Dolores Hidalgo

Church and the Statue of Hidalgo

Dolores Hidalgo (Spanish <phonos file="DoloresHidalgoPronunciation.ogg">[dolo'res ida'lgo]</phonos>) (in full, Dolores Hidalgo Cuna de la Independencia Nacional (English: Dolores Hidalgo Cradle of National Independence) is the name of a city and the surrounding municipality in the north-central part of the Mexican state of Guanajuato.

It is located at , at an elevation of about 1,980 meters (6,480 feet) above sea level. In the census of 2005 the city had a population of 54,843 people, while the municipality had 134,641 inhabitants. The city lies directly in the center of the municipality, which is 1,590 km² (613.9 sq mi) in area and includes numerous small outlying communities, the largest of which is Río Laja. Dolores Hidalgo is the 9th most populated municipality in Guanajuato. The city is very highly visited in September and December. September plays host to Dolores Hidalgo's Fiestas Patrias at the town plaza and the fair. December welcomes thousands of immigrants that return for the holidays. Most of the people visiting for the holidays are from the US States of Texas, Illinois, Georgia, Tennessee, Kansas, California and Oklahoma.

Dolores Hidalgo was named a Pueblo Mágico (Magic Town) in 2002.

History

Tomb of José Alfredo Jiménez

The city was a small town known simply as Dolores when Father Miguel Hidalgo uttered his famous cry for the independence of Mexico (the Grito de Dolores) there in the early hours of September 16, 1810, in front of his parish church. After Mexico achieved independence, the town was renamed Dolores Hidalgo in his honor. Now Dolores Hidalgo is one of the most visited cities in the state and is often promoted as a tourist destination all over Mexico.

Today Dolores Hidalgo is known primarily for its ceramics industry, started by Father Hidalgo, which provides income to well over half the city's population. The inexpensive and mass-produced output of the town is marketed throughout Latin America and the United States. The central square of the town, in front of Fr Hidalgo's historic church, is a popular tourist spot.

A place of pilgrimage in Dolores Hidalgo for many fans of ranchera and popular music is the tomb of José Alfredo Jiménez, one of the country's most beloved singers and songwriters, as well as one of the most prolific popular songwriters in the history of western music. He is buried in the town cemetery. Such popular mariachi songs like "El Rey," "Caminos de Guanajuato," "Si Nos Dejan," and "La Media Vuelta."

Footballer Adolfo "El Bofo" Bautista, Agustin Palomares, and USA Olympian Leonel Manzano were born here.

Twinned Cities

• Lexington, Massachusetts, United States of America.
• Mexico City, Mexico.
• Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
• San Marcos, Texas, United States of America.

References

• Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
• Guanajuato Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México

External links

• (Spanish)−Dolores Hidalgo Cuna de la Independencia Nacional — Official website.
• San Luis De La Paz, Guanajuato Nearby colonial town.
• Dolores Hidalgo eGuide to Dolores Hidalgo
• Bibliography and Hemerography: Miguel Hidalgo and Costilla.
• Miguel Hidalgo and Costilla - Documents of 1810 and 1811.
• Chronology of Miguel Hidalgo and Costilla.
• Points of interest on the map for Dolores Hidalgo