Throughout these seven years traveling through America, I have realized that in some territories there is still some resentment and resentment towards the Spanish for the conquest. As much as I am proud that the origin of Sombrerete is linked to someone from my town,
That does not mean that I forget that these processes used to be carried out with violence and submission. So, I have come to the house of culture to ask Óscar, the town’s official historian, about his perspective on those processes that inevitably lead us to today. Let’s see what he tells us!
There is a reason behind why I came to Zacatecas, not only because I had been told I would like it, but because of the destination I am heading to today… Sombrerete! And Mexicans will ask themselves: “But why are you going to Sombrerete?”
Well, apart from the fact that it is also beautiful, there is a story that I want to tell you, but I will tell it when I get there. See you at Sombrerete! Let’s see how many checkpoints there are today! They told me that Fresnillo is very hot!
The state of Zacatecas is beautiful. And although it is true that the people are mostly good, it is also true that it is a crossroads area in the trafficking of illicit substances to the United States.
According to what they told me, the capital in general is safe, but other areas of the State, not so much. Fresnillo is over there, I’ve surrounded him, so I won’t find out how Fresnillo is. Here is a first checkpoint, and the always question is: Will they stop me or not?
I don’t think so… See you later! It has been no. Twenty-five minutes to get to Sombrerete! My next Zacateco destination would be the magical town of Sombrerete, a place where I would follow in the footsteps of a character from my town from the 16th century.
Well, now yes, welcome to Sombrerete! Sombrerete is a magical town, but that is not the reason I come. The reason I come to Sombrerete was planted, caused and originated five hundred years ago. Last summer when I gave the proclamation in my town, I was talking with the official chronicler of Llerena,
Who is a good friend of my father and I have known him since I was little. He told me: “If you go to Zacatecas, you have to go to Sombrerete.” I told him: “Luis, but why? What’s in Sombrerete?” “Man, Sombrerete was founded by a man from Llerena.”
And I: “Really? I’ll have to go.” And here I am! It turns out that the original name of Sombrerete was not Sombrerete, but “Villa de Llerena”. And it was given by a certain Alonso de Llerena, Alonso, who was my countryman, but five centuries ago. They came on an expedition,
And according to the writings, they were making a bonfire at the top of the mountain and at ground level they began to see silver, and they said: “This is it, here we are settling.” And it turns out that in the year 92, after the investigations of Luis Garraín,
An official act of twinning and fraternity took place between Sombrerete and Llerena. Luis and other Llerenenses traveled here in the 90s and something, and then, a couple of years ago, the mayor of Sombrerete traveled with a delegation to my town. So, well, this is the address they have given me.
-What happened brother? All good? I come to visit, I come to remember. —Remember? Did you already come here or what? —Not exactly, one of my people. -Where from? —I’m from Llerena, from Spain. And five hundred years ago, one of my people founded this one.
So, I have come to remember the origin. I come to reinforce the twinning. So you are now my brother. -Yeah. -See you later! If we come to brotherhood, we brotherhood from minute one. What a wind it was on the road! What a gale! —Welcome to the Villa de Llerena Municipal Museum.
“Villa de Llerena, Real y Minas de Sombrerete” was its old, original name. In honor of the manager before the Kingdom of New Galicia, Alonso de Llerena. We are going to have very interesting objects. Sombrerete was born as a miner, and to this day he remains in this economic activity.
So, this Villa was formed from 1570 until reaching different periods ending in a twinning of cities. Throughout these seven years traveling through America, I have realized that in some territories There is still some resentment and resentment towards the Spanish for the conquest.
As much as I am proud that the origin of Sombrerete is linked to someone from my town, that does not mean that I forget that these processes used to be carried out with violence and submission. So, I have come to the house of culture to ask Óscar, the town’s official historian,
About his perspective on those processes that inevitably lead us to today. Let’s see what he tells us! It says: “Gentlemen judges, royal officials of the Villa de Llerena, a royal box was established in Sombrerete.” The third royal box of all of New Spain. What was a real box?
It was where the king’s treasure was. There were three, the first was in Veracruz, the second was in Mexico, and later, there was the one in Sombrerete. Because? Because Sombrerete will administer the entire north center of the country.
For a culture to flourish, it has to go through a cyclical process, from nomadism to an installation, from that installation to the conservation of the land, and from there to develop and have borders. After that, splendors are generated and eventually, failure would come.
Let’s say it’s a cycle that humanity has. The cultures that have lasted or have predominated throughout the world are because they have been excellent economic, political, and religious administrators, and have a great capacity for war. In Mexico we are talking about a cultural shock,
And it is that mixture and transition between the native peoples and the new culture. And we are the result of it. Not only are we Spanish and indigenous, we are black, we are Filipino, we are French, we have English, a mixture of many cultures. And that is the wealth that makes Mexico.
—It often happens a lot that there is a certain recrimination, which is as if we in Spain recriminated Muslims. -That’s how it is. Or the Romans. —Or the Romans… —I see it as a human pattern that has always existed.
-Yeah. I consider it to be a matter of perspective. When you know your history, when you know the behavior of your culture, you realize that this is how humanity works. And all cultures, there is no culture in the world that was born and remains on the path of peace.
That does not exist. Or they simply refuse to absorb other cultures or not master other cultures. This has existed throughout the existence of humanity. The Mexicas had the Chichimecas and the cultures of the highlands in revolt, they made the Mayans disappear…
-So, in your opinion, does the reproach make sense? —I would consider no, rather it is understanding human behavior and based on behavior, improving our society. If in the future you don’t want war, then, change from your core.
We cannot be an activist and change the world, that is not possible, but we can be social actors, being productive inputs for our society where we try to take a different approach. An approach that does not hurt, and then, in some way, search for that utopia of a happy world.
Happiness is not the destination, it is the attitude with which you travel through life. And there are those who make that journey through the art of the search for faith. As is the case of some sacramental Capuchin Poor Clare nuns from Sombrerete. So, this is vanilla flavored eggnog. It is made from eggs,
Milk, and secrets from the nuns. It has 0.1 alcohol, very little. It almost doesn’t taste like alcohol. It is to preserve it, because if not, it will be cut. Especially when there are people who operate on them or who are sick, or who are in very poor health, this lifts it very quickly.
—Toast with me! -No! —It’s very cold, so we can warm up. —Me with this one that is empty. -Health! -Health! —By the divinity of life! Hey, that’s pretty cool, huh? This makes a sick person healthy very quickly. -Yeah. There are many vitamins inside. —It’s very delicious, huh?
-Yeah. -Congratulations! I’m going to try the quince liqueur. Pure quince made into a liquor! And I want to tell you that I really admire people like you who have such a strong faith, because no matter what happens to you in life, you hold on to that.
—He is our lord, that is, we live for him. And so, faith is given to us by him. So, he gives us the strength, he is the one who comes out. We are instruments but he is the one who comes out.
Grateful to the nuns and surprised that some kids from the town knew about the project, I said goodbye to Sombrerete very happy. —Dear Agustím, it was a pleasure to be here with you… —The pleasure has been mine! —…Here in our magical town Sombrerete, Zacatecas, and we want to give you
This representative coin for the thirtieth anniversary of the twinning between Llerena and Sombrerete, where this coin represents the brotherhood, represents the work of all Sombrerete residents, the minted silver by the hands of Sombreretenses, which we will like and we will love
That you have it and so will Daniel Lara Rex, the mayor of Llerena. We want you to please give him this remembrance that all of us Sombreretenses have. With this coin you are sure to love it, and it is part of the twinning ties between Llerena and Sombrerete.
—I ratify the twinning between my town and Sombrerete. And if one day you have to put me on a boat heading to the burning sea, incinerated, for Charon, it can also be used to pay for my trip. But in the meantime, I’ll give it to the mayor of my town.
—That many of us from Sombrerete get to know Llerena, we get to know Spain and that many people from Llerena also come here and visit us in Sombrerete. I believe that today, as mayor of this sister municipality of Llerena, I reiterate the invitation here to your servant and architect friend, Alan Murillo.
-Thank you so much! It has been an amazing experience! -Excellent! -Thank you very much! —Delighted to receive you and also all the people who come to visit us in Sombrerete, a magical town. —Wonderful town! Visiting Sombrerete was the reason that took me to Zacatecas, where I added knowledge and experience
To my personal and mental library. Well, here in a kilometer, there is something curious to say the least. We have arrived at neither more nor less than the Tropic of Cancer. The Tropic of Cancer is a bit rubbish, but hey, here it is.
If I go there, I get out, and if I go that way, I get out too. I can’t stay in the Tropic of Cancer. Continuous! My final destination would be Jalisco, but first I would visit the mythical and cinematic Sierra de Órganos.
The Sierra de Órganos National Park is characterized by a series of steep elevations and rock formations of strange beauty that are reminiscent of the pipes of the musical instrument from which it takes its name. With a red nose and colder than it seemed, I have arrived at the Sierra de Órganos,
A national park in Mexico where more than thirty classic films of the Western genre were filmed: John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, and all the greats were here. filming those cowboys and Indians movies. These unique formations were the attraction for many film directors
To want to film here. Their height usually ranges between twenty and sixty meters, and they emerged thousands of years ago from volcanic and erosive activity. From here I begin the route to Jalisco. Today I’m going to Guadalajara,
A good friend from Spain is giving a concert there and I want to get there. And I’m leaving now because they’ve told me that where I’m going, it can’t be done at night. I’m going to a place called Villanueva and yes or yes
I have to shoot during the day because my mother will thank me very much, and my father too. See you there! To see or not to see, that is the question. Travel through the depths with the heart as a rudder.
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