Historical Campeche

What today is the city of Campeche, Mexico, capital of the Mexican state of the same name and situated on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, was founded as the Puerto de San Francisco de Campeche in the year 1540 by the Spanish conquerors who came to these shores under the command of Francisco de Montejo y León.

Campeche Cathedral

The historical center of Campeche was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999 due to the characteristics and configuration of the fortifications which still exist around the old town. These are considered an excellent example of the typical 17th and 18th century military architecture of the Spanish in the Caribbean area for the defense of its settlements against attack by French and English buccaneers as well as pirates. Among these were such notables as Frances Drake, John Hawkins, Laurens de Graff, Jean Lafitte and Henry Morgan.

The architecture and manner in which the old town of Campeche has been preserved and restored is picturesque and its cobblestoned streets, massive defensive walls and fortifications, ornate churches, colorful buildings and and other historic monuments provide a channel through which one is transported back in time.

Some of the interesting places and buildings in Campeche’s historical center include:

• La Catedral (Cathedral) located just off the main plaza (Plaza de la Independencia) on Calle 55, with its cantera stone arches, marble accents, talavera tiled walls and clock tower.
• La Mansion Carvajal (The Carvajal Mansion), located on Calle 10, with its stately arched facade and marble staircase.
• The fortified walls of the old city hold four access gates: the Puerta de la Tierra (Land Gate) and the Puerta del Mar (Sea Gate) were the main accesses into the central city; the Puerta de Guadalupe and the Puerta de San Roman were subsidiary gates allowing access to outlying neighborhoods.
• El Baluarte de San Carlos (Bastion of Saint Charles), a pentagonally-shaped fortification, now the city museum which hosts exhibits of arms and historical relics.
• El Fuerte de San Jose el Alto (Fort of San Jose), a museum now exhibiting boats and arms of the colonial era, is located on Av. Francisco Morazan. This structure was constructed in the latter part of the 18th century atop a hill known as the Vigia Vieja (old watchtower). A second fort, that of San Miguel, also houses the Museum of Maya Culture (Museo de la Cultura Maya), exhibiting pre-hispanic artifacts of the pre-hispanic inhabitants of the region. The fort of San Miguel is located on Bellavista hill.
• El Baluarte de la Soledad (Bastion of Our Lady of Solitude) houses the Museo de Arqueología Maya (Maya Archeology Museum), also known as the Museo de Escultura Maya (Museum of Maya Sculpture) with its collection of carved stone monoliths, steles, lintels and altars from several Campeche archeological sites. It is located in the heart of Campeche on Calle 8.

Campeche coast	Walled city of Campeche, Mexico	Campeche streets
Arches of Campeche	Cathedral and color

Hotels and accommodations in Campeche, Mexico

Campeche Festivals

Here are a few of the feast days most colorfully celebrated in Campeche:

Carnaval, with processions and street music, the crowning of the Carnival queen, colorful costumes and dances during the 15 day period leading up to Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.

La Virgen del Carmen (The Virgin of Carmen), which takes place from July 15th through 30th and celebrates the recuperation of the Island of Terms (Isla de Terminos) from the hands of pirates in the year 1718. The festivities feature sporting events, a livestock fair, religious processions and cultural events.

La Feria de San Román (Fair of San Roman) takes place from September 15th through 30th and commemorates the arrival in the old neighborhood of San Roman of a wooden carved image of Christ brought over from Italy in 1565. The figure is carried in procession throughout the town and celebrated with rides, music, crafts, cultural and commercial exhibits.

La Feria de San Francisco (Fair of San Francisco of Campeche) takes place yearly from October 1st through 15th, around the official day of San Francisco of Assisi on October 4th, in honor of Campeche’s patron saint himself. Festivities include religious, cultural and artistic events.

Sources and further information:

http://www.campeche.travel/

“Campeche, Campeche.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 23 Nov 2009, 15:46 UTC. 30 Nov 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Campeche,_Campeche&oldid=327487755>.