Guadalajara
Blog: Abrhil's Travel Blog - 24 July 2009
By: Abrhil's Travel Blog
We decided that the opportunity to visit one of Mexico's most prominent and impressive cities could not be missed, so Monday morning we boarded an ETN bus and headed 5.5 hours west to Guadalajara.
scene en route
Guadalajara, from the arabic wad-al-hidjara meaning "river among stones", is the capital of the state of Jalisco and is most prominently known for its architecture, Tequila and Mariachi. We were fortunate to find a hotel located literally in the heart of the historic downtown area with its own rich history.
The Hotel Frances was built in 1610 and served as a resting stop for merchants traveling to Mexico city from the north. In 1983 the hotel was featured in the film "The Evil that Men Do" and in 1981 the ex-governor of Jalisco declared the hotel a national monument.
hotel lobby
Literally 2 minutes from the hotel steps are two of the city's most notable buildings, the Cathedral and the Degollado Theater.
The Cathedral, originally built in 1541, features a neoclassical façade and two neo-gothic spires which collapsed in 1818 after an earthquake shook the city. In 1854 the building you see today was completed.
back view
front view facing Plaza Guadalajara
Degollado Theater
Here you can appreciate the rotunda with the cathedral in the background.
The Government Palace was built in the seventeenth-century (1774 to be exact) and houses some of Jose Clemente Orozco's most famous murals as well as a bunch of government employees walking around the historic halls.
view of Government Palace from the Plaza de Armas. This plaza is
where some of Jalisco's most historical events have taken place.
Government Palace
I'll just take a moment now to share about Orozco's work. I didn't know anything about him until coming to Guadalajara but apparently he's pretty famous. Orozco was a painter that along with Diego Rivera and others established the Mexican Mural Renaissance. His frescoes' themes dealt mostly with human suffering, promoting the political causes of peasant and workers. He was passionate about two periods of Mexico's life: the Conquest and the Revolution.
Fresco of Miguel Hidalgo, priest and instigator of the independence movement. On September 16, 1810 he rang the parish bells and called for the death of all Spaniards and the independence of Mexico. The act is ceremoniously repeated every year. Located in the Government Palace main staircase.
Fresco located in some other historic building...sorry can't remember the name of the painting or building.
front view
Los Arcos de Guadalajara build to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the city.
The Glorieta Minerva features the largest fountain in the city as well as a statue of the Roman goddess Minerva.
La Estampida is a bronze sculpture of 14 horses in motion. The realistic depiction of these is what makes them notable.
One of the sculptures I wanted to photograph was the Monumento a los Ninos Heroes but unfortunately the weather had gotten so bad we had to move to the lower deck area and our bus driver was on his very own Indy500 race to the finish. But very quickly, the Ninos Heroes were 6 military cadets ranging in ages 13-19 who defended the Chapultepec Castle from the U.S. forces in 1847. Disobeying orders to retreat, the kids fought to the very end with accounts of the very last one leaping to his death wrapped in the Mexican flag to prevent it from being seized.
Lastly was the Expiatorio Temple, featuring two large neo-gothic towers, the building was started in 1897 but did not opened to the public until 1931. The construction of this building was made without cement or metal in the tradition of the Middle Ages.
I got lucky in that it had stopped raining and we
were at a traffic light! so I was able to get this shot
From a cultural perspective Guadalajara is just as rich as its architecture, most notably is the Mariachi. Immediately identifiable by their silver studded charro outfits and wide-brimmed hats the Mariachi is believed to have originated in the 19th century. The word is believe to derive from the French mariage, meaning wedding, because of the type of music that was played at these events. This theory is weak, but popular. A more realistic theory is that the word comes from the indigenous name for the Cirimo tree, who's wood is used to make guitars.
These pictures were taken at Casa de Bariachi a restaurant specializing in local cuisine with a mariachi variety show. The food was great and so was the show.
We were only in Guadalajara for a total of 3 days and had to make the most of it by sight seeing as much as we could. As you can imagine there were many museums, sites and parks we didn't get to visit. The Tapatio Tour was a great choice since it also took us to the towns of Zapopan and Tlaquepaque.
Tlaquepaque is recognized as Mexico's most important artisanal center and I'm sorry to say that I have not a single worthwhile picture of this town. What was I thinking?! I'll share what I did take.
We ended our touring of Guadalajara and surrounding towns with a new appreciation of its history, architectural wonders and delicious food.
On day 3 we rented a car and took the Tequila Route to the town of Tequila. That adventure is up next...
scene en route
Guadalajara, from the arabic wad-al-hidjara meaning "river among stones", is the capital of the state of Jalisco and is most prominently known for its architecture, Tequila and Mariachi. We were fortunate to find a hotel located literally in the heart of the historic downtown area with its own rich history.
The Hotel Frances was built in 1610 and served as a resting stop for merchants traveling to Mexico city from the north. In 1983 the hotel was featured in the film "The Evil that Men Do" and in 1981 the ex-governor of Jalisco declared the hotel a national monument.
hotel lobby
The Cathedral, originally built in 1541, features a neoclassical façade and two neo-gothic spires which collapsed in 1818 after an earthquake shook the city. In 1854 the building you see today was completed.
back view
front view facing Plaza Guadalajara
The Degollado Theater is the stage of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Jalisco and the Folkloric Ballet of the University of Guadalajara. A little side note to share a childhood memory...when I was little I tried dancing ballet folklorico...with the big, colorful skirts and pretty bows...let me just say that 1) you have to be pretty strong to hold those skirts up and twirl them around for as long as they do - with a smile on your face - and 2) you have to have some sort of rhythm to keep pace with that music. Unfortunately I lacked both and so that's why I don't dance Jarabe Tapatio.
Degollado Theater
In this same area, to the left and right of the cathedral, are the Rotunda of Illustrious Jaliscans and the Government Palace.
The rotunda is suspended by 17 columns under which lie the remains of Jalisco's most noteworthy men and women.
Here you can appreciate the rotunda with the cathedral in the background.
The Government Palace was built in the seventeenth-century (1774 to be exact) and houses some of Jose Clemente Orozco's most famous murals as well as a bunch of government employees walking around the historic halls.
view of Government Palace from the Plaza de Armas. This plaza is
where some of Jalisco's most historical events have taken place.
Government Palace
I'll just take a moment now to share about Orozco's work. I didn't know anything about him until coming to Guadalajara but apparently he's pretty famous. Orozco was a painter that along with Diego Rivera and others established the Mexican Mural Renaissance. His frescoes' themes dealt mostly with human suffering, promoting the political causes of peasant and workers. He was passionate about two periods of Mexico's life: the Conquest and the Revolution.
Fresco of Miguel Hidalgo, priest and instigator of the independence movement. On September 16, 1810 he rang the parish bells and called for the death of all Spaniards and the independence of Mexico. The act is ceremoniously repeated every year. Located in the Government Palace main staircase.
Fresco located in some other historic building...sorry can't remember the name of the painting or building.
These frescoes are located in the Cultural Institute Cabañas. Flash photography is not allowed so the picture came out a little dark, but these were so impressive because many dealt with the Conquest and its consequences. One of the murals that was most impressive to me was the depiction of a Franciscan armed with a cross made of blades, standing over a kneeling Indian, the cross coming down on his back. It's a visual representation of the evangelization and slavery of the Indians. The cannibalizing of one culture and the gestation of a new society. It was truly impacting.
The Cultural Institute Cabañas building is one of the most representative buildings of Jalisco's architecture and is considered one of Mexico's most important neo-classical architectural pieces. Originally named the House of Charity and Mercy, the building was commissioned in the early nineteenth century by Bishop Cabañas to shelter and care for destitute children. Through the years the building changed functions due to the wars, but in 1980 the government changed its purpose to the dissemination of the arts. Today it houses Jose Clementes Orozco's largest mural collection.
front view
Getting to the Institute Cabañas from the Cathedral is a pleasant walk along the Tapatio Plaza where the fountain entitled The Sacrifice of Quetzalcoatl is located.
Quetzalcoatl was regarded as the patron god of the
Aztec priesthood, learning and knowledge.
Quetzalcoatl was regarded as the patron god of the
Aztec priesthood, learning and knowledge.
All of these sites were literally within 10min walking distance from our hotel. We did however take a tour of the city on a double decker bus where we were able to see other historic sites further away from the historic downtown. That day was scorching hot and so everyone on board purchased these $10 pesos ($0.75) hats to protected against the sun. Too bad later that same day we were hit with a thunder storm followed by rain!
I won't bore you with the details of all the site, here are some pictures :)
Below is the University of Guadalajara, founded in 1792.
I won't bore you with the details of all the site, here are some pictures :)
Below is the University of Guadalajara, founded in 1792.
Los Arcos de Guadalajara build to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the city.
The Glorieta Minerva features the largest fountain in the city as well as a statue of the Roman goddess Minerva.
La Estampida is a bronze sculpture of 14 horses in motion. The realistic depiction of these is what makes them notable.
One of the sculptures I wanted to photograph was the Monumento a los Ninos Heroes but unfortunately the weather had gotten so bad we had to move to the lower deck area and our bus driver was on his very own Indy500 race to the finish. But very quickly, the Ninos Heroes were 6 military cadets ranging in ages 13-19 who defended the Chapultepec Castle from the U.S. forces in 1847. Disobeying orders to retreat, the kids fought to the very end with accounts of the very last one leaping to his death wrapped in the Mexican flag to prevent it from being seized.
Lastly was the Expiatorio Temple, featuring two large neo-gothic towers, the building was started in 1897 but did not opened to the public until 1931. The construction of this building was made without cement or metal in the tradition of the Middle Ages.
I got lucky in that it had stopped raining and we
were at a traffic light! so I was able to get this shot
From a cultural perspective Guadalajara is just as rich as its architecture, most notably is the Mariachi. Immediately identifiable by their silver studded charro outfits and wide-brimmed hats the Mariachi is believed to have originated in the 19th century. The word is believe to derive from the French mariage, meaning wedding, because of the type of music that was played at these events. This theory is weak, but popular. A more realistic theory is that the word comes from the indigenous name for the Cirimo tree, who's wood is used to make guitars.
These pictures were taken at Casa de Bariachi a restaurant specializing in local cuisine with a mariachi variety show. The food was great and so was the show.
We were only in Guadalajara for a total of 3 days and had to make the most of it by sight seeing as much as we could. As you can imagine there were many museums, sites and parks we didn't get to visit. The Tapatio Tour was a great choice since it also took us to the towns of Zapopan and Tlaquepaque.
One of the downsides of a tour bus...bad pictures. The plaza is known as the Plaza de las Americas "Juan Pablo II" and is the heart of the city.
Virgen de Zapopan Basilica, built at the end of the 17th century boasts a Plateresque Baroque façade and a large atrium.
Tlaquepaque is recognized as Mexico's most important artisanal center and I'm sorry to say that I have not a single worthwhile picture of this town. What was I thinking?! I'll share what I did take.
We ended our touring of Guadalajara and surrounding towns with a new appreciation of its history, architectural wonders and delicious food.
On day 3 we rented a car and took the Tequila Route to the town of Tequila. That adventure is up next...
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