Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-04
QUAINT MEXICAN TOWN
People Are Very Conservative
and Very Proud.
CLING TO OLD CUSTOMS
Place Was Settled by Grandees From
Southern Spain.
PATZCUARO'S CHARACTERISTICS
One Of Titian's Pictures vigilantly
Guarded in the Indian Village
Of Tzintzountzan.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
special Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald
PATZCUARO. Mexico, April %, 1905.
ferhaps you have heard of wonderful
picture by Titan, in an Indian village
caiieo Izintzountzan. down here in south
ern Mexico. There Is no doubt of it's gen.
uineness and it ST regarded as one of his
best works 1t portrays the entombment
OF Christ. and surrounding the bier stand
the Holy Virgin. Mary Magdalene St
John, the beloved disciple, and nine other
figures. all life size, for the canvas is sig
teen by seven feet. In the upper left
hand corner Is bit of landscape with an
itaiian Villa-Tftian's home-in the CEN
Ter caprice that appears in several of
his later works
How did the picture come here? The
story Is easily told. 1t was presented by
Charles to his friend Bishop Don yasco
de Quiroga, who came over shortly after
the conquest and DEVOTED his life to the
conversion of the Indians. 1t was placed
III church IN Tzintzountzan the canitaI
OF the native empire of Torasco uhtoL
was made the seat of the bishopric and
was tileh a great city But now II 10
b puserty-stricken Indian village of mud
NUS on the other side of Lake Patzc1Iar0
from the railway station of the same
name. Everybody who comes here ooes
10 see the picture. of course. 1t is the
great attraction in this part of the cow
try and the village can be reached nv co
noes cut from single log and proneIIed
by paddles. Those who choose cana
around the shores of the lake on horse
BACK distance of about sixteen miles.
and they will see a great many interesting
things on the Journey
Picture Vigilantly Guarded.
The old church in which the nicture
hangs is rapidly crumbling, and it's walls
and roof will not last many years more
The Indians are shrinking also, the pop-
uiatlon is gradually diminishing and
what was once a metropolis Is reduced
TO rev huts of mud and stone They
are extremely Jealous of the picture and
suspicious or every stranger that comes
mere. Sometimes they refuse visitors adj
mission to the church, and always watch
every one who comes with the vigilance
OF fanatics. They have good reason to be
suspicious, however. The poor villagers
have been badly treated, and. according
to the gossip of the neighborhood have
suffered much injustice OF late years
their vigilance In watching over this
the loss of another picture which they
priced quite as highly. 1t was a portrait
OF Coitzonzi. their former king. who
reigned over them when Cortez came
Some wandering painter made his portrait
while he was living, and he left it as a
legacy to his people. Two years ago the
governor Of the state sent men down to
bring 1t to Morelia on the pretext of hay
ing it cleaned and touched up, and he has
forgotten to send it back It hangs in the
state capitol, and several committees of
Indians who have been sent to recover
1t have been able to secure nothing but
promises.
There is another remarkable picture in
the cathedral at Guadalajara. said to have
been the last masterpiece of Murillo. 1t
Is one of his Assumptions of the Virgin
and was presented to the people Of that
city by King Charles " as acknowl-
edgment of purse contributed by them
to him to repair the damages of Napo-
Icons invasion of the peninsula. 1t for
merly hung in the Escurial.