This document provides a tour guide of the town of Chalchihuites in Durango, Mexico. The tour highlights the town's history, culture, traditions, religious architecture, and important figures. It describes the founding of Chalchihuites in 1556 and explains the meaning of its name. Key stops on the tour include the archaeological zone, various churches like Parroquia de San Pedro and Santuario de Guadalupe, the bullfighting ring Plaza de Toros Buenaventura, and the historic market El Mercado. The guide concludes with an overview of the 25 martyrs of Chalchihuites who were canonized for their Catholic faith.

1. UNIVERSIDAD JUÁREZ DEL ESTADO DE DURANGO
CENTRO UNIVERSITARIO DE AUTO-APRENDIZAJE EN
LENGUAS
Operadora turistica:
“Altavista”
El muy Noble y muy Leal Real y
Minas del Señor San Pedro de los Chalchihuites
Names:
Jessica Rios Pérez
Dulce Carolina Cardosa Cisneros
Gabriela Rodriguez Garcia
Claudia Susana Alvarado Flores
Teacher:
Luis Abel Chávez Bermudez
8/12/010

2. OPERADORA TURISTICA “ALTAVISTA”
PRESENTS
El muy Noble y muy Leal Real y
Minas del Señor San Pedro de los
Chalchihuites
Welcome to “Operadora turistica Altavista” the main purpose of this
operadora is to promote the turism of this place. Chalchihuites is a magic
town wich embraces histroy not only in its architecture, but also in its
cultures and traditions.
1. Lets start with our guide and first, we are to explain a little bit of the
history of this place. (while explaining history and other important
characteristics of this town, we are guiding our tourist in a bus
especially designed for this touristic guide).
Chalchihuites was founded in October 15, 1556 by Spanish mining “Don Martin
Perez de Uranza”.
Chalchihuites in nahualtl means “green stone” or “precious stone”
Chalchihuites’ scute meaning:
On the left superior side it has a lion that represents the Castilla providence of Spain.
On the right superior side, appears "el torreon de Toledo" which represents the predecesor's
providences of Rey Felipe the second.
On the down side, there is an image of San Pedro Apostol, the most important saint of this town.

3. The background shows the mountain range of Sierra Prieta , the Gloria, el Picacho Pelón y el
Picacho Montoso anther significant hills hat distinguish this town.
2. Now we are going to talk about some of the culture and traditions of this place,
but after that, let’s explain where exactly is located.
Chalchihuites is located 23 28’ north latitude and 103 52’ 15” west longitude and 229 km
away from Zacatecas city.
● · Stretch of land
The surface is 891km2
Chalchihuites is bounded by Sombrerete to the north
● · Climate
The climate is template whith low temperatures the coldest month is 3o C to 18o C and
in the warmer the temperature is greater than 22o C with rainfall in the months of July,
August and September.
● · Religion
Predominant religion is Catholicism
● · Music
Predominant music is Tamborazo Zacatecano
● · Gastronomy
Predominant food is
1. Asado de boda
2. Queso fresco
● · Traditions
1. Actos litúrgicos de la semana mayor
2. Day of traditional “Taquito” or “Reliquia” march, 21st
3. Anniversary of Chalchihuites on October 15th
4. Feria de la región December 12th
3. Now we are heading to a very interesting place in where the archaeology
of this place can be admired:
Archaeological Zone
The archeological zone is located at 5 Km. to the west of Chalchihuites on the
other side of the river.

4. In the middle of an extensive valley there is an archaeological zone; certainly, existed a
lot of types of indigenous like: Tlaxcaltecas, Chimecas, Aztecas, among others.
This zone is an area that was found in 1908 by the Mexican Archaeologist: Don Manuel
Gamio was the one who discovered only the part of the ceremonial plaza. Until 1973,
there was not nothing done to this important Archaeological Zone. The Northamerican
Dr. Kelly worked very hard at this place in union with others foreigns. Discovering,
everything that is today in this Archaeological zone. Nobody knows anything about the
found objects.
Mr. Salvador Rodriguez is the protector of these ruins, and he attracts the tourist
attention. He says the discovered part is called “the station’s gallery” which has a
particular construction, one way from each of the corridors converge to the Picacho
Hill, the distancee between this hill and the archaeological zone is 10km. In the
summer the sun comes out to the right side of the Picacho and the first rays appeared
exactly at the gallery corresponding to this cycle and of following this path the four
seasons are completed.
4. Now lets go back to town and there a description of the most significant
religious architecture of this town is going to be shared with you:
We are going to start with:
Parroquia de San Pedro
This parish is the second one built in Chalchihuites; the first one was burned in
April 14 1881. This temple is pretty large; it has over 30mts that form a Cruz Latina.
The priest Manuel Campos Perez fixed the vaults, the sacristy, and other rooms of the
church.
The priest Don Nicolas Nevarez built the parsonage.
The copula is beautiful sit in various pillars with lean texture, simple but elegant, it has a
cypress artistically decorated, everything of quarry, and we can admire different figures
of high and low relief.
5. Another amazing temple is:
Santuario de Guadalupe
This church was built in a little promontory on the way to La Gloria hill, in front
to the market, it was built of quarry with romantic archery.
This church has by titular Nuestra Señora De Guadalupe.

5. It has only one little door in the south of the church communicated to the sacristy.
The tower in the Sanctuary is beautiful, built of quarry with four picture windows to the
four Cardinal Points; a watch looking to the west, located in the tower to give the hour to
the town.
6. Now we are at:
Templo de San Francisco
On the occasion of the Real y Minas Del Señor San Pedro de los Chalchihuites
foundation, the church in this place agreed with the building of San Francisco’s chapel
in honor to San Francisco de Asís.
This is a brick chapel with concrete roof, located in Concordia’s neighborhood, in the
north and main entrance of the village.
7. Next we are going to visit:
Nuestra Señora De Fátima
This little but beautiful church was built in honor of the arrival of the virgin
Maria’s image in the highest mountain “La Gloria” in 1949. This is a small brick chapel
and has by patron to the Virgin of Fatima.
8. Now we are finally in the last temple of Chalchihuites, which is:
Nuestra Señora De Las Aguas
This is a stone church, at least its facade and tower. It has a spacious atrium with
very ornate iron railing. The facade is austere, has a door framed with carved stone
ornaments.
The tower quarries with rustic details, as the facade, all stones are exposed and cement
grout; the color of the stones and cement make a nice contrast. The tower topped by a
carved iron cross.
9. Now we are in a very representative place of this town, which is:

6. PLAZA DE TOROS BUENAVENTURA
BUENAVENTURA’S BULL FIGHTING RING
This bull fighting ring was designed and built by Don Gregorio Perez in the year 1856;
mainly it was built with the combination of stone, adobe and wood which made it a very ancient
construction. The rebuilding of the bullfighting ring was made by the doctor Edmundo Ríos
who is now a days the owner. It took him almost 18 years to reconstruct it. The bullfighting
ring originally was the property of Don Buenaventura Ríos the grandfather of the actual owner,
its name is in honor to Don Buenaventura Ríos . The bullfighiting ring has a small chapel , a
well equipped nursing room and it has a capacity of 3000 people, it also has 22 bedrooms and
restrooms.
10. Now we are in downtown area and this house that we are going to talk about, it
is another significant part of the history and achictecture of Chalchihuites:
THE HOUSE OF THE REVELES’ MIER FAMILY
This magnificent house was started to build it in 1904 and finished in 1907, the owner
of this house was Jesus Mugiro but later the house was sold to the Don Flavio Reveles who
was a president of the town at that time. It has beautiful quarry ornaments in the exterior part
as well as the interior. A part of the house served as the town’s bank for many years which was
called “la mina de oro” or the golden mine.
11. Now we are actually downtown at the center of the merchants of the town and a
place where its people gather every day to buy their groceries, I am talking about:
EL MERCADO
The Mercado or market is located downtown in front of the Santuario de Nuestra Señora
de Guadalupe, it has a circular shape and it was built in 1909. The structure of this market is
very significant because it has 28 exteriors arcs which represent the days of the moon, four
interior arcs that represent the four seasons of the year and twelve rooms that represent the
months of the year.
12. Now to conclude with this guide we will talk about relevant people who are part
of the history of this town:
THE MARTYRS
Twenty five martyrs of the Mexican religious persecution were canonized on May
21st, 2000 by the Pop John Paul the second, being Mexico as the number one country of the

7. American continent with more saints following the United States, Canada and Peru. Of the
twenty five martyrs five are related to Chalchihuites diocese.
San Luis Bátiz Sáenz was born in San Miguel del Mezquital located in Zacatecas state on
September 18, 1870. He was the priest of Chalchihuites’ church. He was a priest who identified
himself with the young people guiding them to follow the catholic religion. On August 15, 1826
he was shot along with some people from the same town who were persecuted for being catholic.
San Mateo Correa Magallanes who belonged to the diocese of Zacatecas, was born on
July 23rd, 1866 in Tepechitlán, Zacatecas. He was a very special priest whose mission was
always to help the poor and the sick people. He was shot for soldiers who had the order to kill
priest and people who practice the catholic religion.
San Manuel Morales Cervantes was born in Mesillas on February 8th, 1898, he lived with
his grandparents in Chalchihuites since a little child. He was a very social and communicative
person, he was also the owner of a bakery in town. San Manuel Morales was the secretary
of “Círculo de Obreros Católicos” and president of “la Liga Nacional de Defensa Relgiosa” which
was founded in Chalhihuites in 1925. He was also shot by the government’s soldiers , he was the
companion of the priest of the town San Luis Bátiz Saénz, they both died at the same place and
date. After he was shot by the soldiers San Manuel Morales last phrase was “Viva Cristo Rey y la
Virgen de Guadalupe,” then he was killed, now a days this prase is repeated by the people in the
town when they celebrate the martyr’s memorial.
San Salvador Lara Puente was born in Berlín Ranch which belonged to El Súchil, Durngo
on August 13, 1905. He attended a catholic seminar because he wanted to become a priest,
but due to lack of money he had to left the seminar. However, he always kept close to catholic
religion by helping the priest of Chalchihuites, he also worked as a confident employee of the
mine “El Conjuro.” When he received the news that the Priest San Luis Bátiz was captured by
the soldiers, he immediately went to see what was happening and at that moment he was also
captured and killed the same day with the priest.
San David Roldán Lara was born in Calchihuites, Zacatecas and belonged to the diocese
of Durango, on march 2nd 1907. He also attended a catholic seminar but he left it, he always
kept close to catholic religion, he was also the president of Accíon Católica and Vicpresident
of Liga Nacional de la defense de la Libertad Religiosa. He was captured by the soliders in his
house and later shot with the priest of the town and the others martyrs.
13. Well, we are at the end of this guide and I want to thank you for your attention
and interest of knowing a little bit about this beautiful town. Now it is time to have
some lunch and for that we are heading to el mercado and eat a delicious gorditas,
which are very traditional in town.
Thank you.
Bibliography.
RAMÍREZ Y PÉREZ DN. JESÚS. Marzo 2004. El muy Noble y muy Leal Real y Minas del

8. Señor San Pedro de los Chalchihuites.
GALLEGOS MORENO MARTHA. 2006. Chalchihuites Lugar de Piedras Verdes. 1ra edición
Impreso en México ARTE GRAFICO.