Aguascalientes, Mexico: Vacations and travel info

Description

Aguascalientes is a small state that will soon have a million inhabitants, including immigrants from the United States, Canada and Japan. These immigrants have helped develop the industry of this beautiful state.

Over time, Aguascalientes has had to reinvent itself and adapt to changes in the world, unlike many other states in Mexico. They have given up many traditional activities and transformed others. The state now features now a solid industrial profile.

Despite the development in industry, the state is known worldwide because of the famous Feria Nacional de San Marcos (National Fair of San Marcos), its traditional vineyards, the many historic buildings and the gorgeous haciendas.

History

After the fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521, many of the Spanish conquerors decided to move forward towards the northern territories in search of riches. In those scorched lands they found silver and soon these mines became the heart of this area. Due to the extraction of silver, roads needed to be opened between New Spain and this new part of the conquered territory, which was then known as the New Galicia. Apart from their riches, Spaniards also found the native population, who would later terrorize travelers who traveled these roads, known as the "Route of Silver".

A lot to discover

Nowadays, in the surrounding areas, beautiful haciendas can still be found. These haciendas used to be eye-catching thanks to the richness of their fields, where corn, wheat, beans, chili and barley, among other products, were grown. Some of them had everything their inhabitants could need for their daily lives, including a shoemaker, a quilt maker and a carpenter. Many of these haciendas also had a little school. In the 17th century the owners of the haciendas started to construct dams and aqueducts, to supply the fields with water and further develop their lands.

Some of these haciendas are still intact, while others are in ruins, keeping only vestiges of the marvelous and rich architecture they used to have. Many haciendas, that are still unharmed, can be appreciated by the beauty of their facades, their large halls and the thick walls that protect them.