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 North America |
 San Luis Potosí, Mexico San Luis Potosí may be the least well known of the legendary silver cities in Mexico's highlands. Once its silver mines were among the most important sources of that prized metal. Today San Luis Potosí thrives as a center of industry, but at the same time its rich past has been carefully preserved in its historic center and its folk traditions. It is well worth a visit. By Mary Ashcraft |
  San Luis Potosí: San Luis Potosí is located north of Mexico City surrounded by cactus and arid desert at the southern end of the Mexican highlands. Its altitude is one mile above sea level, and it maintains a mild climate that changes very little through the year. Like its sister cities of Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende, it was one of the silver cities so coveted by the Spaniards. San Luis became one of Spain's richest possessions, and the town prospered with a fast growing and wealthy merchant class. The merchants, in order to show off their accumulated wealth and luxury goods, built grand and expensive houses. Many of these buildings are still to be seen in the old part of town.However, much to the disappointment of the Spaniards, the silver became scarce in the 1620's. As the silver diminished, ranching grew through the years, as did trade and communications, making San Louis Potosí the major city northeast of Mexico City. It has been the home of exiled politicians and revolutionaries and was one of the first cities to fall to the forces of Hidalgo and Allende on the road to Mexican independence from Spain. Later, it became the home of independent thinkers and liberals who were the driving force in overthrowing the dictator Porfirio Diaz. It thrives today as a center of industry, with metal foundries, breweries and the production of textiles, but at the same time it has carefully preserved its picturesque colonial part of the old city. |
 The evening is a special time in the old Spanish colonial part of the city as it comes to life with Potosínos strolling the avenues and gathering in the many plazas to sit and chat or watch the passing parade. The main plaza, the Plaza de Armas, is in a park-like setting with many ornate benches and flowers. It is also called Hidalgo's Garden, and San Luis is nicknamed the City of Gardens with gardens in each of its seven original districts. In the center is the customary gazebo where an orchestra plays music every evening until the wee hours of the morning. Hundreds of colorful balloons gathered in bunches bob and dance in the air, and there are venders selling frozen ices and sodas. For those wishing to combine and prolong their evening of strolling with dinner, there are several cafes and restaurants around the plaza from which to choose.Facing the Plaza de Armas, is the Cathedral, which was declared a National Monument in 1935. Inside are wide impressive arches of pink stone with a carved leaf pattern that echo the ones painted in blue and gold on the ceiling. Roman statues in Carrara marble stand in niches around the façade, smaller replicas of the larger ones in the interior of the San Juan de Letrán Basilica in Rome. The mix of styles looks like Baroque Gothic meets Michelangelo. Near the end of the 16th century, the large Basque community in San Luis had grown rich and powerfull living next to the famed mountain of silver, the "Cerro de Potosí" shown in the centuries-old line drawing. They controlled the mining factories that flooded European markets for years with enormous amounts of silver. Amalia Barron, a journalist based in La Paz, Bolivia, writes that, "around two billion ounces of silver were extracted from the city's Cerro de Potosí during the Spanish colonial era. Silver from the mountain, also known as 'Cerro Rico', paved Potosi's streets, fuelled the European Renaissance and helped fund the 'Invincible Armada', the Spanish fleet that sailed against Elizabethan England in 1588."In 1753, the wealthy Aranzazu family built a chapel in the baroque churrigueresque style with lavish and fantastic detailing of the architecture of Spain in the 17th century. It has altarpieces painted in gold, and among the oil paintings, one by Miguel Cabrera.  Across the street from the Plaza de Armas is the attractive Baroque building that was a colonial mansion and later functioned as the Royal Treasury. It is well worth a visit. On the balcony of the corner façade of the building stands La Purísima, a stone statue of the Virgin given to the city by king Charles III of Spain. The ground floor, with its central courtyard and arched doorways on three sides, is used for plays, traditional music and dance and banquets for important occasions. The second floor rooms are used for various art exhibits featuring local talent from the university. Interestingly, there is no ceiling over the courtyard and leaves it exposed to the sky and the elements. The door and window frames are boldly carved and painted to look like terracotta. The stone steps are deeply rutted by the heavy traffic of human and animals. The extra wide stairwell was important to accommodate the pack animals that would carry their burdens of gold and silver to the upper chambers. A short walk from the Plaza de Armas is the wonderful old Templo de Carmen, built in the 1700's. In front of the Templo is the Plazuelo de Carmen that was originally the grounds of the 18th century Carmelite Monastery. Of all the churches in the city, this is the one that should be on your must list. First of all it has the impressive multi-colored tiled dome like so many in San Luis Potosí, and the outside is adorned with shells. Inside is a feast for the eyes, with angels perched overhead watching the scene below. One of the Baroque chapels is the Camarín de la Virgen, with a gold alter piece topped off with a giant scallop shell. The other amazing Baroque chapel in the Templo is the Altar de Los Príncipes, notable for a floor to ceiling interior façade. |
 San Luis Potosí was founded in 1592 as a Franciscan Mission, and possibly the most beautiful and peaceful little plaza in San Luis is the one in front of the Iglesia San Francisco. Day or night it is a great place to sit and read or dream, with no thought of holding to a time schedule. The gentle sounds of water from the large central fountain, bright pink and purple Bougainvillea dotting the green lawn, and delicate ornate street lamps with mood setting amber tinged lights, invite lovers and others to its serene setting. The Plaza de San Francisco was named after the Franciscan Monastery on the south side of the plaza, as was the Iglesia de San Francisco facing the plaza. The church has some historic religious paintings by the famous Mexican painters Miguel Cabrera, Antonio de Torres and Francisco Martínez. Through the sacristy arches is an old stone fountain carved by Indians. |
 San Luis is a definitely a city for walking, and on any given evening you may encounter La Tuna, or singing group with origins that go back to the 11th century. In 1215 in old Castile in Spain, university students banded together and went singing from door to door in hopes to raise money to help pay for their classes. The two requirements of the Tuna were musical ability and humor. Today's Tunas still dress in colored tights, velvet doublets, long black capes with various colored ribbons flowing down the back, and velvet crushed hats combined with a certain cheerful swagger, and you have the look of La Tuna. A crowd begins to grow and follows behind them through the narrow streets as they sing, play their guitars, bandurrias, and tambourines in a centuries old tradition. |
 Real de Catorce: One of the many rewarding side trips to take is only three hours away from San Luis Potosí, passing the Tropic of Cancer to the "Ghost Town" of Real de Catorce, nestled high in the desert of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range. It is rewarding if you like exploring very old towns and meeting the people who were willing to stay in a place they loved even if its past glory and fortunes have disappeared. Once a thriving mining town of 40,000 inhabitants, it is sparsely populated, and the town can only be reached by driving through a 1.5 mile tunnel. Leaving the tunnel, you are suddenly in a small town where there are no flat surfaces and all buildings are either on the rise or fall of a hill. Everything appears to be the same clay color of the earth, and the quiet streets make it truly seem like a ghost town. In the main square is the Palacio Municipal. It is a simple wooden structure trying to hold onto its former dignity with its faded velvet curtains, two very large gilt framed mirrors that were a gift from France and sketches and photographs of all the Mexican governors. The aroma of camphor greets you on stepping through the front door and brings to mind the dark polished wood in old stately Spanish homes. Down the slope from the Palace is the Parroquia de la Purísima Concepción where once a year on October 4, thousands of believers make their pilgrimage to this special little church to celebrate the feast of Saint Francis. They come to pray at the altar and to an image of Saint Francis that is supposed to have miraculous powers. To the left of the main altar is a side chapel that has floor to ceiling retablos, attesting to the generosity of this favored saint. A simple and beloved statue of St. Francis with birds perching on his shoulders and in his hand stands in a small garden in front of the church. As you travel the rocky streets, the town begins to unveil its hidden surprises. Small shops with dark interiors sell a variety of well made crafts and clothing, and two of its hotels are real gems. One is the Mesón de La Abundancia on Calle Lanzagorta number11. The rooms with high ceilings crossed by dark wood beams are simply but elegantly decorated, leaning more toward Spain than Mexico. Plants hang from the ceiling throughout, and walls are decorated with an interesting assortment of antique found objects. The cuisine served in the hotel is superb, with a variety of Mexican and international dishes. To top it off, a guitarist adds to the atmosphere with music from Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.The other hotel is the Hotel Ruinas del Real where most of the rooms are built around a central courtyard garden, and everything is painted in the natural earth colors of ochre and terra cotta. Cactus and succulents are planted in large clay pots, and there is a water fountain on the upper terrace. This hotel reminds you at every turn that it is totally Mexican. If you saw the movie "The Mexican" with Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, then you saw this hotel where it was filmed. In fact, one way Real de Catorce garners income is by allowing movie makers to use its authentic Mexican look for movies. At the far end of town is the Capilla de Guadalupe built in 1770. The church is plain inside and out with some fading religious murals. It breaks all the rules, with wonderful flashing neon lighted stars over the main altar and shiny tinsel strings hanging from the arched ceiling. The church cemetery is tightly crowded with gravesites that are covered with a variety of large and small head stones and a veritable sea of colorful plastic flowers. There is a classic cock fighting ring or Palenque, and a Plaza de Toros for bullfights. Also, four-wheel drive cars may be hired to take you to the top of the hill overlooking the town where there are crumbling remains of old mining neighborhoods and where there are fantastic views of the town and mountainside. The rides up and down, however, are not for the fainthearted as the roads are not paved and the views occasionally are closer than you might feel comfortable with. If you are feeling a little adventurous, then this a piece of cake, and you might spot some the indigenous Huichol Indians on the hillside looking the for the hallucinogenic Peyote to use in their traditional rituals. Non-hallucinogenic peyote made from silver can be found in the Joyería de Plata in town. |
| Getting there: Beginning early in 2005, American Airlines has inaugurated flights from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, directly to San Luis Potosí International airport in a brief two-hour flight. Their American Eagle offers flights every day of the week, departing Dallas/Fort Worth at 6:16 p.m .and arriving in San Luis Potosí at 8:38 p.m.. Daily return flights depart San Luis Potosí at 7:05 a.m. and arrives Dallas/Fort Worth at 9:15 a.m. Together with this new service, American Eagle flies to six cities in Mexico: San Luis Potosí, Aguascalientes, Leon, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Torreon. |
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© 2005 ROMAR TRAVEL GUIDES
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