Dolares Hidalgo

Trip Start Jan 01, 2001
1
11
226
Trip End Ongoing


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Flag of Mexico  ,
Wednesday, October 24, 2007

This morning we set of for the town of Dolares Hidalgo, named for the revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo. He was a genuine rebel idealist who launched the independence movement on 16th Sept 1810. Ordained a priest in 1778, he was never orthodox; he questioned Catholic traditions, gambled, danced and even had a mistress. He was bought before the Inquisition in 1800 but nothing was proved, instead by 1804 he found himself in the backwater called Dolares. He still rebelled by starting several new industries, including the ceramics which is the mainstay today, in defiance of the Spanish authorities. Shortly after his rebellion started he was excommunicated, but even used this as a cry against the Spanish. In Sept 1811 he was captured and shot with his head, as well as the other three leaders heads being hung from the four corners of the Alhondra building we saw yesterday. This actually kept alive the freedom movement and when independence was gained the heads were moved to a monument in Mexico City The famous church where the revoluion started
The famous church where the revoluion started
 . Now you now why we are here we first went to his church, which is where he declared the "Grito" or call for Independence. The church is surprisingly nice with a heap of statues outside and lots of gilt alters inside, in fact they were busy reapplying the gold leaf to one of the alters when we were there and it is amazing the difference it makes. What Mike found more interesting though were two of the side alters which were carved three dimensionally out of wood, all the way up to the ceiling. Some of these carvings extended out for a distance of 1 metre. From here we went into the town hall to see two murals painted in the inside patio. Nearby we saw the Casa de Visitas the original residence of two Spanish Dons who were the Spanish representatives and also the first two prisoners of the Independence movement. Today it is where the Mexican president and visiting dignitaries stay when they come for the ceremonies. In one of the side streets we went to the National Independence Museum, this is housed in a former prison where Hidalgo freed the prisoners. There are still a few of the original cell doors and the domed ceilings and windows are still original otherwise it has been opened up to house the museum. There was some information in English, but as most of the displays were pictorial it did not matter too much. It charts 23 rebellions before 1800 as well as several criolla conspiracies leading up to 1810. I did not like it very much as the pictures were a bit gory showing too much blood and killing. Finally we went to the house where Hidalgo lived and from where on the early hours of Sept 16th Ignacio Allende, Juan de Aldama and Hidalgo conspired to launch the uprising. Unfortunately it was closed for renovations so we could only see the outside. Back to the vehicle and then drive to the town of San Miguel de Allende, named for the conspirator above.
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