MINING IN MEXICO S - ProMéxico

destination zacatecas
Zacatecas, A Charming
Labyrinth
The city of Zacatecas in Northern Mexico is not only an absolute
labyrinth of winding streets but also a fascinating maze of artistic and
cultural treasures.
Built between hills and on steep slopes, the city
of Zacatecas, capital of the Mexican state of the
same name, has a maze-like street plan, which
makes wandering it a delight.
Founded in 1548, two years after the nearby
discovery of silver, Zacatecas was one of the
most important mining cities in New Spain and
is one of the most beautiful cities of contemporary
Mexico.
The people of Zacatecas have made such
outstanding efforts to preserve and restore the
city’s ancient architectural monuments, and
with such good results, that UNESCO designated
the city a “World Heritage Site” in 1993.
As one explores the city’s peculiar urban
layout along narrow streets, alleys and plazas,
many of these outstanding buildings can
be found.
Look no further than the majestic Cathedral,
considered one of the most important expressions
of Baroque architecture in Mexico. It
was built between 1730 and 1760. Its façade is
one of the finest examples of Churrigueresque
architecture in Mexico.
The State Government Palace, an eighteenth
century building, originally the dwelling of the
Count of Santiago de la Laguna, hosts a mural by
Antonio Pintor Rodríguez that depicts the history
of the city. Just outside the building is the
Plaza de Armas, the most important and largest
square in the city.
Across the main street and on the left as you
stand with your back to the Government Palace
is the Palacio de la Mala Noche (The Bad Night
Palace), which used to be the house of a Spanish
miner, Manuel de Rétegui. The former Hotel
Francés, now a tourist information office, is
located next to it.
Several blocks to the east is the Rafael Coronel
Museum, located at the former convent of
San Francisco, dating from the 17th century. The
museum exhibits several fine collections including
a fascinating one of some 10,000 masks –the
largest collected work of its kind worldwide.
Also intriguing are a series of sketches and architectural
designs by Diego Rivera, terra cotta
figures of the colonial era, regal parchments and
the banner given to the city by King Phillip II at
the end of the 16th century.
Returning towards the center, one can see
the Plaza de Santo Domingo. The church of
Santo Domingo, built as a Jesuit church (1746-
1749) but turned over to the Dominicans when
the Jesuits were expelled in 1767, has a particularly
interesting interior with eight Churrigueresque
gilded wooden retablos or altarpieces,
with fine sculptures and paintings.
On the north side of the plaza is the former
Jesuit College, now the Pedro Coronel Museum
displaying this Zacatecan painter’s fabulous collection
of art from around the world, donated
near the end of his life to his native city. The
ground floor houses the Elías Amador Library,
some 25,000 volumes full of history. The museum
exhibits paintings by Picasso, Miro, Dali and
Chagall, among others.
Two short blocks away is the former Casa de
la Moneda (Royal Mint), founded in 1810, which
later became the State Treasury and is now the
Zacatecan Museum, exhibiting collections of
Huichol art, votive paintings and ironwork.
Past the Zacatecan Museum is the side entrance
to the ex-temple of San Agustín. Its main
facade was destroyed in the last century and its
towers decapitated.
Downhill from San Agustín is the Rosales
Arcade, once an important shopping
area. Turning back towards the Cathedral,
one can view the Fernando Calderón Theater,
constructed between 1891 and 1897 and
which takes its name from Fernando Calderón
(1809-1845), a noted poet and dramatist.
Across the street from the theater is the 19th
century González Ortega Market, completely
restored in 1982 as a shopping center. This is a
good place to look for souvenirs and below the
market are several very good and inexpensive
restaurants.
On the outskirts of the city, the Eden mine
is one of the main tourist attractions. There, a
narrow-gauge mining train takes visitors into
the depths below the city and the cable-car, or
teleférico, soars over the city from one of the
mine’s upper entrances to La Bufa hill with its
outstanding view.
Zacatecas might seem a complex, labyrinthine
city, but the effort to explore it is made
more than worthwhile by the discovery of so
many cultural and artistic riches.