Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-08-12

Mexico, Aug. 12-In this
unspoiled jewel of provincial town,
largely unknown and entirely unaffected
by cosmopolitan influences, all the beauty
and picturesqueness of Mexico seem to
gather into perfect union.
Patzcuaro lies at the border of large
lake, some six hours easy drive from
Mexico City, over a concrete highway as
well engineered and maintained as any in
California One crosses four mountain
ranges where, were it not for the frequent
adobe villages, the patches of green corn
and the ever-present church steeples, the
grandeur Of woods and scenery are
strongly reminiscent of the California
Sierras.
CTUDDED around the shore in a large
y semicircle are the towns of Tzunima-
taro, Huecorio, Tzentzenguaro, Eronguar-
icaro, Ucasanastecua, Tzintzuntzan and
Janucuaro. Jaw breakers? Not at all. In
the pleasant and easy sing-song of the
Tarascan speech, which is common cur
rency here, these names have a musical
and fluid quality, rarely melodious.
The whole district is known to the
elect as a paradise for fishers of bass.
To the still closer circle of initiates, It Is
renowned as a richly historic region.
For here is where Don Vasco de OUR
oga, a man as noble charitable and crea-
tive, as deeply lover of justice and hu-
mainly as Father las Cascas, spent the
best part of his 95 years He died in 1868,
but his name is as revered his works as
fruitful today, as they were in the 10th
century.
One can still visit his residence in the
old College of San Nicolas where the uni
versity that later was to become that Of
Mexico City, was started.
THERE are also stone-heWn farascan
l gods and sacrifcial affairs. whose sur
faces dripped with human blood for cen
turtles In the large, quadrangular patos,
vines and flowers bloom in eXuberant pro-
fusion and everywhere is the trill of MeXi-
cos finest songbirds, the jilguero and the
tzentzontle.
In Tzintzuntzan is perhaps the best
church of the district, with an enormous
forecourt lined with ancient olive trees,
planted by Quiroga himself and now mea-
surfing in some cases 40 feet in circum-
ference.
They have been polled for centuries
and now they resemble huge flower bas-
kets The bells that once fell from OUR
ogas chapel, now in ruins, are suspended
between two immense cedars before the
atrium.
The church itself has a carved stone
baroque entrance The nave is spacious
with a fine main altar of wood completely
covered with gold leaf. On the gospel side
of the nave, a curtain was drawn across
the wall
THAT is our painting, senor," said the
sacristan. He drew the curtain with
reverent bow, exposing a fine composition
of the Descent from the Cross.
THE work was evidently 10Th century
1 Italian One figure, said the sacristan,
was a portrait of Phillip II, who had pre-
sented the painting to Quiroga. Who was
the painter of this impressive and deeply
felt picture?
I'm Italiano que sc llamaba Tiziano,'
answered the sacristan-"An Italian who
called himself Titan
To find such treasure in such a
humble and obscure place is no great
rarity in Mexico, This reporter saw fine
Corregio in dark corner almost con-
cealed by bookshelves, in the rarely
visited library of the foreign office.
Religion is the Tarascans' solace,
refuge, theater social center and art
activity all at once. In Tzentzenguaro a
crowd of children, none older than s or
10, were busily sweeping out the church
and setting up stage in front Of the
main altar The work was slowed slightly