Pachuca
Pachuca (elevation: 2,426 meters) is the capital of the
Mexican state of
Hidalgo.
The name Pachuca comes from the
Nahuatl word
Pachoaca or
Pachoacan, meaning "place of the rulers" or "narrow place"; it may also come from the word
Patlachiuhacan, which means "place of silver and gold." The official name of the city is
Pachuca de Soto in honor of Deputy Manuel Fernando Soto, who was one of founders of the state.
The area has been inhabited by various indigenous groups, most notably the
Aztecs, who ruled the region from
1438. In
1528 Spanish conquistadors invaded the area. The first Spaniards to settle in the region were Francisco Téllez and Gonzalo Rodríguez, who built the first modern houses in the area. They named the place "Real de Minas de Pachuca".
During the
Mexican Revolution, the city was captured by followers of
Francisco Madero on
16 May,
1911. Until
1923, Pachuca was one of the few cities in the state with
air mail service to the capital.
Pachuca is reputed to be the cradle of Mexican
soccer. Workers from
Cornwall,
England, who came to work Pachuca's
silver mines brought the game with them. Many examples of English
architecture, vestiges of the Cornish influence, still exist. For instance, Pachuca is famous for its "pastes," which are pastries filled with meat, potatoes, or fruits, and are vestiges from British "pasties."
Pachuca has a population of about 250,000 people. The city is located 94 kilometers from
Mexico City, to which it is connected by a modern freeway. The city has a moderate climate with average temperature of 15 degrees Celsius. Pachuca has been given the name "la bella airosa" or "the windy beauty" because during most of the year there are strong northeasterly winds that can reach 75 km./hr. Pachuca is an important mining center and has an active commercial and cultural life. Numerous industries are based in Pachuca and the surrounding areas, including automobile parts, ovenware, tools and mining equipment.
Pachuca is not much of a tourist city, but there are a few things to see. The
Reloj Monumental (Monumental Clock) is the central clock tower, built in
1904 in the city center. The bell which chimes in this clock was made by the
Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the same company that made the original
Liberty Bell, and London's famous
Big Ben. There is also the
Centro Cultural Hidalgo, ("Hidalgo Cultural Center") which is housed in an old monastery and contains museums, a
theater, a library, and a gallery. Pachuca is also home to the
Museo Nacional de la Fotografía, the National Museum of Mexican
Photography.
Pachuca's regional food is the
"paste" (pas-tay), a pocket sandwich stuffed with hamburger, potatoes, or various other foods. This reflects the Cornish influence in the area.
In Mexico, a
poker hand worth nothing is often called a 'Pachuca.'
*
Pasty
