There is a bronze statue of bishop Vasco de Quiroga in the middle of the quarry fountain at the center of Main Plaza in Patzcuaro. That plaza´s name is also Vasco de Quiroga aka Plaza Grande.
Vasco de Quiroga became the first bishop of Michoacán in 1537. He remained in Michoacán as pastor and protector of the Indians. He worked to gather the Indians in large towns near Lake Pátzcuaro. Using Thomas More’s Utopia as a model, he taught religion, crafts and the fundamentals of self- government. Each town was to become the center of an industry.
Main plaza measures are 160 meters by 130 meters. There are not religious buildings around it. The Plaza is surrounded by old, stately ash trees and colonial-era mansions. Unlike most other towns and cities in Mexico, the main church does not face this plaza. The main square is filled with stores selling a very wide variety of crafts including carved wooden statues and furniture, brightly painted accents depicting flowers and animals, brilliant piles of woven textiles, draperies, table cloths, bed spreads and napkins, wooden figures, religious art, clay plaques and pots, polished wooden boxes and guitars, picture frames, woolen blankets, copper vases and platters, basketry and items made of woven straw and reed, and sculpted and scented candles.
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