Maravatío is a municipality in the

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

state of

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...

, representing 1.17% of its land area, or 691.55 km².

Etymology

The modern word Maravatío comes from the

Purépecha The Purépecha (endonym pua, P'urhepecha ) are a group of indigenous people centered in the northwestern region of Michoacán, Mexico, mainly in the area of the cities of Cherán and Pátzcuaro. They are also known by the pejorative "Tarascan ...

word Marhabatio, meaning a precious place or thing.

History

Maravatio has a complicated history spanning hundreds of years. Though officially founded in 1540, the area had previously experienced settlement by Otomi,

Mazahua Mazahua may refer to: * Mazahua people, an indigenous people of Mexico * Mazahua language The Mazahua language ( maz, Jñatrjo) is an Oto-Pamean language spoken in the central states of Mexico by the ethnic group that is widely known as the Ma ...

, and Purepecha peoples. After Spanish contact, it functioned as a bulwark against various Chichimeca tribes of the north, primarily the Pame and Guamare, and eventually was classified as an "Indian Republic" governed by

Don Pedro Juárez Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON * Don (river), a river in European Russia * Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name *Don, Benin, a town in Benin * Don, Dang, a v ...

Geography

Neighboring locations include

Guanajuato Guanajuato (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato), is one of the 32 states that make up the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 46 municipalities and its capital city i ...

to the north;

Contepec Contepec is a municipality in the Mexican state of Michoacán, located east of the state capital of Morelia. Geography The municipality of Contepec is located in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt in northeast Michoacán at an altitude between . It ...

and

Tlalpujahua Tlalpujahua (; formally Tlalpujahua de Rayón) is a town and municipality located in the far northeast of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. It is a former mining town, home of the Dos Estrellas Mine, which was the leading producer of gold ...

to the east;

Senguio Senguio is a municipality in the Mexican state of Michoacán, located approximately east of the state capital of Morelia. Geography The municipality of Senguio is located at an elevation between in the Sierra de Mil Cumbres mountain range in no ...

Irimbo Irimbo is a municipality located in the southeastern part of the Mexican state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' ...

, and Ciudad Hidalgo to the south; and Zinapécuaro to the west.

Economy

The economy of Maravatío is primarily agricultural in nature, focusing on the production of

strawberries The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus '' Fragaria'', collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely ap ...

corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

bean A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes th ...

s, potatoes, wheat, and tomatoes. The municipality also has a herd of cattle with some economic importance, industries focused on the fabrication of ornamental ironwork, as well as business sectors. Maravatio

Tourist attractions

Some of the principal places of interest to tourists in the municipality are the following: * The Parish Church of San Juan Bautista * Hacienda de Pomoca (the place where Melchor Ocampo lived) * El Teatro Morelos (the Morelos Theater) * El Mirador (the viewpoint) The city contains the parochial temple of San Juan Bautista, built in the baroque style in the 16th century, as well as the chapel of the Immaculate Conception, in the mudéjar style; the chapel of the Lord of the Column; the Chapel of Saint Michael Archangel, in San Miguel Curahuango; the temple of Saint Mary, in Ziritzícuaro; and the temple of Uripitío. Maravatio Mirador

Also of interest are the former

hacienda An ''hacienda'' ( or ; or ) is an estate (or ''finca''), similar to a Roman ''latifundium'', in Spain and the former Spanish Empire. With origins in Andalusia, ''haciendas'' were variously plantations (perhaps including animals or orchards), ...

s of Apeo that were the property of Don Mateo Echaíz de Santa Elena in 1857; the house where Don Miguel Hidalgo stayed, near Independence Gate; the railway station, at which trains first arrived in 1883; and the Morelos Theater, constructed in the

Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori ( or ; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915), known as Porfirio Díaz, was a Mexican general and politician who served seven terms as President of Mexico, a total of 31 years, from 28 November 1876 to 6 Decem ...

era, which was inaugurated with a performance by the soprano Ángela Peralta. Maravatío is a good base for visiting

monarch butterfly The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (''Danaus plexippus'') is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown. It ...

sanctuaries between October and March, and there are many hot springs near the city suitable for bathing. Along with tourists attractions, there are many places to enjoy a delicious meal, fruit, or desserts at a very low price.

Transport

Coaches run by several different companies run to and from Maravatio, connecting nearby towns like Atlacomulco and Ciudad Hidalgo, cities further afield such as Mexico City, Morelia and

Querétaro Querétaro (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Querétaro ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Querétaro, links=no; Otomi language, Otomi: ''Hyodi Ndämxei''), is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. I ...

, and international destinations like Atlanta, El Paso and Immokalee. The nearest airport is Morelia International Airport.

Politics

Executive power in the municipality is vested in the ''presidente municipal'' or municipal president. The following table lists Maravatío's past executives:Maravatio
in the ''Enciclopedia de los municipios y las delegaciones de Mexico''.

Famous people

Cayetano Gómez de Soria y Piñón Cayetano is a Spanish and sometimes Sephardic Jewish name related to the Italian name Gaetano (English: ''Cajetan''), both from Latin ''Caietanus'', meaning "from Gaeta". It is a common given name in Spain, Mexico, Argentina and the Philippines. As ...

(1791-?). Entrepreneur and landowner. A person of Spanish ancestry born in Mexico with humble beginnings, who began buying property at an early age until becoming one of the most important owners of haciendas in Michoacán.

References

External links

*Website of Maravatío, Michoacá
nuestromaravatio.com.mxWebsite oficial, turístico y localPágina oficial del Municipio de Maravatio de Ocampo
*arxfes
maravatio.pueblox.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maravatio Municipalities of Michoacán