Morelia (Spanish pronunciation: [moˈɾelja]; previously known as Valladolid from 1545 to 1828; Otomi: Mänxuni) is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Michoacán. It is located in the Guayangareo Valley in the north-central part of the state and serves as the main city of the Morelia municipality. Before the arrival of the Spanish, the area was home to the Purépecha and Matlatzinca cultures, but no large cities were built there during that time. The Spanish took control of the region in the 1520s. In 1541, Spanish officials under Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza established a settlement called Valladolid, which became a competitor to the nearby city of Pátzcuaro for influence in Michoacán. In 1580, Valladolid won the rivalry and became the capital of the viceregal province. After Mexico gained independence from Spain, the city was renamed Morelia in honor of José María Morelos, a leader from the city. In 1991, Morelia was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its well-preserved historic buildings and the layout of its central area. It is a tradition to name people born on September 30 after the city.

In 2020, the population of Morelia was 743,275 people. The Morelia municipality had 849,053 residents, and the metropolitan area, which includes Morelia, Tarímbaro, and Charo, had 988,704 people, according to the 14th census.

History

People have lived in the Guayangareo Valley, where Morelia is today, since at least the 7th century. Artifacts found in the area show that the Teotihuacán culture influenced early groups living there. In the 12th century, the Purépecha people arrived in the valley. They ruled the area for the rest of the time before Spanish colonization but did not build large settlements. Between the 12th and 15th centuries, the Matlatzincas moved into the valley with the permission of the Purépechas, who lived near Pátzcuaro Lake. The main Matlatzinca settlement was located where Júarez Plaza is today in the city.

The Spanish arrived in the Guayangareo Valley between 1525 and 1526, led by Gonzalo Gómez. In the 1530s, Spanish missionaries called Franciscans, including Juan de San Miguel and Antonio de Lisboa, spread Christianity in the area.

The city of Morelia was founded in 1541 by Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza and some Spanish officials. They named it Nueva Ciudad de Michoacán (New City of Michoacán). The settlement grew quickly, so Vasco de Quiroga traveled to Spain to ask for Pátzcuaro to be given the title of city and a seal. This was to stop the new settlement from becoming the capital of Michoacán. The new city was then renamed Guayangareo. In 1545, Guayangareo became a city under the name "Valladolid," named after Antonio de Mendoza’s hometown. This change was part of a conflict between Mendoza and Quiroga over control of Michoacán. During Quiroga’s life, he kept political and religious power in Pátzcuaro despite opposition. After Quiroga died in 1565, by 1580, both political and religious authority moved to Valladolid. This included moving the College of San Nicolás, which Quiroga had founded, and planning a new cathedral for the region.

In the 17th century, Valladolid grew with the construction of the cathedral and aqueduct. The cathedral started in 1660 (finished in 1744), and the aqueduct was built in 1657. These structures were later improved by Master Architect Diego Durán in the 18th century. Many large churches and monasteries, such as San Francisco, San Agustin, and the convents of Las Rosas and Las Monjas, were also built during this time. The cathedral was the most important structure of the period and shaped the city’s development.

At the end of Spanish rule, Valladolid had about 20,000 people and was an educational center with four important schools, including the College of San Nicolás. These schools produced scholars like Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and José María Morelos y Pavón, who supported new ideas from France and the United States. In 1809, protests against Spanish rule happened in the city, leading to the Conspiracy of 1809. The plot was discovered, and the main conspirators were arrested and sent to other parts of New Spain, spreading republican ideas.

One year later, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla arrived in the city with an army, declaring the end of slavery in Mexico. Royalist forces quickly took back the city. Morelos tried to drive out the royalists but was defeated by Agustín de Iturbide. In 1814, Mariano Matamoros was executed in the city’s main square. The city stayed under royalist control until 1821, when Iturbide, who had changed sides, and Vicente Guerrero entered with the Trigarante Army.

In 1828, the state of Michoacán changed the city’s name to Morelia to honor José María Morelos y Pavón. This is the name the city still uses today, though its Purépecha name is Uaianarhio. The city became a municipality in 1831.

The later 19th century saw conflicts between liberal and conservative groups in Mexico. During the Revolution of Ayutla, rebel forces took control of the city but were driven out in 1855 by Antonio López de Santa Anna. Rebels attacked Santa Anna’s troops again in 1856. French forces entered the city in 1863, and the capital of Michoacán was moved to Uruapan. Conservative families in Morelia supported Emperor Maximilian I, who visited the city. In 1867, republican general Nicolás de Régules took the city, and the capital returned to Morelia. In 1869, rebels attacked government positions but were defeated by Mariano Escobedo.

The first factories and telegraph line were built in the city between 1868 and 1870. A railroad and streetcars followed in 1883.

In 1910, the city celebrated the centennial of Mexico’s independence, but tensions were high due to grain shortages and President Porfirio Díaz’s rule. A year later, revolutionaries loyal to Francisco I. Madero entered the city. In 1914, the capital was moved to Tacámbaro, and the city was taken by General Sánchez and forces loyal to Francisco Villa in 1915.

In 1920, the Palace of the State Government was briefly taken over by farmworkers. In 1921, Isaac Arriaga was assassinated in the city. In 1924, rebels called "Delahuertistas" attacked the city, with fighting mainly in the main plaza. The city was defended by General Lopez, Garcia, and Avila Camacho.

Morelia was the setting for the 1958 film The Bravados, starring Gregory Peck

Geography

Morelia has a subtropical highland climate, which is shortened to Cwb on climate maps. This climate is characterized by warm-to-hot days and cool nights throughout the year because of its high altitude. Most rainfall occurs during the summer monsoon season, which runs from June to September. The average monthly temperatures range from 14 to 22 °C (57 to 72 °F). The highest temperature recorded was 38.3 °C (100.9 °F) during the summer of 1998, and the lowest temperature recorded was −5.2 °C (22.6 °F) in January 1985.

Population

The city of Morelia is the largest city in the state of Michoacán and the third largest in the Bajío Region, after León de Los Aldama and Querétaro City. According to the most recent census conducted by Inegi in 2020, the city had a population of 743,275 people. This is an increase of about 145,000 people compared to the 2010 census, when the population was 597,511.

Notable sites

Morelia's most famous places are located in its historic center. This area has remained mostly the same since the city was founded in 1541. The original plan for the city included wide streets and plazas to allow for future growth. The streets are arranged in an organized way, but they have gentle curves instead of being perfectly straight. Many of the city's most impressive buildings were built in the 1700s, such as the cathedral's facade and bell towers, the Colegio Seminario (now the State Government Palace), La Alhóndiga (now part of the Palace of Justice), and many private homes. During this time, the city's aqueduct and plaza fountains were also built. The Mexican government has listed 1,113 buildings from the 1600s to the 1900s as historically important. These buildings show different architectural styles popular in Mexico, but most are made of pink Cantera stone, giving the city a uniform look. In the 1900s, steps were taken to protect the historic area. In 1956, the city passed rules to preserve colonial buildings. In 1990, President Carlos Salinas de Gortari declared the historic center a national monument. In 1991, UNESCO named the area a World Heritage Site, covering 200 historic buildings.

The center of the historic area is the cathedral and its surrounding plazas: the Plaza de Armas (also called Plaza de los Mártires), Juárez Plaza, and Melchor Ocampo Plaza. The largest plaza is Plaza de Armas, which has been redesigned several times since its creation in the 1500s. It has been renamed many times, including "de la Constitución" and "de la República," but is now officially called "de los Mártires." However, people still often call it "Plaza de Armas." The name "Plaza de los Mártires" honors people like Mariano Matamoros and Guadalupe el Salto, who were executed there during the Mexican War of Independence and later in 1830. The plaza is surrounded by buildings like the Banca Promex, the Virrey de Mendoza Hotel, the Juan de Dios Gomez House, and the old town hall (Michelena House). A monument to Morelos once stood here but was removed in the late 1800s. It was replaced by a kiosk brought from London, which is still there today. The last major changes to the plaza happened in the mid-1900s, led by architect and painter Juan O'Gorman. The Melchor Ocampo Plaza was originally called "Plaza de la Paz." In the late 1800s, it was redesigned, and a statue of Ocampo by Primitivo Miranda was added. Another statue of José María Morelos y Pavón by Miranda was placed in the small plaza near the cathedral, now called the Morelos Plaza.

The first church on the cathedral's site was built in 1577, made of adobe and wood. Years later, it was destroyed by fire. Originally, the Cathedral of Michoacán was in Pátzcuaro, now the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Salud. In 1580, the cathedral was moved to Valladolid, making the city the religious and cultural center of the region. In 1660, Bishop Marcos Ramírez del Prado laid the first stone of the new cathedral, designed by Vicenzo Barocco. Unlike most colonial churches, this cathedral and the Mexico City Cathedral do not face west. The cathedral is unique because it is dedicated to the Transfiguration of Jesus, not the Virgin Mary. It was consecrated in 1705, even though it was not finished. The facade shows the Transfiguration of Christ, and the east nave is dedicated to shepherds and the Wise Men. Built of pink Cantera stone, the cathedral's two 60-meter-tall (200 ft) towers remain the second tallest Baroque towers in Mexico.

The cathedral's official name is Cathedral of the Divine Savior of Morelia. Built over the 1600s and 1700s, it includes Neoclassical, Herreresque, and Baroque styles. The facade has pilasters instead of columns and reliefs instead of sculptures. More than 200 pilasters are present, with no columns, a feature unique to this church during the colonial period. Inside, the baptismal font, made of silver in the 1800s, was used to baptize Mexico's first emperor, Agustín de Iturbide. A 3-meter-tall (9.8 ft) silver monstrance on the main altar can be taken apart and reassembled. Also on the altar is a 16th-century cornstalk paste image of the Señor de la Sacristía, whose gold crown was a gift from Philip II of Spain. A newer addition is a German-made organ with 4,600 pipes, one of the largest in Latin America. On Saturdays at 8:45 pm, the cathedral hosts a sound-and-light show.

In front of the cathedral is the old Seminario Tridentino de San Pedro, now the Palace of the State Government. Built by Thomás de Huerta in the late 1700s, it trained graduates like José María Morelos and Melchor Ocampo. The facade is mostly original, with the Mexican seal added in the mid-1800s when the building became the seat of the Michoacán state government. Inside are three courtyards, with the first courtyard's walls covered in murals by Alfredo Zalce in the 1960s.

Traslado de las Monjas, located in the museum of the Casa de la Cultura, is home to the Instituto Michoacano de Cultura and the State Secretary of Culture. It was once the monastery of Nuestra Señora del Carmen Descalzo, established in 1593. The church was likely completed in 1619, with monastery construction continuing into the 1600s. In the 1800s, the Reform Laws took over the monastery's buildings but left the church for religious use. After expropriation, the monastery area became the home of the First Cavalry Corps of the State. The church fell into disrepair but was restored in the 1940s. The rest of the complex was restored and converted to its current use starting in 1977.

The Orquidario of Morelia is an orchid museum with about 3,400 species of the flower. The botanical garden includes three greenhouses and some outdoor space. Managed by SEMARNAT as part of a program to protect wild species, the garden covers over 990 square meters (10,700 ft²) and was founded in 1980.

The Museo Regional Michoacano (Regional Museum of Michoacán) was founded in 1886 and designed with ideas from French museums of the time. It is housed in a building once belonging to Emperor Maximilian I and features ornate Baroque design. Most exhibits focus on the region's history, with rooms dedicated to pre-Hispanic artifacts and colonial art. A notable piece

Notable people

• Alma Graciela Haro Cabello (born 1927), singer known as Esmeralda
• Agustín de Iturbide, Mexican general and politician who became the first emperor of Mexico
• Felipe Calderón, president of Mexico from 2006 to 2012
• Pascual Ortiz Rubio (1877–1963), president of Mexico from 1930 to 1932
• Junior Félix Madrigal (born 1982), Mexican footballer
• José Manuel Ponce, Mexican race car driver
• Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, important figure in the Mexican independence movement
• José María Morelos, important figure in the Mexican independence movement, key leader in the struggle for independence

Festivals

The Festival Internacional de Música de Morelia is an annual event started in 1988 by Bernal Jiménez, who wanted to make Morelia the "Salzburg of the Americas." The festival includes more than forty concerts with over 500 artists. It is the largest music festival in Morelia, supported by private and government groups, especially CONACULTA. Concerts feature chamber orchestras, choirs, ensembles, trios, and soloists like pianist Joanna MacGregor and the Britten Symphony. Each year, a different country is the "special guest." In 2009, the United Kingdom was the guest. Participants included the London Symphony Orchestra, the Brodsky Quartet, La Britten Symphony Orchestra, the Coro Nova Schola Gregoriana Di Verona from Italy, and violinist Tanya Anisimova from Russia. Mexican participants included the National Symphonic Orchestra, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería, and flautist Horacio Franco.

The Festival Internacional de Cine de Morelia began in 2003 and focuses on Mexican cinema, showing work by new directors and filmmakers. Most events happen at the Cinépolis Morelia Centro, but also include other theaters, auditoriums, and public plazas.

Morelia is home to the annual Zapata Vive Morelia Festival, which honors Emiliano Zapata through cultural and political activities. The event promotes exhibitions by artistic, cultural, and social groups from Michoacán and other regions. Events take place over several days and include concerts, discussions, and information sessions. The festival invites groups that support lower-income communities and have left-leaning political views.

The Festival de Escala is an annual event that encourages rock climbing in the municipality. It takes place at locations like El Paredón de la Noria, just south of the city.

A popular festival called "SalsaMich" features a 3-day Salsa competition in the center of Morelia. Usually held in March, the event brings Salsa dancers from across the country to compete for prizes.

Sister cities

Morelia has a sister city relationship with Yakima, Washington. This connection began in 1999 and is supported by the Yakima-Morelia Sister City Association. Cultural activities between the two cities include musicians from Morelia performing with the Yakima Symphony Orchestra.

Morelia also has sister city relationships with other cities worldwide, such as Arequipa in Peru; Caspueñas, Valladolid, and Madrigal de las Altas Torres in Spain; Gettysburg, Kansas City, Fullerton, Monterey Park, Norwalk, and Shreveport in the United States; Matanzas and Havana in Cuba; and Sopó in Colombia.

Education

During the colonial period, the city had four major educational institutions: the Colegio Seminario Tridentino, the Colegio de San Nicolás, the Colegio de los Jesuitas, and the Colegio de las Rosas. The state university, the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, is the oldest university in the Americas. It began as the Colegio de San Nicolás Obispo, founded in 1540 by Vasco de Quiroga in Pátzcuaro. This school was created to train priests and missionaries for work in Michoacán. In 1543, the school received royal approval and support. In 1566, colonial religious leaders took control of the school, and in 1574, academics there were placed under the authority of the Jesuits. When the main church office moved to Valladolid, the school relocated in 1580 and merged with the existing Colegio de San Miguel Guayangareo. The school was reformed in the 17th century, and its curriculum was updated in the 18th century to include subjects like philosophy, religious law, civil law, and others. At the start of the 19th century, the school became one of New Spain’s main centers of learning and produced scholars such as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, José Ma. Morelos, José Sixto Verduzco, José María Izazaga, and Ignacio López Rayón. Most of these individuals played important roles in the Mexican War of Independence. The school closed during the war but reopened in 1847 as the Primitivo y Nacional Colegio de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, focusing on secular subjects like chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology, and others based on the European university model.

After the Mexican Revolution, the school was reorganized and renamed the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo in 1917. This new university combined several other schools and disciplines into its structure.

Today, the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo is the most important university in the state of Michoacán. It has also been ranked among the Top 10 best public universities in Mexico. In recent years, the university has expanded to smaller cities in the state, including Uruapan, Apatzingán, Ciudad Hidalgo, Lázaro Cárdenas, Coalcoman, Huetamo, Tangancicuaro, and Zitacuaro. According to the 2011 INEGI census, the university had 55,546 regular students.

Other universities in the city include Instituto Tecnológico de Morelia (ITM), Universidad Tecnológica de Morelia (UTM), Instituto Michoacano de Ciencias de la Educación, Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Estado de Michoacán (CIDEM), the Morelia Campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Instituto de Estudios Superiores de la Comunicación (IESCAC), Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Conservatorio de las Rosas, Universidad Vasco de Quiroga, Universidad Latina de América, Universidad La Salle Morelia, Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey–Campus Morelia (ITESM), Universidad Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, and many other private universities.

Sports

Morelia was represented by their soccer team, Monarcas Morelia, in the Liga MX. Monarcas Morelia was started in 1950 on a field outside the city where a monument to Lázaro Cárdenas is now located. The team's original name was Club Deportivo Morelia, and it was owned by Eucuario Gómez. The club's colors are red and yellow, which match the city's flag colors. These colors were chosen because Morelia is known as the most Spanish city in Mexico. The team was called "Amarillo" (Yellow) during the 1956–57 season, when it earned the right to play in the first division. During that season, the team competed in its first tournament for the Copa México against Club América.

The team dropped to the second division in 1968 and faced difficult times in the early 1970s. By the end of the 1973–74 season, the team was completely reorganized by 32 Morelia Businessmen who bought the club. After 13 years in the second division, the team returned to the first division in 1981. By the mid-1980s, the team was competing regularly in the Liguilla (playoffs).

For many years, the team played at Estadio Venustiano Carranza. When Estadio Morelos was completed in 1989, the team moved to this new stadium as their home. In 1996, the team was bought by TV Azteca. The name Monarcas (Monarchs) Morelia was adopted in 1999 because of the three Spanish monarchs shown in the flag of Morelia. The team won its first championship during the Invierno 2000 season. By the middle of the 2000s, the team was competing in international tournaments such as the Copa Libertadores and the CONCACAF Champions League. The team's most recent success came in the 2010 North American SuperLiga tournament, which Monarcas won against the New England Revolution on September 1, 2010, in New England.

The team finished the Apertura 2010 tournament of the Primera División de México (Mexico's first division) without qualifying for the Liguilla (playoffs).

In 2020, it was announced that the team would move to the city of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, and would be renamed Mazatlán F.C. Soon after, the city's government announced that a new team would play in the Liga de Expansión MX (Mexico's second division) under the name Atlético Morelia.

Transportation

Morelia is about three to four hours from Mexico City by car through the Atlacomulco–Maravatío–Morelia highway. It is connected by highways to the states of Mexico, Querétaro, Guanajuato, and Jalisco. The city connects to the coast of Michoacán through Highway 200, which travels through Uruapan to the port city of Lázaro Cárdenas. The airport in Morelia is called General Francisco Mujica International Airport or Morelia International Airport (IATA: MLM, ICAO: MMMM). It is located in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. The airport serves both domestic and international flights. It connects to cities such as Mexico City, Uruapan, Lázaro Cárdenas, Acapulco, Zihuatanejo, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Tijuana, and several places in the United States. The airport is named after a former governor of the state of Michoacán.

The municipality

Morelia is the main city that governs 423 other communities. Most of these communities are small, with populations ranging from three to 1,000 people. About 89% of the municipality’s total population of 684,145 people live in the city itself. The municipality covers an area of 1,199.02 square kilometres (462.94 square miles) and shares borders with the municipalities of Tarímbaro, Chucándiro, Huaniqueo, Charo, Tzitzio, Villa Madero, Acuitzio, Lagunillas, Coeneo, Tzintzuntzan, and Quiroga.

Much of the municipality is located in the Guayangareo Valley, which lies between the El Grande and El Chiquito rivers. The name Guayangareo means "large hill with a flat side." The area is rugged and includes peaks such as Punhuato, El Zapote, and the Otzumatlán mountain range. The highest point is Quinceo, which reaches an elevation of 2,787 metres (9,144 feet). The municipality is part of the Lerma-Santiago river water region, with the El Grande and El Chiquito rivers as the main water sources. Other streams include the Zarza and Pitaya. The most important dam in the area is Cointzio, while smaller dams include Umécuaro, Laja Caliente, and La Mintzita.

The vegetation outside the city changes based on elevation and soil type. Higher mountain areas are covered mostly with conifer trees, while lower, drier areas have trees like mesquite. To the south of the city is the Lázaro Cárdenas Forest, an ecological reserve. Animal life includes small mammals, with coyotes being the largest, as well as birds of prey and some reptiles.

The growth of Morelia is harming nearby forests, especially in the area north of the city, which is part of the Lake Cuitzeo basin. This area is important for recharging the city’s groundwater supply. The forests also help improve air quality and provide habitats for pollinating insects used in farming. UNAM is studying the species in these forests to support efforts to declare them as biological reserves.

One industrial area is the Ciudad Industrial de Morelia, which mainly houses small and medium businesses. Products made here include cooking oil, flour, cement, plastics, bottled goods, and candies. Tourism is becoming an important part of the economy, as the area has colonial history, traditional communities, natural areas, and archaeological sites like Santa María de Guido in the city, Barranca de los Lobos in Teremendo, Nahuatl Sanctuary, and Catrina in Capula. However, tourism is not yet a major economic contributor. Unfortunately, rising crime related to drug trafficking in Mexico could discourage tourists from visiting Morelia.

According to a November 2009 report by Standard & Poor’s, the government of Morelia has a sufficient development budget supported by high income and low debt. It is rated A+ on a national scale in Mexico. The economy is expected to remain stable, with the government managing expenses carefully.