Tlaxcala, Mexico - Unravel Travel TV

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• published: 23 Sep 2012
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There are over a thousand archeological sites in the state of Tlaxcala, Mexico but only seven are fully excavated and open to the public. The two most important are Xochitécatl and Cacaxtla. It is believed that Xochitécatl, located on the peak of an extinct volcano, had its apogee between the years 600-800 AD, making it one of the oldest settlements in the valley. It was a strategic point as it dominated the valley from on high, and this is probably why it became the regional capital. The remains comprise four monuments, including the Pyramid of the Flower, which has the largest base of all the pre-Hispanic constructions; and the Spiral Construction, which is a circular pyramid. In 1975 some local farmers from San Miguel del Milagro came across the face of a pre-Hispanic figure on a mural that they uncovered as they were working the soil. Once they had informed the authorities it didn't take long for archeologists to flock to the spot, though it wasn't fully excavated until 1980. The site is in fact a superb example of the construction system used by the ancients, who built a new building over an old one, as if they were onion layers. What we see now are the superimposed ruins, decorated with murals. The mainly Catholic and colonial architecture of Tlaxcala does honor to the important role it played in New Spain, as can be seen by the extraordinary collection of Baroque and Churrigueresque buildings dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. In the city center the Plaza de la Constitución is the central square, with an arcade of 28 arches along one side. North of the plaza stand the Palacio de Gobierno and the Palacio Municipal, decorated with murals by the Tlaxcala-born Desiderio Hernández Xochitiotzin, which narrate the history of the state from the pre-Hispanic period up to the present day. To one side of these is the San José parish church, built between the 17th and 18th centuries, and the majestic Palace of Justice, formerly the Royal Chapel, which is said to have been the first chapel built in the Americas. More impressive still is the former monastery of San Francisco de Nuestra Señora de la Ascunción, erected between 1537 and 1540, which gives no hint of its architectural magnificence with its austere façade. It is not until you step inside that you discover the splendid wooden coffered ceiling, which reveals a Mudejar influence. To the southeast of the Plaza de la Constitución, right beside the oldest bullring in the country, stands the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption of Tlaxcala, which was previously a Franciscan monastery, built between 1537 and 1540. The façade has a Renaissance sobriety about it, while inside there is a Mudejar ceiling and a chapel with altarpieces and paintings. At one corner of the atrium, there is an open chapel in a Neo-Gothic style. The people of this region are joyful by nature and don't miss any opportunity for a wild party. This may be the reason the Tlaxcalatecos -- as they are called -- feel so much love and pride for their fiestas and traditions. The fiestas mostly involve processions through streets decorated with garlands and cut paper, food and craft stalls, Catholic ceremonies and songs at dawn, always accompanied by the tolling of bells, drinking and music from the teponaxtle, the chirimía and the wind instruments that play in the church squares. The churches are dressed up with great arches of flowers and seeds, both inside and on their façades, as well as with carpets made from colored sawdust that are placed in the atriums. The most well-known of these festivities are those held in Huamantla on August 14 and 15, during the "night when no-one sleeps". These carpets, which are a perfect example of ephemeral art, can measure up to four miles in length and are laid out in the streets to make way for the Virgin of Charity, who is carried on bearers' shoulders from house to house during the night. On the Saturday following the "night when no-one sleeps" the main streets of Huamantla are closed from midday and bullfighting bulls are let loose to chase anyone who dares to get in their way. This is known as the Huamantlada. One of the most interesting traditions is that of the danzantes del carnaval (Carnival dancers). Dressed in local attire and masks, the dancers move from village to village displaying their dances. Though the dances have a significant religious component, they are mainly satirical, and were created by the indigenous people in imitation of what they observed in the Spanish dances. The intention is usually to mock the customs of the upper classes. Visit Mexico http://www.visitmexico.com Live broadcast Unravel Travel TV http://www.unraveltraveltv.com Unravel Travel TV Twitter http://www.twitter.com/UnravelTravelTV Unravel Travel TV on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/UnravelTravelTV Unravel Travel TV http://www.unraveltravel.eu