Dolores Hidalgo (; in full, Dolores Hidalgo Cuna de la Independencia Nacional, en, Dolores Hidalgo Birthplace of
exicanNational Independence) is the name of a city and the surrounding
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in the north-central part of the
Mexican state of
Guanajuato.
It is located at , at an elevation of about 1,980 meters (6,480 feet) above
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...
. In the census of 2005 the city had a population of 54,843 people, while the municipality had 134,641 inhabitants. The city lies directly in the center of the municipality, which is 1,590 km² (613.9 sq mi) in area and includes numerous small outlying communities, the largest of which is
RÃo Laja.
Dolores Hidalgo was named a ''
Pueblo Mágico
In the Southwestern United States, Pueblo (capitalized) refers to the Native tribes of Puebloans having fixed-location communities with permanent buildings which also are called pueblos (lowercased). The Spanish explorers of northern New Spain ...
'' (Magic Town) in 2002
History
The city was a small town known simply as Dolores when Father
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla uttered his famous cry for the independence of Mexico (the ''
Grito de Dolores
A ''grito'' or ''grito mexicano'' (, Spanish for "shout") is a common Mexican interjection, used as an expression.
Characteristics
This interjection is similar to the ''yahoo'' or '' yeehaw'' of the American cowboy during a hoedown, with added ...
'') there in the early hours of September 16, 1810, in front of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores parish church. After Mexico achieved independence, the town was renamed ''Dolores Hidalgo'' in his honor.
Today Dolores Hidalgo is known primarily for its
ceramic
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...
s industry, started by Father Hidalgo, which provides income to well over half the city's population. The inexpensive and mass-produced output of the town is marketed throughout Latin America and the United States. The central square of the town, in front of Fr Hidalgo's historic church, is a popular tourist spot.
A place of pilgrimage in Dolores Hidalgo for many fans of
ranchera
Ranchera () or canción ranchera is a genre of traditional music of Mexico. It dates to before the years of the Mexican Revolution. Rancheras today are played in virtually all regional Mexican music styles. Drawing on rural traditional folk musi ...
and popular music is the tomb of
José Alfredo Jiménez
José Alfredo Jiménez Sandoval (; 19 January 1926 – 23 November 1973) was a Mexican singer-songwriter of rancheras, whose songs are considered the basis of modern Mexican music.
Biography
Jiménez was born in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, ...
, one of the country's most beloved singers and songwriters, as well as one of the most prolific popular songwriters in the history of western music. He is buried in the town cemetery.
Footballer
Adolfo "El Bofo" Bautista and USA Olympian
Leonel Manzano
Leonel "Leo" Manzano (born September 12, 1984) is a retired Mexican-American middle-distance track and field athlete specializing in the 1500 m and mile. He was a silver medalist at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Manzano is known for finishing ...
were born here.
Notable people
*
Adolfo "El Bofo" Bautista, footballer
*
José Alfredo Jiménez
José Alfredo Jiménez Sandoval (; 19 January 1926 – 23 November 1973) was a Mexican singer-songwriter of rancheras, whose songs are considered the basis of modern Mexican music.
Biography
Jiménez was born in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, ...
, Mexican singer
*
Leonel Manzano
Leonel "Leo" Manzano (born September 12, 1984) is a retired Mexican-American middle-distance track and field athlete specializing in the 1500 m and mile. He was a silver medalist at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Manzano is known for finishing ...
, USA Olympian
References
Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005INEGI: Instituto Nacional de EstadÃstica, GeografÃa e Informática
GuanajuatoEnciclopedia de los Municipios de México
External links
*â
Dolores Hidalgo Cuna de la Independencia Nacional— ''Official website''.
San Luis De La Paz, GuanajuatoNearby colonial town.
Bibliography and Hemerography: Miguel Hidalgo and Costilla.Miguel Hidalgo and Costilla - Documents of 1810 and 1811.Chronology of Miguel Hidalgo and Costilla.Points of interest on the map for Dolores Hidalgo
{{Authority control
Populated places in Guanajuato
Municipalities of Guanajuato
Pueblos Mágicos