Jaracuaro – Birthplace of the Dance of the Little Old Men

Jaracuaro is a typical village on Lake Patzcuaro. It is also the Birthplace of the Dance of the Little Old Men. It’s one of the places we highly recommend to our Hotel Mansion Iturbe guests who want to increase their knowledge and understanding of the Purépecha culture.


The Dance of the Little Old Men  from Jaracuaro at Lake Pátzcuaro



Until the 1980s, when the level of the lake began to go down, Jaracuaro was an island (it is postulated that an earthquake opened a fissure at that time, lowering the level of the lake by approximately three to four meters). Centuries ago, an important event took place on the island of Jaracuaro that would change the future of the Purépechas: the marriage between Patzimba, daughter of Cúriparaxan, leader on the island, Pauácume Señor Uacusecha of the Chichimecas, thus creating an important alliance between the two peoples.

The fruit of the union was none other than the famous to-be King Tariácuri, considered to be the founder of the Purépecha Empire. He was born and educated in Jaracuaro.

A scant 20 kilometers (13 miles) from our Magical Village Patzcuaro, Jaracuaro is just off the main road that goes along the lake to Erongaricuaro.

The Dance of the Little Old Men – one of the signature pieces of Michoacan – originated in Jaracuaro. This singular, joyful dance is so popular, it spread to other communities around the Lake. Children learn it early on, as they have for generations, to become part of their cultural identity. You can't mistake their very unique costumes and the click-clack of their wooden sandals.

Video of the Dance of the little old men from Michoacan, Mexico.

The Templo de San Pedro  in Jaracuaro is a Franciscan temple dating back to the sixteenth century. It is a repository for corn paste figures created after the evangelization process began. The technique was refined by the Purepechas, and enthralled the newly-arrived evangelists of the sixteenth century – and they continue to enthrall us today.

The Templo de San Pedro in Jaracuaro is a Franciscan temple from the sixteenth century

The beautiful celling at the Templo de San Pedro in Jaracuaro

These unique religious images are colored with a natural pigment from the dried (female) insect, cochinilla, which is a parasite of the nopal cactus.

Religious images made of Corn Stalk Paste

Beautiful antique Mexican door at the church in Jaracuaro

Today, Jaracuaro is primarily known as the place to find straw hats. The most famous hat producer is Sombreros Cardom, one of the many artisan shops that has conserved the age-old techniques, producing high-quality hats. In Jaracuaro, you will also find a wide variety of exquisitely hand-embroidered ítems.

Straw hats in Jaracuaro at Lake Patzcuaro

Straw hats store in Jaracuaro at Lake Patzcuaro

hand-embroidered items in Jaracuaro at Lake Patzcuaro

Live the experience of another village full of history. If you buy one of those famous hats and show it to someone familiar with our area, he or she will probably say, “I bet you got that in Jaracuaro!”



Entrance of the Church in Jaracuaro at Lake Patzcuaro

Colors and traditions of Mexico in Jaracuaro, at Lake Patzcuaro

*Text, pictures and video property of Hotel Mansión Iturbe.

We invite you to check more post in our blog, there you will find information about Pátzcuaro and the surrounding area. We hope that information will be helpful for your next visit to our colonial town.

We sugguest you to check the following post:

Archaeological Zone of Tzintzuntzan

The Legend of the Fuente del Torito in Patzcuaro (Fountain of the Little Bull)

Michoacan Carnitas – a Mexican Delicacy


Hotel Mansión Iturbe
Portal Morelos 59
Plaza Vasco de Quiroga
61600 Pátzcuaro, Michoacán.
México.

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