Despite its proximity to Guadalajara, Zapopan, popularly known as La villa maicera, has a personality and character that is authentically manifested through its particular history, traditions, and secular faith.
Sheltered by the infinitely miraculous Virgin of Zapopan, the architecture and historical monuments of the municipal seat silently explain what happened and continues to happen in the lives of the Zapopan people, who profess a faith that goes back centuries and is a fundamental part of their Reason to be. Here the essence of its identity is concentrated and it is where, without any effort, a different environment is perceived, which envelops us and transports us far from the capital of Guadalajara, much more than we really are.
This feeling of remoteness is the same that former visitors to Guadalajara must have experienced when after more than an hour on the road and in the tram pulled by mulitas they reached a Zapopan of unpaved streets, where the families of Guadalajara took refuge from the bustle of the city. rest houses, back at the beginning of the last century, before the electricity came.
Today, going to Zapopan continues to be a walk. Although the distance is the same as always, the time invested has decreased to less than half; Before we know it, we have passed the limits of Guadalajara following Americas Avenue and the Arch of Income to Zapopan comes out to meet us, welcoming us. Built in quarry and with a height of 20.4 m, this arch shows an interesting relief that tells the history of the place in four phases: when the first settlers arrived in pre-Hispanic times, the fight against the Spanish who arrived in the area in 1530, the evangelizing and protective work of the Franciscan friars, up to modern Zapopan, represented by ears of corn and by the Basilica. Two sculptures also stand out that symbolize Teopitzintli, god of corn, and the goddess of the same cereal.
After this illustrative welcome, the arches introduce us to the Paseo Teopitzintli, a pedestrian route that leads along a path that crosses a dozen gastronomic establishments where, under large umbrellas, they invite us to shelter from the sun and to refresh ourselves with a jug of fresh water.
Curiously, among other snacks, the most traditional dishes are made from seafood and fish that do not ask for anything from those who are prepared in beach destinations. This is explained, since a few blocks away is the popular sea market, where people come from the surroundings to get fresh products at a very good price.
Of monuments and history
