Jerez de García Salinas
Encyclopedia
The city and surrounding municipality
of Jerez is located in the center of the state of Zacatecas
, Mexico
. Jerez de García Salinas is the name of the city and "Jerez" of the municipality.
The municipality is bordered on the north by the municipality of Fresnillo
, to the east by the municipalities of Calera and Zacatecas
, to the south by Villanueva
and Tepetongo
and to the west by the municipalities of Valparaíso
and Susticacán. It has an area of 1,521 km² (587.26 sq mi). Its largest other community is the town of Ermita de Guadalupe, Arroyo Seco, Los Haro and El Durazno.
, Fresnillo
, Guadalupe
, Sombrerete and Rio Grande.
ethnic groups prior to the arrival of the Spanish. These ethnic groups reacted in bellicose manner to the intrusion of the Spanish into their ancestral homelands. The groups, along with other Chichimeca
ethic groups fought the Spanish in the Mixtón Rebellion
in 1540 and the Chichimeca War
beginning in 1546.
Jerez de García Salinas, was originally named Jerez de la Frontera
after the town of the same name in Andalucía, Spain
. The first attempt to found the town by the Spanish Crown was in 1569 to serve as a fortress on the northern frontier and guard against the incessant attacks by Chichimeca
natives on the wagon trains that passed through the region en route between the mines in Zacatecas
and the viceroyal capital in Guadalajara
. These first attempts were unsuccessful and it was not until 1570 that the town's existence is first mentioned as being administered by the government in Tlaltenango
. The following year the town was abandoned.
In 1569, the town was resettled by a group of captains waging war
against the Chichimecs on the frontier. Among the founders were Pedro Carrillo Dávila, Pedro Caldera (father of Miguel Caldera
), Hernán González, Cristóbal Caldera and Juan de la Torre. Antique documents of the foundation have the historical investigator of Jerez, Miguel Berumen.
) beginning December 12. Another major cultural event is Spring Break (La Feria de Primavera). Every year Spring Break is celebrated beginning Holy Saturday and continuing for Easter
week and the week following, with Charreadas (Rodeos), traditional dances, horse races, and cultural festivities. The Parade of the Cowboys (Desfile de los Charro
s) on Holy Saturday is a never to be forgotten event which culminates with the burning of the Judas
effigies (Quema de los Judas) in the early afternoon. The main street is closed to automible traffic and taken over by hundreds of horsemen. Spring Break has attracted tourists from all over Mexico and from residents in the U.S.A
Jerez de García Salinas was designated on July 13, 2007 a Pueblo Mágico
. These magic towns (some 30 or so) are believed to present special customs, events, architecture and other regional attributes which are especially worthy of visits by tourists, whether national or international.
The Municipal Council (H. Ayuntamiento) was in accord and application was made to the Congress of the State for authority to condemn the land necessary and indemnify the owners. The Council then went looking for the necessary funds and again applied to the Congress of the State for permission to use tax money from the fund to rescue investments based on the following consideration: That the Council would obtain lines of credit from the National Mortgage Bank and the Urban and Public Work Bank. Any loans from which would be amortized partly from the charges collected from renters and services to the building.
On obtaining authorization and confirmation of lines of credit, demolition of existing structures and construction was begun on land adjacent to the Rio Chiquito that cut the town in half.
Mayor Avila was optimistic that the construction would be finished by the end of 1964. When he left office the work was 90% finished. The building was inaugurated on Sunday the 18th of April 1965. Officials in attendance included the new President of the municipality, the Governor of the State and his lady, the wife of former President Avila and other dignitaries; the Governor’s lady unveiled the plaque naming the market Mercado Capitan Angel Pérez, the name of an officer who participated with Government forces against the Cristeros in the Battle of Tesorero, Jerez, Zacatecas in April of 1929. Years later, in 1972, the name of the market was changed to Benito Juárez on the 100th anniversary of his death.
Mexican brass band Los Auténticos de Jerez was founded in the town on 1993 and is based there.
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...
of Jerez is located in the center of the state of Zacatecas
Zacatecas
Zacatecas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas....
, Mexico
Mexico
The 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...
. Jerez de García Salinas is the name of the city and "Jerez" of the municipality.
The municipality is bordered on the north by the municipality of Fresnillo
Fresnillo
Fresnillo /fres'nijo/ , founded in 1554 by Francisco de Ibarra, is the second largest city in Zacatecas state, north central Mexico...
, to the east by the municipalities of Calera and Zacatecas
Zacatecas, Zacatecas
Zacatecas is a city and municipality in Mexico and the capital of the state of Zacatecas. It is located in the north central part of the country. The city had its start as a Spanish mining camp in the mid 16th century. Prior to this, the area's rich deposits in silver and other minerals were known...
, to the south by Villanueva
Villanueva, Zacatecas
Villanueva is a town in the state of Zacatecas, Mexico. It is the administrative seat of the Municipality of Villanueva.-Name:Villanueva was founded on February 4, 1692 under the name Villagutierre del Águila. Like many towns in Mexico the name of the patron saint of the town was added to the name...
and Tepetongo
Tepetongo
The municipality of Tepetongo is located in the southwestern portion of the Mexican state of Zacatecas.-Population:The population varies from year to year increasing or decreasing but always hovering around 20,000 including those of surrounding villages and ranches.While the area itself once had a...
and to the west by the municipalities of Valparaíso
Valparaíso, Zacatecas
Valparaíso is a town in the north central Mexican state of Zacatecas. It is located at on the interior plateau, 70 mi/113 km E of Zacatecas, at an elevation of 6200 ft/1890m...
and Susticacán. It has an area of 1,521 km² (587.26 sq mi). Its largest other community is the town of Ermita de Guadalupe, Arroyo Seco, Los Haro and El Durazno.
Population
According to INEGI the 2005 census of Housing and Population, the municipality of Jerez de García Salinas had a population of 56,980 inhabitants. The population of the municipal seat, which shares the name of the municipality is considerably less, at 38,624 with the remaining 18,356 living in small towns and villages in within the municipal boundaries. The city is still the state's sixth-largest community, after the cities of ZacatecasZacatecas, Zacatecas
Zacatecas is a city and municipality in Mexico and the capital of the state of Zacatecas. It is located in the north central part of the country. The city had its start as a Spanish mining camp in the mid 16th century. Prior to this, the area's rich deposits in silver and other minerals were known...
, Fresnillo
Fresnillo
Fresnillo /fres'nijo/ , founded in 1554 by Francisco de Ibarra, is the second largest city in Zacatecas state, north central Mexico...
, Guadalupe
Guadalupe, Zacatecas
Guadalupe is the third-largest city in the state of Zacatecas in Mexico. It lies adjacent to the east side of the city of Zacatecas and is a component of the Zacatecas-Guadalupe metropolitan area. The city had a 2005 census population of 99,572 inhabitants and serves as municipal seat of the...
, Sombrerete and Rio Grande.
History
The area around Jerez was inhabited by the Zacatec and GuachichilGuachichil
Of all the Chichimeca natives, the Guachichiles occupied the most extensive territory, stretching north to Saltillo in Coahuila and to the northern corners of Michoacán in the south...
ethnic groups prior to the arrival of the Spanish. These ethnic groups reacted in bellicose manner to the intrusion of the Spanish into their ancestral homelands. The groups, along with other Chichimeca
Chichimeca
Chichimeca was the name that the Nahua peoples of Mexico generically applied to a wide range of semi-nomadic peoples who inhabited the north of modern-day Mexico and southwestern United States, and carried the same sense as the European term "barbarian"...
ethic groups fought the Spanish in the Mixtón Rebellion
Mixtón Rebellion
The Mixtón War was fought from 1540 until 1542 between Spanish invaders and their Aztec and Tlaxcalan allies against the Caxcanes and other semi-nomadic Indians of the area of north western Mexico...
in 1540 and the Chichimeca War
Chichimeca War
The Chichimeca War was a military conflict waged between Spanish colonizers and their Indian allies against a confederation of Chichimeca Indians. It was the longest and most expensive conflict between Spaniards and the indigenous peoples of New Spain in the history of the colony.The Chichimeca...
beginning in 1546.
Jerez de García Salinas, was originally named Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera is a municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, situated midway between the sea and the mountains. , the city, the largest in the province, had 208,896 inhabitants; it is the fifth largest in Andalusia...
after the town of the same name in Andalucía, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The first attempt to found the town by the Spanish Crown was in 1569 to serve as a fortress on the northern frontier and guard against the incessant attacks by Chichimeca
Chichimeca
Chichimeca was the name that the Nahua peoples of Mexico generically applied to a wide range of semi-nomadic peoples who inhabited the north of modern-day Mexico and southwestern United States, and carried the same sense as the European term "barbarian"...
natives on the wagon trains that passed through the region en route between the mines in Zacatecas
Zacatecas, Zacatecas
Zacatecas is a city and municipality in Mexico and the capital of the state of Zacatecas. It is located in the north central part of the country. The city had its start as a Spanish mining camp in the mid 16th century. Prior to this, the area's rich deposits in silver and other minerals were known...
and the viceroyal capital in Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
. These first attempts were unsuccessful and it was not until 1570 that the town's existence is first mentioned as being administered by the government in Tlaltenango
Tlaltenango de Sánchez Román
The municipality of Tlaltenango de Sánchez Román is located in the southwestern portion of the Mexican state of Zacatecas. The average elevation of the municipality is 1,723 meters above sea level and the municipality covers an area of...
. The following year the town was abandoned.
In 1569, the town was resettled by a group of captains waging war
Chichimeca War
The Chichimeca War was a military conflict waged between Spanish colonizers and their Indian allies against a confederation of Chichimeca Indians. It was the longest and most expensive conflict between Spaniards and the indigenous peoples of New Spain in the history of the colony.The Chichimeca...
against the Chichimecs on the frontier. Among the founders were Pedro Carrillo Dávila, Pedro Caldera (father of Miguel Caldera
Miguel Caldera
Miguel Caldera was an important figure in the pacification and colonization of Mexico's northern frontier immediately following the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.-Early life:...
), Hernán González, Cristóbal Caldera and Juan de la Torre. Antique documents of the foundation have the historical investigator of Jerez, Miguel Berumen.
Culture and attractions
Catholicism being the town's predominant religion, many of the town's festivities are associated with religious holidays. The city festivities are celebrated in September to celebrate Mexican Independence and the Virgin of Solitude (La Virgen de La Soledad) and the Guadalupana (Our Lady of GuadalupeOur Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Guadalupe , also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe is a celebrated Catholic icon of the Virgin Mary.According to tradition, on December 9, 1531 Juan Diego, a simple indigenous peasant, had a vision of a young woman while he was on a hill in the Tepeyac desert, near Mexico City. The lady...
) beginning December 12. Another major cultural event is Spring Break (La Feria de Primavera). Every year Spring Break is celebrated beginning Holy Saturday and continuing for Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
week and the week following, with Charreadas (Rodeos), traditional dances, horse races, and cultural festivities. The Parade of the Cowboys (Desfile de los Charro
Charro
Charro is a term referring to a traditional horseman from Mexico, originating in the central-western regions primarily in the state of Jalisco including: Zacatecas, Durango, Guanajuato, Morelos, Puebla...
s) on Holy Saturday is a never to be forgotten event which culminates with the burning of the Judas
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
effigies (Quema de los Judas) in the early afternoon. The main street is closed to automible traffic and taken over by hundreds of horsemen. Spring Break has attracted tourists from all over Mexico and from residents in the U.S.A
Jerez de García Salinas was designated on July 13, 2007 a Pueblo Mágico
Pueblo Mágico
The Programa Pueblos Mágicos is an initiative led by Mexico's Secretariat of Tourism , in conjunction with other federal and state agencies, to promote a series of towns around the country that offer visitors a "magical" experience – by reason of their natural beauty, cultural riches, or...
. These magic towns (some 30 or so) are believed to present special customs, events, architecture and other regional attributes which are especially worthy of visits by tourists, whether national or international.
Benito Juárez market
The construction of the market was initiated during the Presidency of Don Anastasio Avila, alcalde of Jerez during the 3 year period 1962-1964, and the motivator. Complying with a campaign promise, he promoted the movement of the market place from the Plaza Tacuba and the adjacent streets: Calle de La Parroquia, Reloj, and Aquiles Serdan (in front of the Teatro Hinojosa.)The Municipal Council (H. Ayuntamiento) was in accord and application was made to the Congress of the State for authority to condemn the land necessary and indemnify the owners. The Council then went looking for the necessary funds and again applied to the Congress of the State for permission to use tax money from the fund to rescue investments based on the following consideration: That the Council would obtain lines of credit from the National Mortgage Bank and the Urban and Public Work Bank. Any loans from which would be amortized partly from the charges collected from renters and services to the building.
On obtaining authorization and confirmation of lines of credit, demolition of existing structures and construction was begun on land adjacent to the Rio Chiquito that cut the town in half.
Mayor Avila was optimistic that the construction would be finished by the end of 1964. When he left office the work was 90% finished. The building was inaugurated on Sunday the 18th of April 1965. Officials in attendance included the new President of the municipality, the Governor of the State and his lady, the wife of former President Avila and other dignitaries; the Governor’s lady unveiled the plaque naming the market Mercado Capitan Angel Pérez, the name of an officer who participated with Government forces against the Cristeros in the Battle of Tesorero, Jerez, Zacatecas in April of 1929. Years later, in 1972, the name of the market was changed to Benito Juárez on the 100th anniversary of his death.
Notable natives and residents
- Francisco García SalinasFrancisco García SalinasFrancisco García Salinas was a Mexican politician....
, statistician, politician - Ramón López VelardeRamón López VelardeRamón López Velarde was aMexican poet. His work is generally considered to be postmodern, but is unique for its subject matter. He achieved great fame in his native land, to the point of being considered Mexico's national poet....
, poet - Candelario Huízar, music
- Arturo "El Cuate" Pérez, painter
Mexican brass band Los Auténticos de Jerez was founded in the town on 1993 and is based there.