San Manuel Colohete
Encyclopedia
San Manuel Colohete is a municipality
in the Honduran
department of Lempira, located approximately twenty miles southwest of the departmental capital of Gracias
. The population of the entire municipality is around 16,000 but within the town center about 1,500.
San Manuel’s principal landmark is the late 17th century Spanish-built church. Featuring seven statues of saints set into niches on its massive façade, the interior is painted with an original mud-based paint that is still visible centuries later, as well as a sculpted and gilded altar. Some parts of the church have been recently restored but plans for a large-scale renovation have stalled.
The town is also on the route used by hikers coming from or going to hike nearby Celaque
, the tallest mountain in Honduras, which dominates vistas around San Manuel.
chief.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the Honduran
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
department of Lempira, located approximately twenty miles southwest of the departmental capital of Gracias
Gracias
Gracias is a small Honduran town/municipality that was founded in 1536, and has a population of approximately 25,000 people...
. The population of the entire municipality is around 16,000 but within the town center about 1,500.
San Manuel’s principal landmark is the late 17th century Spanish-built church. Featuring seven statues of saints set into niches on its massive façade, the interior is painted with an original mud-based paint that is still visible centuries later, as well as a sculpted and gilded altar. Some parts of the church have been recently restored but plans for a large-scale renovation have stalled.
The town is also on the route used by hikers coming from or going to hike nearby Celaque
Cerro Las Minas
Cerro Las Minas is the highest mountain in Honduras. Cerro Las Minas is located in the rugged and relatively isolated Lempira department in the western part of the country...
, the tallest mountain in Honduras, which dominates vistas around San Manuel.
History
In the census of 1887 it was a settlement of a village of "Concepcion Colohete" in Gracias municipality as it was now back then. In the administration of Terencio Sierra, the municipality of "San Manuel Colohete was created on february 2nd 1901. The word "Colohete" means in Indian language: "Cradle of Scorpions". The former inhabitants were the warriors of the brave LempiraLempira
Lempira may refer to:* Lempira , 16th century leader of the Lenca peoples of Central America, who led local resistance against the Spanish conquistadores* Honduran lempira, unit of currency...
chief.
Geography
It is located in a flat part in the middle of a mountain. The vegetation has 3 traits: pine forests, dry sub tropical forests and some of the hills around are covered only with bushes and undergrowth. The mountains and hills around the capital are very steep. The weather is mostly cool, except during the summer season. Its villages and settlements are located on big depressions around the municipality capital.Boundaries
Its boundaries are:- North : Gracias municipalities.
- South : La CampaLa CampaLa Campa is a municipality and an aldea, or small town, in the Honduran Department of Lempira, located about by dirt road from Gracias, the largest town in the immediate region. The inhabitants of Gracias, La Campa, and other nearby aldeas, including San Manuel Colohete, are mainly of Lenca descent...
and San SebatiánSan Sebastian, LempiraSan Sebastian is a municipality in the Honduran department of Lempira.San Sebastián is one of the farthest municipalities of the Lempira department. It is 13 km ahead of San Manuel Colohete. It is highly recommended to go on a 4 wheel drive vehicle when visiting this municipality.- History :In the...
municipalities. - East : La CampaLa CampaLa Campa is a municipality and an aldea, or small town, in the Honduran Department of Lempira, located about by dirt road from Gracias, the largest town in the immediate region. The inhabitants of Gracias, La Campa, and other nearby aldeas, including San Manuel Colohete, are mainly of Lenca descent...
municipality. - West : San SebastiánSan Sebastian, LempiraSan Sebastian is a municipality in the Honduran department of Lempira.San Sebastián is one of the farthest municipalities of the Lempira department. It is 13 km ahead of San Manuel Colohete. It is highly recommended to go on a 4 wheel drive vehicle when visiting this municipality.- History :In the...
municipality and Ocotepeque department.
- Surface Extents: 172 km²
Resources
San Manuel Colohete is a very good place for coffee; due to its elevation from the sea level. Beans and corn are very common in this area. The capital has electricity and mobile communications services. Raising cattle is mostly for local consumption. In some houses, people sell gasoline and diesel fuels. Also there is a small limestone quarry, on the way to the municipal capital.Population
In this case the descendants of Indians are about a 70% of population, the rest is represented by the cross-breed of Spanish and Indians.- Population:For the year 2001 the figure was 10,908 ; and in accordance with estimates it is expected to have 13,291 for 2008.
- Villages: 10
- Settlements: 85
Tourism
- Local Holidays: La Concepción Inmaculada day is celebrated on 8 December. San Manuel was formerly known as Concepción Colohete.