Dolores Hidalgo

Church and the Statue of Hidalgo

Coat of arms

Dolores Hidalgo is the name of a city and the municipality around it in the north-central part of the Mexican state of Guanajuato. The full name is Dolores Hidalgo Cuna de la Independencia Nacional, which is Spanish for "Dolores Hidalgo Cradle of National Independence".

It is at 21.17°N 100.93°W / 21.17; -100.93, at about 1,980 meters (6,480 feet) above sea level. In the census of 2005 the city had a population of 54,843 people. The larger area of the municipality had 134,641 inhabitants. The city is directly in the middle of the municipality, which is 1,590 km² (613.9 sq mi) in size. It also includes many small communities, the largest of which is Río Laja.

History

Before Mexico became independent, the city was a small town known simply as Dolores. It was here that Father Miguel Hidalgo spoke his famous cry for the independence of Mexico (the Grito de Dolores). This was in the early hours of September 16, 1810, in front of his parish church. After Mexico achieved independence, the town was renamed Dolores Hidalgo in his honor. The central square of the town, in front of Father Hidalgo's historic church, is a popular tourist spot.

Dolores Hidalgo today

Today Dolores Hidalgo is known primarily for its ceramics industry. It givese work to well over half the city's population. The inexpensive and mass-produced ceramic products are sold throughout Latin America and the United States.

Tomb of José Alfredo Jiménez

Fans of ranchera and popular music visit Dolores Hidalgo for the tomb of José Alfredo Jiménez. He was one of the country's most beloved singers and songwriters. He is buried in the town cemetery.

Footballer Adolfo "El Bofo" Bautista was born here.

Twinned Cities

• Lexington, Massachusetts, United States of America.
• Mexico City, Mexico.
• Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.

References

• Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
• Guanajuato Archived 2007-03-17 at the Wayback Machine Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México

Other websites

• Dolores Hidalgo Cuna de la Independencia Nacional Official website
• San Luis De La Paz, Guanajuato Archived 2007-05-02 at the Wayback Machine Nearby colonial town.
• Dolores Hidalgo eGuide to Dolores Hidalgo
• Bibliography and Hemerography: Miguel Hidalgo and Costilla. Archived 2011-01-06 at the Wayback Machine
• Miguel Hidalgo and Costilla - Documents of 1810 and 1811. Archived 2011-02-05 at the Wayback Machine
• Chronology of Miguel Hidalgo and Costilla. Archived 2010-09-18 at the Wayback Machine