 |
 |
| Home Meditation Programs Buddhist Study Shambhala Training Arts About Us Community |
|
Pátzcuaro and the region Patzcuaro is a lovely and historic colonial city. It is small, vibrant and friendly. The heart of town is in the gorgeous Plaza Don Vasco de Quiroga, where tourists and locals alike sit and enjoy coffee, ice cream, and socialization. A few blocks from the Plaza is the teeming, colorful street market. Everyday of the week, mangos and pineapples are piled high; Purepecha women prepare special tamales, peel cactus and sell produce and herbs; artisans arrive with hand-woven baskets and knit shawls; and colors and scents abound. Just a block from the market, over the small hill with a view out onto the mountains and sky is what appears from the distance to be a small forest enclosed by an endless adobe wall. Now you have arrived at Casa Werma, a tranquil paradise in the middle of town!
“Pátzcuaro is perhaps the loveliest town in Mexico. Crooked cobblestone streets, smooth stucco walls painted white with dark red borders, blackened tile roofs that join to form ramshackle rooflines -- it is a town meant to be photographed and painted. During the rainy season, when low clouds roll in and curl through the tall trees, and water drips from the low-slung overhangs, a sweet melancholy descends upon the town.” Frommer’s Travel Guides (http://www.frommers.com/destinations/patzcuaro/0913010001.html) The folklore, the lake and the region Pátzcuaro is in the heart of the Purépecha Indian homeland. Founded long before the Spanish conquest, Patzcuaro was established as the Purepecha cultural and religious center. Patzcuaro is said to be the "doorway to heaven" from where the gods ascend and descend. Lake Patzcuaro, although unfortunately very polluted, is a one of the world's highest lakes at 2,200m/7,250 ft. and is surrounded by dozens of Indian villages and extinct volcanoes. During the 16th century, Patzcuaro was the capital of the state of Michoacan, named by Don Vasco de Quiroga the great humanitarian defender of indigenous rights. The region around Patzcuaro is beautiful and interesting. The surrounding towns and villages specialize in various art forms, including copper-mongering, mask-making, ceramics, woodcarving, and guitar building. There are also various Purepecha ruins nearby that are significant in their own right. In 2002, Patzcuaro was designated a “Magical Town (Pueblo Magico) through an initiative led by the Mexico Tourist (SECTUR) and other governmental agencies. “A‘Magical Village’ is a place with symbolism, legends, history, important events, day-to-day life – in other words, ‘magic’ in its social and cultural manifestations, with great opportunities for tourism.” SECTUR |
|||||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Learn more about meditation and buddhism at shambhala.org |
 |
|
Search Home Programs Meditation Buddhist Study Shambhala Training Arts Community Casa Werma |
|