Villa and Calle Ayuntamiento. The new paving is meant to relieve traffic congestion on the roads to Ejutla de Crespo
Ejutla de Crespo
Ejutla de Crespo is a city and a municipality of the same name, in the central valleys of the Mexican state of Oaxaca.It is part of the Teotitlán District in the north of the Cañada Region....
and the city of Oaxaca by providing alternate routes for current and future traffic.
In 2006, the social uprisings that affected much of Oaxaca
2006 Oaxaca protests
The Mexican state of Oaxaca was embroiled in a conflict that lasted more than seven months and resulted in at least seventeen deaths and the occupation of the capital city of Oaxaca by the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca . The conflict emerged in May 2006 with the police responding to a...
affected Ocotlán. Much of the social unrest centered around the mines that are located in the municipality and consequences continue to this day . A mining labor leader from the area, Napolean Gomez Urrutia, living in Vancouver, is seeking asylum in Canada after the Mexican government asked for his extradition. He is accused of fraud, criminal associated and other offences associated with the social uprisings. Before he left for Canada, Gomez Urrutia was demanding an investigation into the deaths of 65 workers at a coal mine in the area. In 2009, protesters from several communities in the municipality blocked a highway to demand the cancellation of an arrest warrant against residents who opposed the operation of a mine and demand talks to close the La Trinidad mine. The mine belongs to a Mexican-Canadian company called Cuxcatlan. Protesters claim the mine is polluting their lands. The protesters were supported by Section 22 of the SNTE and APPO.
An unrelated controversy in 2008 involved child pornography charges against the Colegio Guadalupe school. Implicated are several parents and photographer Norberto Dionisio Martinez. The photographs in question involved partially nude women, men and children in a classroom at the school. Angry parents have protested and sued the school although those involved claimed no pornographic acts were involved.
The city
The city can seem like an ordinary and even empty town at first glance. However, because of its geographic location on the south end of the Central Valleys region of Oaxaca, the city is a distribution center for local towns and smaller cities such as Santa Lucía MiahuatlánSanta Lucía Miahuatlán
Santa Lucía Miahuatlán is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 109.72 km².It is part of the Miahuatlán District in the south of the Sierra Sur Region....
. It is also a point of transit for those traveling between the state capital and the coast, a role that will be enforced with the completion of the new modern highway. One reason the area is relatively quiet is that for many years, until recently, its churches, monastery, plazas and gardens lay unkempt against the effects of the sun and time, as well as vandalism. Most of the restoration work was sponsored by artist Rodolfo Morales, a native of Ocotlán.
The city's main attraction is the Temple and Ex-convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán. The complex was constructed in various stages between the 16th and 19th centuries. The construction of the monastery was halted on several occasions due the lack of manpower, due to the discovery of mines nearby such as Santa Catarina. The main vault, apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
, choir and sacristy
Sacristy
A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.The sacristy is usually located inside the church, but in some cases it is an annex or separate building...
of the church were not finished until 1669. The pillars of the cloister were begun at this time as well, but were never finished.
From then until the early 19th century, much of the complex was poorly maintained and fell into ruins. Starting in 1804, the Dominicans worked to rehabilitate the building, with attempts continuing until the complex was appropriated by the federal government during the Reform Laws
Reform War
The Reform War in Mexico is one of the episodes of the long struggle between Liberal and Conservative forces that dominated the country’s history in the 19th century. The Liberals wanted a federalist government, limiting traditional Catholic Church and military influence in the country...
. Ocotlan was one of the last towns in Oaxaca to still have friars in residence in the 19th century but by 1855, the last one had left. By 1885, the monastery area was completely abandoned, but the church was still functioning and remaining in relatively good condition.
After it was no longer used as a monastery, the complex has several uses, including that of a prison, where inmates made crafts. In the latter 20th century, the Rodolfo Morales Foundation restored and converted the monastery space into a museum, which contains one room with works by Morales, one room with Oaxaca crafts and one room with artwork from the colonial period. There are also sound and book libraries. In the courtyard where the old pillory is, are held cultural events and photography shoots. The church was also restored by the foundation, but maintains its religious function.
The church is fronted by a very large atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
fenced by a stone wall. The main facade has two bodies and a crest with both Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
and Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical 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...
elements. The first body contains the door arch and the second is marked by the choir window. Both bodes are flanked by columns with Ionic order
Ionic 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...
capitols. The columns extend up the facade and have profuse vegetative decoration. At the top, there is a shell. In the interior is the Chapel of the Senor de la Sacristia, which is decorated in Neoclassical style.
The municipal palace has a sober Neoclassic facade built with pink stone, with columns and pediments. The main feature are the arches which rest on columns with rectangular bases, forming portals. It was designed to be a focus point for social interaction. The main feature of the interior is the mural work done in the council chambers by Rodolfo Morales in the 1950s, when he was a young man. The mural work depicts scenes from the history of Ocotlán as well as landscapes and representative scenes such as the municipality markets
Traditional fixed markets in Mexico
Traditional fixed markets in Mexico go by a variety of names such as "mercados públicos" , "mercados municipales" or even more often simply "mercados"...
, mining and agriculture. Unfortunately, this work does not receive the care it deserves as the chambers have been used for storage as well as meetings. This palace was constructed to commemorate the Centennial of Mexican Independence which occurred in 1910, and was completed in 1913.
The Rodolfo Morales house is a mansion from the 18th century which he rescued and lived in. Today, the building is a cultural center with an open air theatre, which can seat 200 people, galleries of work by local artists and a computer center. All activities and resources here are offered free of charge. The house is located just north of the main square and preserves a number of Morales personal effects, including collages. The building is also home to the Fundación Cultural Rodolfo Morales, A. C (Rodolfo Morales Cultural Foundation), which is a private, nonprofit organization which promotes education and culture in the Ocotlan District of the state of Oaxaca. The Foundation realizes restorations, the maintenance and conservation of architectural monuments, paintings and sculptures and trains young people in restoration work. The foundation was created in 1992 by Rodolfo Morales.
The Octolan railroad station was built along the old Ferrocarril San Jerónimo to San Pablo Huixtepec line in 1906. In 1909, a second platform was built.
A number of important traditions are maintained in the community. The feast of the Virgin of Ocotlán is celebrated on 15 May. Most of the festivities take place on the main square of the town with live music and regional food, especially tamale
Tamale
A tamale — or more correctly tamal — is a traditional Latin American dish made of masa , which is steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper. The wrapping is discarded before eating...
s and atole
Atole
Atole is a traditional masa-based Mexican and Central American hot drink. Chocolate atole is known as champurrado or atole...
. The feast of the Señor de la Sacristia is celebrated on the third Sunday in May. One old tradition that is still maintained is a dancing procession to bring the bride and groom their wedding gifts to their new home.
However, the most important tradition is the weekly Friday market day (tianguis
Tianguis
A tianguis is an open air market or bazaar that is traditionally held on certain market days in a town or city neighborhood in Mexico and Central America. This bazaar tradition has its roots well into the pre-Hispanic period and continues in many cases essentially unchanged into the present day....
), which is one of the oldest and largest in the Central Valleys region of Oaxaca. Produce and products from surrounding towns are available as well as manufactured products. Market day is not just buying and selling for rural and indigenous communities, it is a festive ritual which has been held regularly for thousands of years, attracting both locals and families from small outlying villages to both buy and sell. It is an opportunity for many to socialize with distant neighbors. Market day begins very early for both residents and those who travel to the town to sell. Many products such as plants, flowers, fruit, lime (material)lime for tortillas, live animals, fabric, ceramics, baskets, knives, saddles, hats, rope, alebrije
Alebrije
Alebrijes are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures. The first alebrijes, along with use of the term, originated with Pedro Linares. After dreaming the creatures while sick in the 1930s, he began to create what he saw in cardboard and papier mache...
s, traditional footwear and drinks such as mezcal
Mezcal
Mezcal, or mescal, is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the maguey plant native to Mexico. The word mezcal comes from Nahuatl metl and ixcalli which mean 'oven cooked agave.'...
and tejate. Many of the products are the crafts produced by other towns in the Central Valleys region of Oaxaca, such as textiles of Jalietza, and San Antonino Castillo Velasco
San Antonino Castillo Velasco
San Antonino Castillo Velasco is a town and municipality located south of the city of Oaxaca, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca.It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region...
and the alebrijes of San Martín Tilcajete
San Martín Tilcajete
San Martín Tilcajete is a town and municipality located about from the city of Oaxaca, in the state of Oaxaca, in the south of Mexico.It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region...
. Prepared regional specialties are also offered here and the adjacent permanent municipal market. Some of the traditional foods here include several types of mole
Mole (sauce)
Mole is the generic name for a number of sauces used in Mexican cuisine, as well as for dishes based on these sauces...
(negro, rojo, Amarillo, coloradito and more), chichilo, tasajo, tamales in banana leaves and tacos with chapulines
Chapulines
Chapulines, plural for chapulín, are grasshoppers of the genus Sphenarium, that are commonly eaten in certain areas of Mexico. The term is specific to Mexico and derives from the Nahuatl language...
(fried grasshoppers). Another favorite is ice cream in flavors such as nut, cactus fruit
Opuntia
Opuntia, also known as nopales or paddle cactus , is a genus in the cactus family, Cactaceae.Currently, only prickly pears are included in this genus of about 200 species distributed throughout most of the Americas. Chollas are now separated into the genus Cylindropuntia, which some still consider...
, guanabana, horchata
Horchata
Horchata or orxata is the name of several kinds of traditional beverage, made of ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley, or tigernuts .-Etymology:...
and others. Sweet breads such as "mamones" "rosquitas" "marquezotes" and coconut tortillas are popular as well. Most of the food products are locally made, including chapulines, animal crackers made with piloncillo and ice cream.
The eighth campus of the Nova Universitas University, part of the SUNEO system, was inaugurated by Oaxaca governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz
Ulises Ruiz Ortiz
Ulises Ruiz Ortiz is a Mexican politician and former governor of the State of Oaxaca. He took office in 2004 as a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party .- Election Controversy :...
in the city. The college focuses on providing educational opportunities to indigenous populations. Professors give classes both in person at the campus and provide distance learning through big screens in remote classrooms with special monitors to allow student-teacher dialogue. The distance learning scheme allows students in Ocotlan to study with professors from other parts of the state and even attend classes offered in foreign countries. The first degrees offered are Computer Science and Agricultural Science. The school also offered adult and remedial education.
The city has a tuna ensemble
Tuna (music)
A University Tuna is a musical group in Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Central America or South America, made up of university students. It is also known as a Tuna or Tunas if it is in plural...
called the "Tuna Universitaria Santo Domingo de Guzman." This group organizes recitals such as the one in December 2009 for Christmas, inviting other tuna ensembles. The ensemble was founded in 1978 with the objective of preserving the music and traditions associated with the musical style and receives funding from Oaxaca state as well as from private sources.
Rodolfo Morales
The town is intimately linked with the life of painter Rodolfo Morales. He has depicted it in his works and has worked to save many of its historic and architectural treasures. The artist's work is devoted to images from this hometown, including local churches, indigenous women, religious procession and others. Art critic Julio Cesar Schara states that Ocotlan is a down without grace or major heroes but Morales reinvented the area with his own imagination, painting Neoclassic palaces, angels, fairies to express how he felt about the place. One of his last works called "Mercados" depicts market scenes from the town painted on columns.Rodolfo Morales’ career as an artist developed in fits and starts. In the 1950s, Morales was commissioned to do the mural work in the municipal palace of Ocotlan, painting it with historical and current scenes related to the municipality. Much of this mural work shows similarities to mural work done by Diego Rivera. From that time to the 1970s, Morales remained in obscurity, teaching art privately and for a UNAM
Unam
UNAM or UNaM may refer to:* National University of Misiones, a National University in Posadas, Argentina*National Autonomous University of Mexico , the large public autonomous university based in Mexico City...
affiliated preparatory school. In the 1970s, his work was discovered by Mexican painter Rufino Tamaya, when Morales was in his 50s. This later work was more surreal than that of the mural he painted when he was younger. From the time of his discovery by Tamayo until 1986, Morales continued to work at the preparatory school even though his work was being sold in Europe, Mexico and the United States. In 1986, Morales retired from teaching to paint full time. The production from this time period brought him fame and fortune, allowing him to sponsor civic projects in his hometown. In 1992, he established the Rodolfo Morales Foundation dedicated to fomenting the culture of Oaxaca and supporting the youth of Ocotlan. The artist died in 2001. Much of the restoration work in the monastery and church were done by Morales himself, including feminizing the angels and making the faces more solemn.
While Morales is Ocotlán's best known creative mind, the town has been associated with crafts for generations. Some of the crafts still practiced here include basketry, textiles in the form of rebozo
Rebozo
A rebozo is a woman's garment used in Mexico. Rectangular in shape, rebozos vary in size from 1.5 to upwards of three metres, and can be made of cotton, wool, silk, or articela. They can be worn as scarves or shawls, and women often use them to carry children and take products to the market. It is...
s and other traditional clothing embroidered in silk thread, blade making, saddlemaking and miniatures in lead. The town is known for its red clay pottery, which is often painted in various colors. Octolan is part of a stretch of road on which are a number of crafts towns such as San Bartolo Coyotepec, San Martin Tilcajete, Santo Tomás Jlietza and Santa Ana Zegache.
Crafts and artisans
While the men dominate the rug-weaving and woodcarving industries in Oaxaca, the women reign with their pottery. This is true in Ocotlan as well. The best known pottery family in Ocotlan is the Aguilar. The dynasty begins with potter Isaura Alcantara Diaz, a potter. Isaura learned the traditional pottery making techniques of the Oaxaca Valley, which was mostly limited to making utilitarian items. She began to experiment with figures and more decorative pieces, with some of her pieces making their way into the Rockefeller collection, but died prematurely at the age of 44. Before she died, she taught potting to her children Josefina, Guillermina, Irene, Concepción and Jesús. Due to their mother's death, the children began working early, with Josefina being only seven. Poverty prevented the children from attending school. Like their mother, they began and mostly made pots and other kitchen utensils but they also worked to develop clay figures. Over time, these siblings became renowned for their fanciful painted clay figures that celebrate everyday life. Today, these siblings still work and much of the third generation are craftsmen as well. Some, such as Demetrio Garcia Aguilar, are making a name for themselves as well.Josefina Aguilar has been noted for her ceramic work since 1977 when she won the third Premio Nacional de Arte (National Art Prize) in 1977. Later, she would win statewide and other nationwide honors and would show her work internationally in places such as the United States and Europe, and her work can be found around the world. Guillermina Aguilar Alcantara is known for her nativity scenes, wedding scenes, candle sticks and other works done in clay. She and her sister Irene have also won a number of awards and has exported her wears to over a dozen countries. Much of this exporting success was due to a grant by Fomento Cultural Banamex which allowed the family operation to purchase shipping equipment.
Another known craftsman is Angel Aguilar, who is known for making knives, swords, machetes and the like using the same techniques as those used in the 16th century. Aguilar began making blades when he was ten, taught by his father and uncle. He is now teaching the craft to the next generation.
The municipality
As municipal seat, the city of Ocotlán de Morelos is the government authorities for about forty other localities with the most populous outside the seat being Praxedis de Guerrero (1530), San Pedro Guegorexe (813) and Tejas de Morelos (688). However, over seventy percent of the municipality's population of 19,581 lives in the city proper . The municipality borders the municipalities of Santa Ana ZegacheSanta Ana Zegache
Santa Ana Zegache is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 26.79 km².It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region...
, San Martín Tilcajete
San Martín Tilcajete
San Martín Tilcajete is a town and municipality located about from the city of Oaxaca, in the state of Oaxaca, in the south of Mexico.It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region...
, San Juan Chilateca
San Juan Chilateca
San Juan Chilateca is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 31.9 km².It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region...
, San Antonino Castillo Velasco
San Antonino Castillo Velasco
San Antonino Castillo Velasco is a town and municipality located south of the city of Oaxaca, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca.It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region...
, Santiago Apóstol
Santiago Apóstol
Santiago Apóstol is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of km².It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales RegionAs of 2005, the municipality had a total population of ....
, Ejutla de Crespo
Ejutla de Crespo
Ejutla de Crespo is a city and a municipality of the same name, in the central valleys of the Mexican state of Oaxaca.It is part of the Teotitlán District in the north of the Cañada Region....
, Santa Catarina Minas
Santa Catarina Minas
Santa Catarina Minas is a town in the municipality of Ocotlan de Morelos in the state of Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of km².It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region...
, San Dionisio Ocotlán
San Dionisio Ocotlan
San Dionisio Ocotlan is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 20.41 km².It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region...
, San Pedro Mártir
San Pedro Mártir, Oaxaca
San Pedro Mártir, Oaxaca is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of km².It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region...
, Asunción Ocotlán
Asunción Ocotlán
Asunción Ocotlán is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 12.76 km². It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region. Its name "Asunción" alludes the assumption of Mary and Ocotlán means between ocotes...
, San Pedro Apóstol
San Pedro Apóstol
San Pedro Apóstol is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of km².It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales RegionAs of 2005, the municipality had a total population of ....
, Magdalena Ocotlán
Magdalena Ocotlán
Magdalena Ocotlán is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 24.24 km².It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region...
, Santa Inés Yatzeche
Santa Inés Yatzeche
Santa Inés Yatzeche is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 11.48 km² at an average elevation of 1,460 meters above sea level...
and Santa Gertrudis
Santa Gertrudis (municipality)
Santa Gertrudis is a municipality in the state of Oaxaca. Its municipal seat is also called Santa Gertrudis. Its territory encompases 21.69km2, representing 0.02% of the total area of the state...
.
The territory's geography varies from mountains to flat valley area with some rolling hills. Principle elevations include Yavitise, and Guevexco which are part of the mountain region located to the east and Santa Catarina Minas and San Miguel Tilquiapam to the west. The main surface water is the Ocotlan River, which is a tributary of the Atoyac. Other rivers include the Chilana, Santa Rosa, Rio Grande, Riod Chichicapan, San Pablo, Taviche, Atoyac, Guanibay, Rio Bravo, La Garzona, Del Panteon and Paraiso. In addition there are intermittant streams that principally flow during the rainy season. The climate is temperate with some variation in temperature during the year and a moderate rainy season in the summer and early autumn. Most of the municipality's flora and fauna has been disturbed by man, with flat areas converted into farmland or settlements. Forests of pine and ocote still exist in the higher elevations.
There are deposits of gold, silver, iron, coal, lead, copper, zinc, antimony
Antimony
Antimony is a toxic chemical element with the symbol Sb and an atomic number of 51. A lustrous grey metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite...
, titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
, asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
and other minerals.
Most of the population is involved in agriculture (23%), crafts and manufacturing (28%) and commerce (45%). One major crop is the castor oil plant
Castor oil plant
The castor oil plant, Ricinus communis, is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It belongs to a monotypic genus, Ricinus, and subtribe, Ricininae. The evolution of castor and its relation to other species are currently being studied.Its seed is the castor bean which,...
, along with corn, beans and various fruit trees. Livestock includes cattle, pigs, goats and domestic fowl. There is a processing plant which makes vegetable oil, with mezcal and dairy products produced in small workshops. Crafts include textiles and ceramics. Most working in commerce has small family businesses.
See also
- Category: Mexican potters