Tzintzuntzan
This town has a name that sounds like what it means in the Purepachan language: Place of the Hummingbirds. When you say the name, you can almost hear little birds whizzing by.
Tzintzuntzan is a twenty minute drive from Patzcuaro through beautiful rolling green hills. It is a center for artisans in wood, stone and straw as well as a world-renowned pueblo for traditional Day of the Dead celebrations.
Tzintzuntzan was once the ancient center of the Purépechan Empire, before the Spaniards arrived. Just before you enter the town, up on the hills to your right, you can see the ruins known as Las Yácatas. This is one of the most important archaeological centers in this area, and one of the most mysterious. Las Yácatas consists of a large platform constructed of stone looking down on the city. There are five rounded sections which have altars dedicated to various gods. All around the ruins which have been excavated and are now visible are other, hidden platforms and stone structures, indicating that this was once perhaps a residential area as well as an area for worship.
Down on the road into town, just before you pass through the famous Tzintzuntzan cemetery where the Day of the Dead celebrations take place, are the outdoor displays of some of the most prolific local stone carvers. There are carvings here ranging from small frogs or fish that you can hold in your hand to large stone columns or larger-than-life-size statues.
It is hard to travel home with a large stone horse's head or a seven-foot column, but the smaller animals or figurines are easily within every travelers reach. The local stone is fairly soft and provides an easy canvas upon which these artists can create highly original work. The stone also seems to absorb moisture and so grows a lovely patina of lichen and moss if left outside in a garden.
As the original capital of Michoacan, Tzintzuntzan was the place that the famous Don Vasco de Quiroga made his home when he first moved to the area. He built what is now called the Exconvento Parroquial de San Francisco which was the very first church built here. It is currently being renovated by INAH, Mexico's historical ministry. The Capilla Abierta del Hospital is also here, built in 1619 to house the sick priests and nuns of the Franciscan order.
The largest church in Tzintzuntzan is called El Templo de Nuestra Señora de La Soledad. It was built in 1805. This church and La Capilla de la Tercera Orden, which is completely in ruins except for its facade, are located in the center of town within a spacious walled garden where
Above: Just a few of the woven handicrafts available at the mercado in Tzintzuntzan.
Bishop Quiroga once planted olive trees, presumably from Spain. These olive trees are still standing and their ancient, twisted presences add to the mystery and beauty of this space. Bishop Quiroga came from Spain and changed Tzintzuntzan from a place of adobe huts to a small pueblo with a proper church, but the original adobe character of the town is still apparent.
Above: Templo de Nuestra Señora de La Soledad,
or Temple of Our Lady of Solitude.
Just outside the front gates of this religious compound is a sunny plaza where artisans sell their wares. There are pots and carvings, stalls full of straw woven into everything imaginable, wooden spoons of all shapes and sizes, glazed clay statues, candle holders, keychains and more pots. There are women selling large thin flat homemade cookies in plastic bags for 15 pesos. There is something for everyone in this mercado and along the street down towards the lake.
Above: Calaveras or skeletons woven out of straw, on their way to market.
Tzintzuntzan borders Lake Patzcuaro where the lake is much deeper than on the eastern edge. Many Mexicans and foreigners have built and are continuing to build houses on lakefront property there. It is a quiet town that doesn't cater much to tourists much in the food and drink department. The town is a great place to shop and walk, enjoying the quiet ambiance of its small town atmosphere.
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