Tepatitlán, Jalisco

Tepatitlán de Morelos
—  City  —
Downtown Tepatitlán
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): Tepa, La Perla de los Altos
Motto: Su tesoro está en su gente (Its treasure is in its people)
Tepatitlán de Morelos
Coordinates: 20°40′00.17″N 102°44′00.23″W
Country	Mexico
State	Jalisco
Foundation	1883
Government
• Presidente Municipal	Cecilia González Gómez
Area
• City	1,532.78 km2 (591.81 sq mi)
Elevation	1,820m above sea level m (5,971ft above sea level ft)
Population (2005 (2009 estimate))
• City	94,952 (104,377)
• Density	54.13/km2 (140.21/sq mi)
• Metro	136,703
• Metro density	82.61/km2 (213.96/sq mi)
• Demonym	Alteño, Tepatitlense
Time zone	Central Standard Time (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	Central Daylight Time (UTC-5)
Website	[1]

Tepatitlán de Morelos is a city and municipality founded in 1883, in the central Mexican state of Jalisco. It is located in the area known as Los Altos de Jalisco (Highlands of Jalisco), about 70 km east of state capital Guadalajara. Its surrounding municipality of the same name had an area of 1,532.78 km² (591.81 sq mi). Its most distinctive feature is the Fine Baroque Cathedral, pictured below, although it has many other attractive locations. Some of the most important ones are:

• The kiosk that sits on the Plaza de Armas in downtown - of gracious and elegant design and ornamented with iron, it was built in France, and brought to the city.
• The Temple of San Antonio - although it has a simple architectural design, it became famous when during the Cristero War (1926–1929), the federals and the religious would crossfire from the tower of the temple, to the towers of the San Francisco Church.
• The city hall (presidencia municipal) is one of the most distinctive features in the city, built in neoclassic-baroque style.

San Francisco de Asís Church with its curious portico.

The nickname of the city is "Tepa". It is also the largest producer of eggs in Mexico, the largest pork producer in the state, and the primary milk basin in the country, as well as a large producer of tequila. The fleur-de-lys can be seen in a number of public spaces and buildings, including the Santuario de Guadalupe and the internationally famous Santuario del Señor de la Misericordia, which houses an oak-carved crucifix that, according to the legend, was found by a poor farmer on the Cerro Gordo in 1835; every year from the 25 to the 30 of April, the city hosts the Feria Tepabril which celebrates the Señor de la Misericordia.

Fher, lead-singer/songwriter of the internationally recognised Mexican rock band Mana, has mentioned in an interview for Latina Magazine, that he sampled the best tequila of his life in Tepatitlan. This is considered by some a snub to Tequila, Jalisco (the city which bears the name of the drink).^{[citation needed]}

Etymology

Tepatitlán means “Hard Stone Place”, in the Nahuatl language. But recent artifactual discoveries indicate that the name may actually have a different meaning than the one that is conventionally accepted. The matter has yet to be settled conclusively by scholars and officials.

Señor de la Misericordia Patronage

The image of el Señor de la Misericordia goes around the whole city every year from the 28 to the 30 of April. Many people go to him asking for special needs or healing.

According to popular legend, in 1835, Don Pedro Medina, a poor, old farmer, saw from the outside of his home in the countryside an intense light, coming from the Cerro Gordo. The first few days, he thought it must have been some kind of coal or wood furnace. But he kept seeing the light for a few more days, so he decided he would climb the mountain up to the place to see what was going on. When he finally got to the place where he had seen the light, he found nothing, until he turned his head towards an oak tree, and found in it, an image slightly reminiscent to a crucifix. He was so amazed, he decided it he wanted everyone to see his "Father" as he called it, and so, decided to chop the tree down, and take it into the city. Pedro Medina was a poor man, so to get it from up on the mountain, to his ranch, he had to ask his neighbor for a couple of oxen to bring it down. However, when they cut the image down, and attached it to the oxen, it would not move, so Medina told his "compadre" to turn the image face up, and as soon as they did this, the oxen moved with immense ease. In town, the adoration to the holy image grew so big, that Don Pantaleon Leal offered Don Pedro Medina his home as a shrine to the image. And after a few years, in 1831, the Shrine erected in his honor stands, and every year, the city fills with over 2 million visitors to adore him and ask him for favors. His feast is celebrated on the 30 of April, day on which he was brought into his current shrine, and grand festivities are held, for he is the patron of the city.

Demographics

The municipality has a population of 136,703, of which 104,377 (2009 estimate) live within the city limits of the municipal seat, Tepatitlán, and the rest in the outlying communities and ranches.The city is the state's sixth-largest community and serves as a significant city outside of the capital, providing the most important university in the region of Los Altos, and an important economic and business center. Around 81% of the population of the municipality is urban, concentrated mostly in the municipal seat, and other large towns. The annual growth rate is at about 18.9%, placing among the fastest growing populations in the state of Jalisco.

Architecture

Parroquia de San Francisco de Asís

Of neoclassic style, with baroque reminiscence, this grand temple was built from 1742–1775, from piedra braza. It is topped with two slender, neoclassic towers, 63m in height each, and three airy domes, all of this designed by the tepatitlense mason, Don Martín Pozos; On the side of the facade, it has a curious architectural element: a semi-hexagonal pórtico, which was added as a support for the heavy and slender towers, which he was told, would fall if he did not add support. In the inside, it is embellished by the main altar, constructed entirely of white marble from Carrara and the sculptures of the four Evangelists, sculpted by the Italian architect, Augusto C. Volpi, of which the statue of St. John is detailed with such exquisite beauty, it doesn't stand any less than Michelangelo's David. Another great example of the local craftsmanship is the sculptural group of La Piedad, carved in oak wood by Agustín Espinoza, which has been compared, kept in due proportion, to Michelangelo's Pietà. One of the most remarkable facts of this church is its wall clock, located on the south tower, facing the Plaza de Armas, which has been giving the time to the residents 141 years non-stop.

Other Examples

The Santuario del Señor de la Misericordia, the temple of San Antonio, with a great history during the second Cristero War, the building that houses the City Museum, and various constructions of the XIX Century, are many other attractive sites in the city which are worth a visit.

Presidencia Municipal

It was in 1727, that the older "town hall" was expanded with the terrain donated by Mrs. Elena de la Rua, and after it started functioning as city hall, it was completely remodeled from 1905-1908 under the direction of Don Francisco de Paula Palomar, who designed it with a near-neoclassic style, mixed with French Baroque in its decor; and in 1954, it was added to the design its current aspect, so jolly, and unique in the western Mexico. Of neoclassic style, the City Hall is regarded as one of the most beautiful of the region. It is a two story building that holds on the walls of the staircase, a mural of the history of the city, measuring 80m² Its three façades form a design of undeniable beauty which gives it is lordship and poise for City Hall.

Historical Timeline

• 1530: Lead by Captain Pedro Almíndez Chirinos, a group of Spanish men arrive to the area previously inhabited by Otomí indians
• 1742: Construction of the San Francisco Parish is begun in the middle of a settlement
• 1811: On April 19, the peoples of the city endorse Rev. Ramos, who besieged the city of Tepatilán, fighting fiercely for eight consecutive hours against the so called "Faithful Royalists" after which he took the Plaza de Armas, which was named de Armas (of Arms) after this incident
• 1824: On March 27, the state grants Tepatitlán the title of "Villa" (town)
• 1835: Don Pedro Medina finds the miraculous image of the Señor de la Misericordia
• 1864: On the first of January, Tepatitlán was invaded by the French troops of Zuavos Argelinos (from North Africa) who were led by General Bazaine, and destroyed part of the municipal Archive. Afterward, various groups, lead by the French Commanders Munier and Ceynet, fough fiercely against the guerrillas, who lead by Rafael "El Chivo" Nuñez, Mauro Vázquez, Lucio Benavides, Félix Pérez, Francisco Cabrera, and other leaders, fought for liberty from the French rule; especially Colonel José Antonio Rojas, who at the head of his 1,000 "Rojeño" riders took in one month four important plazas (quite apart from each other): Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Ciudad Guzmán and Tepic
• 1883: On September 20, decree no. 41 was published, whereby the "Villa" of Tepatitlán de Morelos was declared a city by the Governor of Jalisco
• 1927 - 1929: Tepatitlán was witness and actor in the battles between Cristeros and Federals during the Cristero War; within its urban perimeter, the bloodiest battle of the whole war was fought, and on that sole day, the federal army lost more than 3,000 troops.

Climate and Vegetation

It is very easy to spot oaks all around town

Tepatitlán enjoys a beautiful weather yearlong, and an amazing tranquility in these times of hurries, and this results in a quality of life that others envy. Its lands are "skinny", as described by Agustín Yáñez, but have been transformed into productive due to the efforts of the citizens. The beautiful flora includes trees such as ash, which grows in profusion, maroon walnut, eucalyptus, licorice and some acacias. It is a paradise for citrus. the canyon of the Rio Verde, with its tropical climate at the bottom, about 500 mts. deep, contains deposits of hot springs and spectacular scenery, half-exploited by some resorts. The fauna is somewhat reduced to common species such as rabbits, hares, some snakes, bobcats, coyotes, and some pumas, which seeing their lands being invaded, migrated to feed on the cattle There is a relatively small amount of oaks, remnants of what was once "great oak-land", which disappeared consumed by coal furnaces. It was announced in 2009, that the Federal Government will spend around 350 million pesos on the construction of the Centro Nacional de Recursos Genéticos which will be sort of a Noah's Ark. The center has space for up to three million species; it is expected that by the end of 2012, the center will house 136,850 species.

Government

The Government of the municipality of Tepatitlán de Morelos is organised into the H. Ayuntamiento (City Council), which is composed of 17 Members from the following agencies:

• Presidential Coordination - C. Cecilia González Gómez
• General Secretary - MD Jorge Luis Rodríguez Gómez
• Higher Administrative Office
• Municipal Public Services - David Elizalde Alatorre, BS
• Urban Development and Public Works - Alberto Martín Martín, Arch.
• Municipal Finances and Treasury - C. Cecilia González Gómez
• Comptroller - C. Juana María Esquivias Pérez
• Economic Promotion - María Eugenia Villaseñor Gutiérrez, BS
• Purveyance - C. Arcelia Alcalá Cortés
• Census and Licensing - M.V.Z. Arturo Pérez Martínez
• Education and Culture - María Elena Telles Barajas, BS
• Sports Fomentation - Gerardo Pérez Martínez, BS
• Public Security - C. Cecilia González Gómez
• Community Involvement - C. Lorena del Rocío Hernández Fernández
• Roads and Traffic - L.N.I. Dora Eugenia González González
• Civil Protection - Arch. Gilberto Casillas Casillas
• Legal - MD Jorge Luis Rodríguez Gómez

Administrative Divisions

The municipality of Tepatitlán de Morelos is divided into 7 subdivisions: 6 Delegaciónes (delegations) and a Municipal Seat as follows:

Administrative Divisions

Name	Population	Titular/Delegado (Delegate)
Capilla de Guadalupe Delegation	12,147	Fernando Gutiérrez González
Capilla de Milpillas Delegation	4,908	Ignacio Villalobos Prado
Mezcala de los Romero Delegation	3,486	José Luis González Ruvalcaba
Pegueros Delegation	3,187	Crisóbal Gallardo Ulloa
San José de Gracia Delegation	7,132	Atanacio Navarro Castellanos
Tecomatlán Delegation	1,466	Francisco Mendoza Márquez
City of Tepatitlán de Morelos	104,377	Cecilia González Gómez

Education

As well as one of the most important cities in the state, it is one of the most educated: the literacy rate exceeds 97%. Located here is the State Agricultural University, a dependancy of the University of Guadalajara, founded 1994. The university offers 15 undergraduate level courses and master's degree as follows: Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Laws semiescolarizado, Bachelor of International Business, BS of Accounting, Bachelor of Livestock Engineering Systems, Bachelor in Computer Engineering, Bachelor of Agribusiness, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Nursing in Nutrition, Bachelor of Dentistry, Bachelor of Psychology, Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, MS in Animal Nutrition, and Degree to Nursing. The city also has 213 basic education schools, 35 secondary schools, and 13 "high schools.

Notable natives

In the interior of the City Hall, there is a large mural encircling the staircase, representing the history of Tepatitlán: At the top, Anacleto González Flores, bottom left, Cristero War fighters, and bottom right, the nationally acclaimed beautiful women of the city.

• Edgar Solis - Mexican professional footballer known as "Tepa" Solis, currently playing as a midfielder for Club Deportivo Guadalajara
• Jose Antonio Romero - President of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation and Minister of the Interior (Interior) during the presidency of Anastasio Bustamante
• Jose Gonzales - famous bullfighter known as "Carnicerito de Tepa"
• Alan Estrada - Mexican actor, dancer and singer
• Lupita González - Miss Continente Americano 2008
• Luis Padilla - Mexican soccer player (forward) known as "Cucho" Padilla. Currently playing for MNU college in the U.S.

Sister Cities

• Ridgecrest, California, United States
• Laredo, Texas, United States
• Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico

References

• Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
• Jalisco Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México
• Creation of Capilla de Guadalupe Capilla de Guadalupe official website
• [2] México Forestal Official Website

External links

• Gobierno Municipal de Tepatitlán de Morelos Official website
• Cámara Nacional de Comercio en Tepatitlán Official website
• Todo los enlaces cyberneticos relacionados con Los Altos de Jalisco
• Fotos de los Eventos, Chat, Mensajes, Directorio y Clasificados
• Comunidad de gente de la localidad, clasificados, directorio y eventos Non-official website