Indigenous Film and Video Festival

At the end of August we will be able to enjoy the 15th edition of the Indigenous Film and Video Festival in the city of Morelia, which main concern is to revalue and reaffirm the culture, traditions, cosmogony, everyday life and problems of the native people of Mexico. This festival was created in 2005 under the name of Festival de Video Indígena (Indigenous Video Festival). In addition to being based in Morelia, it is shown in different cities of the country, as well as in indigenous communities. It is dedicated…

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Morelia World Heritage Site

By Liliana Rodriguez Before the Spanish Conquer, the region that is now Morelia was known as Guayangareo valley and it was inhabited by a native group called the pirindas. The city was founded in 1541, but it received de name of Valladolid until 1577. In 1582, it replaced Patzcuaro as Capital of the Province of Mechoacan. During the 17th century Morelia experienced a period of growth and development; the convents of San Francisco and San Agustin were built during the first years, then the ones of El Carmen, La Merced…

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7 Cities and Towns in the State of Michoacan

By Liliana Elena Gonzalez @mexatua Morelia Morelia is the beautiful colonial capital city of the state of Michoacan. It’s located in the Mexican southwest part. The population is around one million. Patzcuaro Patzcuaro is one of Mexico’s most important domestic tourist destinations, a so-called “magic town” that lures thousands of visitors with its charming cobblestone streets, colonial architecture and a picturesque lake high in the green mountains of Michoacan. Population is around 60,000. Zirahuen 40 minutes far from Morelia. The beautiful lake of Zirahuén has contrasting water colours that go…

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Morelia the Cultural Jewel in Michoacan

By Lucille Arneson When I decided to retire, I knew I wanted some kind of an adventure offering different prospects of activity. When in college, I studied French; it seemed a natural, as after all, I was an art major and in love with the French Impressionists! When I moved to California and encountered the Spanish Missions built by Friar Junipero Serra, I found another love; this time in Spanish! I had one of those “déjà vu” moments that made me think I’d been there before. It was a very…

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Reflections on living with violence in Mexico

By Linda Pierce, As I write this, I hear the sound of helicopters overhead from my house 2 blocks from the main plaza in Morelia. It is been a frequent sound all day today, a not surprising sound after explosions last night at El Grito celebration in the main plaza, resulting in a reported 8 deaths and about 100 wounded. As Jennifer Rose opined in her blog , Morelia lost its innocence last night. We spent several hours at El Grito celebration last night, but didn´t have the stamina to…

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Talk to me about retiring in Mexico

Read a lot of comments from foreigners living in the Patzcuaro and Morelia area. Below are comments and thoughts from people that I have had the honor to meet. A lot of them are my friends. Thank you again to all! My husband and I retired to Patzcuaro from Lake Oswego, Oregon in August, 2007. We came to Patzcuaro on a scouting expedition 18 months before we moved, fell in love with the area, and feel exactly the same today. Our view was that retirement would get off to a…

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