page_title: Pátzcuaro
section_title: Town
hierarchical_section_title: Pátzcuaro / Town
caption_attribution_description: English: Upper floor of the Palace of Huitzimengari in Patzcuaro, Michoacan
context_page_description: Pátzcuaro is a large town and municipality located in the state of Michoacán. The town was founded sometime in the 1320s, at first becoming the capital of the Tarascan state and later its ceremonial center. After the Spanish took over, Vasco de Quiroga worked to make Pátzcuaro the capital of the New Spain province of Michoacán, but after his death, the capital would be moved to nearby Valladolid. Pátzcuaro has retained its colonial and indigenous character since then, and it has been named one of the 111 "Pueblos Mágicos" by the government of Mexico. Pátzcuaro, and the lake region to which it belongs, is well known as a site for Day of the Dead celebrations.
  There are several possibilities as to the meaning of "Pátzcuaro." The first is "phascuaro," which means "place dyed in black;" or "patatzecuaro," which means "place of foundations." Another possible meaning is "petatzimícuaro," "place of bullrushes." Other possible meanings are: " happy place;" and "seat of temples." Pátzcuaro received its coat of arms in 1553 from Charles V of Spain.
context_section_description: Since the Mexican Revolution, Patzcuaro has worked to keep its traditional colonial-indigenous look. Unlike the capital, houses in Pátzcuaro are made of adobe and/or wood and generally have tiled roofs. Cobblestone streets dominate the center of town down to the lake. The town is filled with stores and vendors selling a wide variety of crafts, many in bright colors. Patzcuaro is the market hub of the region, with smaller villages bringing in their own specialized crafts such as copperware, black pottery, musical instruments, baskets etc. Local dishes include tamales or uchepos, filled with fish, tarasca soup, red pozole, atole, trout dishes, and a number of cold drinks based on corn. The courtyards and balconies are almost always filled with flowering plants, which is a tradition in Patzcuaro, with many homeowners sharing tips and plants with each other, sometimes even cross breeding a new variety of flower. The most common flower to be seen is the begonia, which blooms best between July and September. Other common plants include geraniums, mallows, bougainvilleas, tiger lilies, marigolds, azaleas, hydrangeas,  roses and others. Non-flowering plants that can also be seen include palm trees, selaginella  and various cacti. Some grow medicinal and culinary herbs such as aloe, chamomile, mint, basil and others.
  The town center is called the Plaza Vasco de Quiroga or the Plaza Grande. This plaza is large considering the size of the town. The Plaza Grande was dedicated to Vasco de Quiroga in 1964, when a fountain containing a bronze statue of the bishop was placed in the center. This sculpture was done by Costa Rican artist Francisco Zúñiga. The Plaza is surrounded by old, stately ash trees and colonial-era mansions. Unlike most other towns and cities in Mexico, the main church does not face this plaza.  While crafts can be seen for sale in all of the town, they are prominent in the Plaza. The main square is filled with stores selling a very wide variety of crafts including carved wooden statues and furniture, brightly painted accents depicting flowers and animals, brilliant piles of woven textiles, draperies, tablecloths, bedspreads and napkins, wooden figures, religious art, clay plaques and pots, polished wooden boxes and guitars, picture frames, woolen blankets, copper vases and platters, basketry and items made of woven straw and reed, and sculpted and scented candles. Many of these are on display in the shops set into the colonial buildings around the plaza, with much more inside. 
  Facing the main plaza is the Palace of Huitziméngari. This structure, like most of the rest of the town, is made of adobe and has a clay tile roof. This palace belonged to Antonio de Huitziméngari, the son of the last Tarascan cazonci (monarch), and the godson of the first viceroy of New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza. It has two floors, a sober facade and the inner courtyard is surrounded with round arches and filled with flowers. On the upper floor, there is a statue of a dog, an allusion to Huitziméngari's name which in Tarascan mythology referred to the dog that served the Lord of Paradise.  The dog motif is repeated on some of the inside doors.
  One block to the north of the Vasco Plaza is the Plaza Gertrudis Bocanegra, also called the Plaza Chica. The market off of Gertrudis Bocanegra specializes in woolen goods, kitchen implements, pottery, copper and straw items. Friday is market day, filling the walkways here with stalls with goods from various villages. Near main holidays, such as Day of the Dead, this market can spill over to the other two plazas in town as well. One of the buildings next to this plaza is the Ex Temple of San Agustin, which was founded in the 16th century. Today it houses the Gertrudis Bocanegra Library. This library has a mural painted by Juan O'Gorman depicting the history of Michoacán.
  Two blocks east of the Plaza Chica is the most important church in Pátzcuaro, the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Salud. This church was built by Vasco de Quiroga over a pre-Hispanic ceremonial site to function as the Cathedral of Mich
caption: Upper level of the Palace
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