Jalpan de Serra facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jalpan de Serra, Querétaro
Town
Jalpan de Serra
Temple built by Junípero Serra between 1751 and 1758.
Seal
Jalpan de Serra, Querétaro Location in Querétaro Show map of Querétaro Jalpan de Serra, Querétaro Location in Mexico Show map of Mexico
Country	Mexico
State	Querétaro
Founded	1744
Area
• Total	1,185 km2 (458 sq mi)
Elevation (of seat)	760 m (2,490 ft)
Population  (2005) Municipality
• Total	22,025
• Seat	8,947
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (US Central))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (Central)
Postal code (of seat)	68522

Jalpan de Serra (Spanish: [ˈxalpan de ˈsera]) is a city in the northern part of the Mexican state of Querétaro. It is located in the middle of a special natural area called the Sierra Gorda.

Jalpan de Serra is famous for two of its five Franciscan missions. These missions were built in the mid-1700s. They were named a World Heritage Site in 2003 because of their history. The area is also home to a small but important group of Pame indigenous people.

Recently, Jalpan de Serra was named a Pueblo Mágico. This means "Magical Town" and helps bring more tourists.

Exploring Jalpan Town

The town of Jalpan is the main city of the municipality. It is about 180 km from San Juan del Río. You can reach it by Federal Highway 120. This road also connects it to Xilitla and Río Verde in San Luis Potosí.

Even though it became a city in 1904, its population is still small, with less than 9,000 people (as of 2005). The main jobs in the town are in shops, raising animals, and farming.

The Main Square and Mission

The town's center is its main square and one of the famous Franciscan missions. This mission was named a World Heritage Site in 2003. The main square is right in front of the mission church. It has many trees where birds often sing loudly.

This square is a popular meeting spot, especially on Sundays. Vendors sell snacks and toys there. In the mornings, shared taxis gather here. Their drivers call out different places they are going. On weekends, you can often see artistic shows.

Museum of the Sierra Gorda

Across Independencia Street from the main square is the Museum of the Sierra Gorda. This building was once known as the Jalpan Fort. It was built in the 1500s and is one of the oldest buildings in Jalpan.

For centuries, it was a military fort. Then, for about 50 years, it was a local jail. In 1991, it became a museum. It has seven rooms that tell the story of the Sierra Gorda region. You can learn about its history from ancient times to the early 1900s.

The museum has old maps, ancient artifacts, and fossils. It also shows how the Spanish arrived and spread Christianity. There is a special focus on the five Franciscan missions and Junípero Serra. You can also see items from the Mexican Revolution. One room is dedicated to the native people of the Sierra Gorda.

Other Important Buildings

Another building facing the main square is the old Melchor Ocampo School. This was the first school in the area. Today, it is the municipal cultural center. It holds art shows and has several government offices.

The local post office is next to the mission church. This building was once part of the mission complex. During the Reform War, a general named Mariano Escobedo was held prisoner here.

Local Crafts and Food

You can visit the Casa de las Artesanías, which is a crafts center. It shows and sells many handmade items from Jalpan and nearby towns. These include things made from palm leaves, pottery, pine needles, and wood.

You can also find local food items here. These include fruit preserves, guava candies, fruit drinks, honey, and coffee grown in the region.

Near the town, you can see the ruins of an old farm called Hacienda del Rayo.

When it comes to food, try cecina serrana. This is dried beef seasoned with sour orange and salt. Another special dish is zacahuilt. It is a very large tamale made with corn, different chili peppers, and pork or chicken. It is wrapped in a banana leaf and cooked all night in an oven.

River shrimp, called acamayas, are another local favorite. They are prepared in many ways. Revoltillo is eggs cooked on a comal (a flat griddle) with a sauce made from a fruit like a tomato called coyol. For drinks, try Atole flavored with sunflower seeds, small guavas, or piloncillo (a type of brown sugar).

Geography and Climate

Jalpan de Serra is located in the Sierra Gorda mountains. This area has a varied climate.

Weather in Jalpan

People and Population

There is a small group of Huastecos living in Valle Verde. Most of the people in Querétaro's Sierra Gorda are Pame. They mostly live in the community of Las Nuevas Flores. Other Pame communities include San Juan de los Durán and El Rincón.

The total number of Pame people in Querétaro is small, about 200. However, their numbers are growing. The Pames in Querétaro are more mixed with the general culture than those in San Luis Potosí. Only one community, Las Nuevas Flores, keeps most of its old traditions. They farm, raise animals like rabbits and goats, and make crafts from palm leaves.

Many Pame people have moved away to other parts of Mexico and even to the United States. They look for better work. Even though their numbers are small, the Pame group is very important to the culture of the municipality.

The number of people living in the municipality has been going down since the mid-1900s. Many have moved to the United States for better jobs. From 2000 to 2005, the population dropped from 22,839 to 22,025. People who stay in the main town have changed from farming to working in factories or shops.

The only community that has grown a lot is due to the main highway and work related to the Jalpan Dam.

The Famous Mission Churches

The mission in the town of Jalpan

Jalpan de Serra has two of the five Franciscan missions built by Junípero Serra. He was a missionary who worked to spread Christianity in the Sierra Gorda. These missions were named a World Heritage Site in 2003. One mission is in the town of Jalpan itself, and the other is in the community of Tancoyol.

Jalpan Mission

The mission in Jalpan was built between 1751 and 1758. It is dedicated to Saint James the Greater. He is seen as a protector of faith. This was the first of the five missions built to teach people in the area.

The main entrance is decorated with many plants, most of which are local to the region. You can also see European designs, like images of saints and the Franciscan symbol. Native designs include a two-headed eagle eating a snake. There is also an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

The front of the church is beautifully decorated with stucco and stone. The reddish-brown pillars stand out against the yellow decorations. Many details are plants, small angels, and eagles. At the bottom of the front, there are figures of Saint Dominic and Francis of Assisi. There is also a small symbol with five wounds and the Franciscan order's symbol.

Inside the door, you can see images of Saints Peter and Paul. There is also a Mexican two-headed eagle eating a serpent. On the upper left, there is an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. On the upper right, there is Our Lady of the Pillar. These are important images of the Virgin Mary from Mexico and Spain. The dome inside the Jalpan mission shows scenes of the Virgin of Guadalupe appearing.

Tancoyol Mission

The mission in Tancoyol

The Tancoyol mission is dedicated to Our Lady of Light. It was likely built by Friar Juan Ramos de Lora between 1760 and 1767. The front of the church has a diamond-shaped window. It is surrounded by a design that looks like the cord Franciscans use on their robes.

The main idea behind the decorations on the front is mercy. This is shown by images of the Virgin Mary and various saints. The symbols on this entrance are the most detailed of all five missions. You can see European elements like images of saints such as Peter and Paul. There is also the Franciscan symbol.

The image of Our Lady of Light has disappeared from the front. Now, there are curtain-like decorations held by angels. You can also see images of Saints Joachim and Anne, along with Saints Peter and Paul. Saint Roch is shown to protect against diseases. There is also a picture of the stigmata (marks like Christ's wounds) of Francis of Assisi. The main cross at the top stands for redemption. On either side are the crosses of Calatrava and Jerusalem. Inside the church, you can find native designs, like an image of a jaguar and a person with Olmec features.

Culture and Traditions

Important Festivals

The most important festival in Jalpan de Serra is the feast of the Santo Niño de la Mezclita. This is an image of a child Jesus named after the Mezclita community. This image was brought to the community in 1890. Many miracles have been said to happen because of it. The annual festival began in the Ayutla community. Later, the image was given to Jalpan. The festival brings together 20,000 to 25,000 people from all over the Sierra Gorda.

Other religious events include a Passion Play during Holy Week. There is also the Day of the Holy Cross on May 3. The Feast of James the Greater is on July 25. And of course, Day of the Dead is celebrated. For Day of the Dead, a huge altar is built in a small plaza in Jalpan town.

Secular Events

There are also several important non-religious events. The Feria Regional Serrana happens every April. It includes art, cultural, and sports events, like a fishing tournament.

The Convivio de la Amistad takes place on May 1. It is held by the Jalpan River in an area called the Playita (Little Beach). This event is a very big potluck. Families share food they brought. It usually starts after the Labor Day events on May 1. Earth Day (Fiesta de la Tierra) is in June. It is sponsored by the Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda. This event is mainly for children. It teaches them about how important it is to protect nature.

Music and "Norteños"

Huapango is the main traditional music style. There are two types: huapango arribeño and huapango huasteco (also called son huasteco). Huapango arribeño is slowly disappearing. This is because many people from rural areas have moved away or to cities.

Huapango huasteco is still popular. Especially now, with young music groups playing it. It is often played during traditional events. These include religious festivals, Independence Day, and Christmas holidays.

Many people in Jalpan de Serra rely on money sent from relatives in the United States. Many who work in the U.S. come back for the Christmas holidays. These people are called “norteños” (northerners). They are celebrated on December 28, which is called “El Día del Paisano” (Day of the Countryman).

This festival has many events. It includes crowning the Paisano queen, a church service, and a parade of pickup trucks. The trucks are decorated with symbols from the U.S. and the Sierra Gorda. There is also a charreada (Mexican rodeo) event called El Jalpense. At night, there is a dance with live music. About 5,000 people come to this event each year. It is even shown on television.

The event started just for Jalpan. But now, people from nearby towns also join in. In 2010, over a hundred pickup trucks were in the parade. Their owners gave away $1,850 in cash. During the parade, the visiting “paisanos” show off their trucks bought in the U.S. They compete for the best and most fancy ones.

Economy and Tourism

Natural Resources and Farming

The most important natural resource in the area is its forests. They have valuable trees like pines and oaks. About 15,441 hectares of the municipality's land are used for farming. Another 9,872 hectares are used for forestry.

Almost 29% of the working people are involved in farming, raising animals, and forestry. Only a small part of the farmland is watered by irrigation. The rest depends on the rainy season. The Tancoyol area grows the most crops. These include beans, corn, chickpeas, cardamom, tomatoes, chili peppers, and watermelon.

Raising animals is most important near the main town. People raise cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, and chickens. Honey from Rincon de Tancoyol is considered some of the best in Mexico. It is sold as “Miel Xi’Oi Teneek” and much of it is sent to Europe. Coffee is grown on some mountainsides. It has a special smell.

Local Industries and Crafts

About 17% of people work in industry, mining, and construction. Industry here mostly means handmade crafts and food products. These are made in small family workshops.

Pottery is mainly made in Soledad de Guadalupe by a group of women. They make cups, plates, vases, and jars. The pieces are shaped by hand, baked, and then painted by hand. In Las Nuevas Flores, several Pame families make crafts from palm leaves. These include fruit baskets, flower vases, and fans. You can buy these items in Tancoyol, Jalpan, and the Museum of the Sierra Gorda.

Leather items are mostly made by the El Gavilán workshop. They decorate items with silver thread or other designs. Products include knife covers, cell phone holders, key chains, wallets, and belts. The El Exilio Ranch makes a liquor and a sweet paste called ate from guava fruit. The fruit is grown locally. Many families in Tilaco make coffee liquor and traditional pastries. A large number of women are homemakers.

Growing Tourism

Shopping and services are a growing part of the economy. There are 193 registered businesses, five outdoor markets (tianguis), and two public markets. About 43% of people work in shops and services, including tourism.

Tourism has become the most important new way for the municipality to make money. In 2009, about 70,000 visitors came to Jalpan. This makes it an important tourist spot for the state. The number of visitors has been growing. This is because of interest in ecotourism (travel that protects nature). While people of all ages visit, there is a focus on younger visitors. They are more likely to be interested in ecotourism.

The main ecotourist spots include waterfalls, rivers, and the Jalpan Dam. Most visitors come from Mexico City and the state of Querétaro. Jalpan de Serra became a Pueblo Mágico in 2010. This was because of its "traditions, warmth, humility, historical value, and human quality." Being named a Magical Town means the community can get help from the government. This help improves the town's buildings, like burying electric cables.

Archaeological Sites and Nature Parks

The Tancama archaeological zone is in the community of the same name. It is thirteen km from Jalpan. This site belongs to the Huasteca culture. It dates from between 200 and 900 CE.

The community of Acatitlán del Río is six km from Jalpan de Serra. It has “La Casita Ecológica” (The Little Ecological House). This is a cabin next to a stream, surrounded by gardens and mango trees. It is a great place to watch butterflies, hike, and mountain bike. The cabin can fit up to four people.

Valle Verde has some of the best-preserved nature in the municipality. The main craft maker here is the Soledad de Guadalupe ceramics group. There is also the Ojo de Agua de San Juan de los Durán ecological water park and the Cueva del Agua (Water Cave). These areas have cabins, camping, and offer bikes and horses for rent. They also have a pool filled with water from a local spring.

Many people send money to the area from the United States. Also, many bring money with them during the Christmas holidays. This has made the local economy use U.S. dollars. Dollars are accepted in many businesses. It is thought that about 18.2 million dollars come into the area from the U.S. each year.

History of Jalpan de Serra

The name Jalpan comes from the Nahuatl language. It means “place over sand.” In 1976, “de Serra” was added to the name. This was to honor the missionary Junípero Serra. The city's coat of arms shows symbols of its history. It was founded as a Franciscan mission in 1744 by Captain José de Escandón.

The first people settled in this area between 1700 and 1000 BCE. They lived in the small valleys of the Sierra Gorda. These people were connected to the Olmec culture. Later, groups from the Teotihuacan, Toltec, Huasteca, and Totonac cultures also settled here.

Jalpan is in the center of the Sierra Gorda. This region was between farming and mining cultures in the south and hunter-gatherer cultures in the north. The strongest cultural influences in the area during ancient times were Olmec, Teotihuacan, and Huasteca. The Huasteca influence has been strongest in northern Querétaro, where Jalpan is. This was because of trade routes along the Pánuco and Moctezuma Rivers. Around 600 to 1000 CE, Nahua tribes moved into the area.

By the late Postclassic period, the climate became very dry. Farming was difficult, and many people moved away. In the early 1200s, groups from the north, mostly Chichimecas, moved into the Sierra Gorda. These included Pames, Jonaz, and Ximpeces. They hunted and gathered food. The Pames and Ximpeces slowly adapted to village life. They lived peacefully with nearby cultures. But others, like the Jonaz, remained warriors and hunters. They used the rough mountains to attack other settled peoples.

Around 1400, the Purépecha tried to take over the Sierra Gorda. They had control of southern Querétaro. But they never controlled the north. Tribes from the Sierra Gorda pushed the Purépecha south and west. The Aztecs had more success. They made the Jalpan area a state that paid tribute to them under Moctezuma Ilhuicamina.

Spanish Arrival and Missions

In 1527, Nuño de Guzmán conquered the Oxtipa area, which included Jalpan. But the Spanish could not fully control it. This was because of strong resistance, especially from the Chichimeca Jonaz. For over 200 years, there were many attempts to spread Christianity in the Sierra Gorda. The Augustinians and Franciscans tried, but with little success. At the same time, military groups built forts in Jalpan and other places.

The Spanish government wanted to control the area more. They needed safe routes to mining areas like Zacatecas. They also wanted a protective zone against the new French colony of Louisiana. José de Escandón was sent to calm the area in 1740. This led to the defeat of the Jonaz in the Battle of Media Luna in 1749. This military action allowed missions to be built permanently in the Sierra Gorda.

In 1744, Friar Pedro Pérez de Mezquía founded the Jalpan mission. It was the first of five main missions in the area. The mission was strengthened by moving 54 native families from Querétaro city to the area. In 1750, Junípero Serra arrived at the Jalpan mission. He worked with Francisco Palou to convert and teach new ways of life to the native people. Serra is known for successfully spreading Christianity in the Sierra Gorda.

The mission is built in the Mexican Baroque style. It has many native influences. It took seven years to build. It was used as a hospital, dining hall, and training center, as well as a mission. The mission helped start economic activities like farming, raising animals, and mining. This was for groups other than the Pames, especially in a place called El Saucillo. Controlling the Sierra Gorda was the start of Spanish rule in northern Mexico. It also led to control of what is now the southwestern United States. The Spanish government saw the region as important for money and as a military buffer zone.

Later History

During the Mexican War of Independence, a rebel group formed under Captain Elosúa. They were defeated by the royal army in 1819. The town's houses and storage buildings were burned, leaving it in ruins.

In 1880, the first highway to the area was built. It connected Jalpan to the state capital. This helped the economy grow. In 1904, the governor of Querétaro officially named Jalpan a city. It had telephone, telegraph, and some electricity services. It also had a sugar cane mill.

In 1910, a group called Club Aquiles Serdán was formed. Others fought against the Victoriano Huerta government in 1913. There were also military actions between 1914 and 1924.

In the early 1930s, there was a political struggle between two leaders for power in the region.

Between 1962 and 1970, a paved highway was built. It connected Jalpan to the city of Querétaro. Many other roads, bridges, and water services were also built.

Between 1980 and 1985, the Jalpan mission and the other four were restored. This work eventually led to the mission churches being named a World Heritage Site in 2003. A ceremony was held at the Jalpan mission with local, state, and UNESCO officials.

In 2003, the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro opened its Jalpan Campus. The Universidad Tecnológica de San Juan del Río also opened a campus that same year. The city also got a professional soccer team in 2004.

Since the mid-1900s, the number of people in the municipality has been going down. This is because there are not enough job opportunities. So many people have left the Sierra Gorda to work in the U.S. that some schools have closed because there are not enough students. This loss of students is most noticeable in primary schools.

See also

In Spanish: Jalpan de Serra para niños