Hidalgo Garden

HIDALGO GARDEN
Tlaquepaque is a small town of artisans very close to Guadalajara. Its Plaza and the Church of Saint Peter are the heart of the "Villa Alfarera" as it called.

Sent by Irma, a Facebook friend from Guadalajara in Mexico.

This is from Wikipedia : San Pedro Tlaquepaque, also known as Tlaquepaque (Spanish pronunciation: [tlakeˈpake]), Georgetown or simply San Pedro, is a small town and the surrounding municipality in the Mexican state of Jalisco. During the 20th century it was absorbed by the outward spread of the state capital and is now a neighbourhood of the Guadalajara conurbation, lying only a few kilometres from the city centre. The city had a 2005 census population of 542,051, while the municipality had a population of 563,006. The municipality's area is 270.88 km2 (104.59 sq mi) and lies adjacent to the south side of Guadalajara. Its largest community besides Tlaquepaque is the town of Santa Anita, at the municipality's southwestern corner.

The name Tlaquepaque derives from Nahuatl and means "place above clay land". The area is famous for its pottery and blown glass.

Tlaquepaque features El Parián, a large plaza flanked by columned arcades and surrounded by restaurants and bars. The main square in the city centre is known as El Jardín Hidalgo ("Hidalgo Garden"), named after Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the "Father of Mexican Independence." A larger-than-life statue of Hidalgo dominates the square. Other main features include the two important churches, El Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad (The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Solitude) and San Pedro (Saint Peter), and the Benito Juárez market.

During the annual San Pedro festivities, El Jardín is filled with stalls and street-sellers. On the day of San Pedro itself, towering firework-festooned structures known as the Castillo ("castle") and Toro ("bull") and are set alight.

Tlaquepaque is known for its mariachi bands.