QUERETARO INFORMATION
Querétaro (former formal name: Querétaro Arteaga) is a state in central México. Its capital is the city of Santiago de Querétaro, although in general parlance the name "Querétaro" is used for both the city and the state.
The name is thought to come from a phrase in the Otomi language meaning "island of blue salamanders", or from a phrase in the P'urhépecha language translated as "place of reptiles". The area of La Cañada, east of Santiago de Querétaro, features a large gorge that may have been used in the Native Americans' annual salamander hunt.
Querétaro is bordered to the north by the state of San Luis Potosí, to the west by Guanajuato, to the east by Hidalgo, to the southeast by Mexico State, and to the southwest by Michoacán.
The capital city of Santiago de Querétaro is located some 257 kilometres (160 miles) to the northwest of Mexico City. It is known for its blue salamanders.
Querétaro was inhabited by the Otomí and P'urhépecha (Tarascos), the latter being the ruling people. There was also a small presence of nomadic tribes, called Chichimecas. There are some archeological sites dating from this era, such as the pyramid in Corregidora, and the sites of Ranas and Toluquilla in the Sierra Gorda.
The Spaniards reached the area in 1531, and they allied themselves with an Otomí chieftain called Conín. Legend has it that an agreement was reached, under which local Indians would accept Spanish rule and embrace the Catholic faith if they were defeated in a weapon free battle. The Spanish conquerors were about to lose, when suddenly, the sky went dark and out of it came Saint James the Great and a fiery Holy Cross. The local Indians immediately accepted defeat, and so the city of Santiago (Saint James) de Querétaro was founded on July 25.
Following the Spanish conquest, the area was recognized as being of strategic importance since it connected rich mining regions of Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí and Zacatecas with Mexico City. Expeditions that aimed to conquer the north of the country and to convert local people to the Catholic faith left from the city of Querétaro. This is the main reason why the downtown area boasts so many religious buildings dating from this era. Catholic missionary Junípero Serra departed from Querétaro towards Alta California, where he was responsible for the founding of what became major California cities (such as San Francisco). |
