San Martín de Hidalgo, formerly San Martín de la Cal, is the largest

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

and municipal seat of San Martín de Hidalgo Municipality, in

Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...

in central-western

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. As of 2015, the town had a population of 7,819. It is located 16 km (10 miles) southeast of the city of Ameca and 13 km (8 miles) northwest of the city of Cocula. Tourism in San Martín de Hidalgo mainly relies on either architecture, hiking, or gastronomy.

Toponymy

During the

Pre-Columbian era In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era, also known as the pre-contact era, or as the pre-Cabraline era specifically in Brazil, spans from the initial peopling of the Americas in the Upper Paleolithic to the onset of European col ...

, the town's name was ''Huitzquilic'', which is the

Nahuatl Nahuatl ( ; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahuas, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller popul ...

word meaning "place of thistles".

History

In 1480, the Coca,

Purépecha The Purépecha ( ) 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 derogatory term " Tarascan", an exonym, app ...

, and Tepenahuales people settled in Huitzquilic. Under the leadership of Amecatl, present day

Ameca, Jalisco Ameca ( "string of water") is a city and municipality, in Jalisco in central-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 839.1 km². The city is bisected by the Ameca River which drains to the Pacific Ocean near Puerto Vallarta. It is ...

, Huitzquilic was ruled by Huitzingarit. The

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

discovered the town in 1540, during their arrival. The Spanish conquistadors baptized Huitzingarit, the leader, giving him the name of "Martín Santiago Huitzingarit". Because of Huitzingarit's humility, the conquistadors awarded him with a plot of land and the title of captain. Plazaprincipalsanmartinhidalgo

Since being the chief of his town, Huitzingarit's baptismal name was the basis for the new name of the new Spanish settlement, San Martín. The town was later known as "San Martín de la Cal", because of the area's abundance in lime. By 1823, the town is mentioned as a free municipality. It was not until 1883, that "San Martín de la Cal" is changed to "San Martín de Hidalgo", in honor of

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Don Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla Gallaga Mandarte y Villaseñor (8 May 1753 – 30 July 1811), commonly known as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla or simply Miguel Hidalgo (), was a Catholic priest, leader of the Mexican War ...

"the father of the nation".

Venustiano Carranza José Venustiano Carranza de la Garza (; 29 December 1859 – 21 May 1920), known as Venustiano Carranza, was a Mexican land owner and politician who served as President of Mexico from 1917 until his assassination in 1920, during the Mexican Re ...

President of Mexico The president of Mexico (), officially the president of the United Mexican States (), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the Constitution of Mexico, the president heads the executive branch of the federal government and ...

, visited San Martín de Hidalgo during the

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution () was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from 20 November 1910 to 1 December 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It saw the destruction of the Federal Army, its ...

in 1916.

Tourism

San Martín de Hidalgo is notable for the following touristic attractions and natural features. Templolaconchita

Architecture

*La Capilla de la Concepción, also known as La Conchita, was first utilized as a hospital for the Tepenahuales of the area in the mid-1500s. It is the oldest standing building in the town, the Capilla faces the principal cathedral. *La Parroquia de San Martín de Tours was built along with the "portales" and the "Plaza de Armas" in 1883, when the town was ranked as a free municipality. *Templo del Calvario a church in the southern part of the town. *Los Portales are a collection of two elongated buildings that display arched columned porches on their facades. On the portales, many businesses including shops and restaurants are located. The western portal is sometimes referred to as Portal Zaragoza. *La Gran Tenoxititlán a grocery store that bears a dignified Neoclassical style that was popular during the 1800s.

Geography

* Sierra de Quila a large government-protected forest that contains

Oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

Pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

, and

Redwood Sequoioideae, commonly referred to as redwoods, is a subfamily of Pinophyta, coniferous trees within the family (biology), family Cupressaceae, that range in the Northern Hemisphere, northern hemisphere. It includes the List of superlative tree ...

trees. The towns of Mesa del Cobre, El Cobre, and Lagunillas neighbor the breath-taking forest. *Presa del Guaje a dam near the municipal seat. It is perhaps the largest dam in the municipality, if not the region. * Presa San Jerónimo newly built dam inaugurated by the state's governor, it is located in the southwestern part of the municipality.

Feasts

Civil holidays * Parade of floats. 16 September. * Parade of floats. 20 November. * The Melon Fair. Mid-May. (Community of El Salitre) * The Luminaries. 11–12 December. * The Riders (Las Paseadoras). 15 August. *

Tianguis A is an open-air market or bazaar that is traditionally held on certain market days in a town or city neighborhood in Mexico and Central America. This bazaar tradition has its roots well into the pre-Hispanic period and continues in many cases ...

Saturday. The Saturday before

Holy Week Holy Week () commemorates the seven days leading up to Easter. It begins with the commemoration of Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednes ...

. * Feast from 3 to 11 November 2013. *

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

(Resurrection Sunday). Religious feasts * Feast in honor of the Lord of El Tepehuaje. 16–24 January. * Feast in honor of the Lord of El Encino,

Easter Monday Easter Monday is the second day of Eastertide and a public holiday in more than 50 predominantly Christian countries. In Western Christianity it marks the second day of the Octave of Easter; in Eastern Christianity it marks the second day of Br ...

. * Feast in honor of the Lord of Forgiveness. Week following that of

. * Feast in honor of the

Saint Joseph According to the canonical Gospels, Joseph (; ) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. Joseph is venerated as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Eastern O ...

. Sunday closest to 15 May. * The Holy Family. 29 December. * The Shepherds (Los Pastores). 25, 26, and 27 December. * Feast in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 12 December. * Laying of Christs (sculptures of Jesus on the cross). Holy Thursday and Good Friday. * Feast in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary. Third Sunday of January. * Pilgrimage to the Virgin of Candelaria. 2 February. * Feast in honor of Saint Martin de Tours. 3–11 November. * Feast in honor of Saint Raphael Archangel. 29 September. * Feast in honor of

Saint Cecilia Saint Cecilia (), also spelled Cecelia, was a Roman Christian virgin martyr, who is venerated in Catholic, Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox, Anglican Communion, Anglican, and some Lutheran churches, such as the Church of Sweden. She became the ...

. 22 November. * Pilgrimage of the Lord of El Encino from El Crucero de Santa María to San Jacinto. 15 August. * Feast in honor of the Virgen del Rosario in Santa Cruz. Last Sunday in October. The Riders (Las Paseadoras), 15 August.
Ancient tradition of the town of San Martín Hidalgo, which is celebrated year after year on 15 August, consists of riding (hence the name) on horseback through the different streets of the town and nearby towns: Tepehuaje, Santa Cruz de las Flores, Cárdenas, and Ipazoltic (in this last population the Virgin of the Assumption is venerated). When asking the elders about the origin of this tradition, they say that in their memories the purpose of this horse riding was to present to the Virgin their daughters who had turned fifteen during the year and it was on horseback that they approached to the municipality seat to attend the mass that was celebrated in honor of the Virgin, because 15 August is the Day of the Virgin of the Assumption. Until a few years ago, groups of cheerful young people who came dressed in their own outfits to ride, the boys wearing their hats and the girls wearing their wide skirts and sitting sideways like Amazons, made a tour visiting the temples of the aforementioned towns. Currently the tradition has changed and now it is young people dressed in cowboy style who horse ride through the streets of the town accompanied by musical bands and end their tour in the square where the party ends. The Luminaries, 11–12 December.
It is during the night of 11 to 12 December when the town of San Martín de Hidalgo and some of its communities are perfumed with the smell of ocote that comes down from the Sierra de Quila in advance and that many merchants sell during those days. The activities of this tradition are carried out in the following way: the neighbors usually light a small fire with ocote branches and firewood, in front of their houses. While the fire burns down, families and friends gather around the flames for a pleasant evening among talks and savoring, roasted pumpkin seeds, guasanas (cooked tender chickpeas), peanuts, popcorn, and some even roasted meat, listen to music, talk or pray to the Virgin of Guadalupe, since 11 December is the eve of the celebration of this invocation of the most revered Virgin of the Mexican people, and San Martín is no exception. Its origin according to legend arises from this festival on 12 December and what the tradition of apparitions tells. We do not know how, but it is said that the ancestors of the inhabitants of that region knew the news of the apparitions and with lights they waited for the miracle. The Laying of Christs (Los Tendidos de Cristos), Good Friday of each year.
These activities began in the second half of the 17th century. They had their origins in the neighborhoods of San Pedro and La Flecha ("The Arrow"), and then continued also in Centro and La Cruz Verde ("The Green Cross"), as a consequence of the conversion of the

Amerindians In the Americas, Indigenous peoples comprise the two continents' pre-Columbian inhabitants, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with them in the 15th century, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with the pre-Columbian population of ...

of the place to

Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

missionaries. It is a unique tradition in the Mexican Republic. Dozens of families in the town have a sculpture of Christ each. They build simple "chapels" with palm leaves inside the houses, a few days before Good Friday, every year. The christs measure from 2 feet and 4 inches (70 centimeters) to 5 feet and 9 inches (1.75 meters) in height; some are light, made of corn cane paste; others, made of wood, weigh up to 220 pounds (100 kilograms), complete with cross. In the town of San Martín Hidalgo there are 18 sculptures of Christ with documented antiquities from the 17th to the 19th century, according to information provided by Sergio Zepeda Navarro, chronicler and director of Culture of the San Martín de Hidalgo Municipality. In addition, there are dozens of contemporary figures of Christ, from the 20th century. Fourteen days before Good Friday, people sow seeds of

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

, chia, canary grass and

maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

, in pots or in soil and sawdust, so that the sprouts are ready on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Until 2017, on Holy Wednesday, the "bath of Christ" was held in the Chapel of Calvary, with water, soap and scouring pads. Then there is a procession to the atrium of the parish of San Martín de Tours, to change the sendals (thin fabrics), for clean ones, actions in charge of men, who represent

Joseph of Arimathea Joseph of Arimathea () is a Biblical figure who assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus after Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion. Three of the four Biblical Canon, canonical Gospels identify him as a member of the Sanhedrin, while the ...

, and then the priest proceeds to officiate a mass. The custom of bathing the images began in 1961, when the town's parish priest was the presbyter Manuel Villagrana Ascencio. When he was removed, around 1972, these actions ceased, but were resumed in 2001 on the recommendation of the priest Luis Zúñiga; however, in 2016 or 2017 people from the Escuela de Conservación y Restauración de Occidente (ECRO, Western Conservation and Restoration School), in Guadalajara, went to San Martín Hidalgo, analyzed the images and found damage. They suggested that the effigies no longer be bathed. Cleanings are currently carried out with essences and oils. On Good Friday, families get up very early to go to the hill or to the banks of the San Martín River, in order to cut branches of ahuehuete, willow, and rockrose, to place them against the back wall from the living room of their houses. A petate is placed on the floor, as a base, to cover it with

alfalfa Alfalfa () (''Medicago sativa''), also called lucerne, is a perennial plant, perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, ...

, chamomile,

laurel Laurel may refer to: Plants * Lauraceae, the laurel family * Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel People * Laurel (given name), people with the given name * Laurel (surname), people with the surname * Laurel (mus ...

and

rosemary ''Salvia rosmarinus'' (), commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers. It is a member of the sage family, Lamiaceae. The species is native to the Mediterranean r ...

leaves, as well as split

bitter orange The bitter orange, sour orange, Seville orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange is the hybrid citrus tree species ''Citrus'' × ''aurantium'', and its fruit. It is native to Southeast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of th ...

s and

cloves Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands, or Moluccas, in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring, or fragrance in consumer products, ...

. The sprouts are removed from the pots or from the ground, and spread directly on everything mentioned above. They bring cages with doves, alluding to the Holy Spirit. Also, some families accommodate twelve candles, 33 votive candles, five Easter candles (some others place a few candles), and put a brazier, with charcoal, and copal or incense, to aromatize the environment. On Good Friday some families, according to the particular custom of each one, pray the rosary, or sing "El Alabado" (The Praised One). For visitors, the entrance to the houses is free of charge, certain families give away drinks such as coffee or lemonade. Generally the first impression is olfactory, then comes the visualization of the arrangements, taking pictures, etcetera. The number of registered tourists has grown, from about eight thousand in 2012, to approximately 30 thousand in 2018. They come from

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

the United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

. As for domestic tourism, they have come from

Querétaro Querétaro, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Querétaro, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Querétaro, 18 municipalities. Its capital city is Querétaro Cit ...

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo, is one of the 31 states which, together with Mexico City, compose the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The stat ...

Nayarit Nayarit, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in Municipalities of Nayarit, 20 municipalit ...

Colima Colima, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Colima, is among the 31 states that make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and main city, Colima. Colima is a small state of western Mexico on the cen ...

Puebla Puebla, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Puebla, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its capital is Puebla City. Part of east-centr ...

Oaxaca Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities, and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales. It is located in northwest Mexic ...

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

, and other municipalities in

In popular culture

*In the Mexican

telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar Drama (film and television), drama genres around the w ...

of '' Querida Enemiga'', the protagonist "Lorena de la Cruz" (

Ana Layevska Anna Serhiivna Layevska (; born January 10, 1984), known as Ana Layevska, is a Ukrainians, Ukrainian-Mexicans, Mexican actress and singer. Early life Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, Ana is the only child of violinist Serhii Laievskyi and actress Inna Ra ...

) and the antagonist "Sara de la Cruz" ( Carmen Becerra), were said to have been born in San Martín de Hidalgo. This was revealed in an episode where the protagonist's mother Zulema ( Socorro Bonilla) was giving her daughter's birth information to the police. *In 2006, Meza Video Productions filmed the video ''San Martin de Hidalgo'' for their "Videos de Mexico" series. The direct-to-video movie revolved around the sightseeing in the town as well as residents' interviews about the locale. It was released on DVD the same year.

Demographics

2010

According to the 2010

Censo General de Población y Vivienda The Censo de Población y Vivienda (''Population and Housing Census'') is the main national population census for Mexico. It is compiled by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), a decentralized agency of the Mexican Federal g ...

, San Martín de Hidalgo had a population of 8,092 inhabitants, of which 3,907 were male and 4,185 were female. There were 2,205 inhabited houses.

Sister cities

Morgan Hill Morgan Hill is a city in Santa Clara County, California, at the southern tip of Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area. Morgan Hill is an affluent residential community, the seat of several high-tech companies, and a dining and recreation ...

Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259 as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County form the ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Notable people

* María Guadalupe Urzúa Flores, Municipal President of San Martín de Hidalgo, from 1998 to 2000

References

External links

Entry for San Martín Hidalgo in the ''Enciclopedia de los Municipios y Delegaciones de México''
{{DEFAULTSORT:San Martin De Hidalgo Populated places in Jalisco Populated places established in 1540