Izalco
Izalco (in Nahuat Itzalku) is a municipality in the department of Sonsonate, El Salvador. It has an estimated population of 74,419 inhabitants for the year 2013.
It is located in a region populated since pre-Hispanic times by Nahua groups, which was also distinguished by the important production of cocoa that was maintained until the Spanish colonization stage. In this period, the towns of Dolores and Asunción coexisted, whose inhabitants were ladinos and indigenous people, respectively; although both ended up reunited in a municipal government in the 19th century.
Izalco was one of the sites most affected by the peasant uprising of 1932. However, various popular traditions are manifested in the municipality, which are representative of the syncretism between pre-Hispanic and European culture.
Toponymy
The name of Izalco has its origin in the Nahuat language, it may come from ītzcalco (itzkalku in Salvadoran Nahuat) which literally means: "in the place of the obsidian house(s)", however, its common meaning is "on the (right or left) side". It comes from the words itzti = obsidian, kal = house and ku = in the place of.
According to historian Jorge Lardé y Larín, Izalco comes from itz (obsidian) roots; cal (house), and co (place), which translates to “city of obsidian houses”. It is said that the original name was tecupan ishatcu, which means: "the seat of the lords in a place of crystalline waters"; or also that the region was known as muchishatcu whose meaning is: "the kingdom of the Izalcos".
Another version establishes that Izalco would have the meanings of: «in the obsidian sands», «in the black sands», or «place of surveillance or penance»; it comes from the words itz (obsidian), shal (sand), co (place) and cal (home).
History
Pre-Hispanic period
According to the traditional version of Juan de Torquemada, the last ruler of Tula, Topilzín Acxitl Quetzalcóhuatl II, moved to Central America due to the collapse of the Toltec culture in the Anahuac Valley. In that region he founded Escuintla, and later Tecpan-Izalco —or tecupan ishatcu — and also Cuscatlán. On the contrary, and although the exact chronology is not known, scientific research establishes the arrival of the Nahuas in Salvadoran territory in various migrations between the years 900 and 1500 AD. C.
Precisely, the Izalcos were one of the four branches of Nahuas settled in the territory together with the Cuzcatlecos, Nonualcos and Mazahuas. which comprised fifteen settlements. Among them stood out Izalco, Caluco, Nahulingo and Tacus-calco.
The region was an important producer of cacao, which was paid as tribute to the authority of the manor and also served as currency for the acquisition of goods and services, such as obsidian and jade from the Guatemalan highlands.
Spanish colonization
According to the Tlaxcala lienzo, the conquistador Pedro de Alvarado fought one of his battles in Tecpan-Izalco in the year 1524, whose population was estimated at 4,500 inhabitants for 1550, the largest number in an indigenous nucleus in Salvadoran territory for that time.
After the conquest was completed, the Izalcos continued to pay tribute to the Spanish encomenderos with cocoa.Precisely, the fruit gained notorious importance in the economy of the Spanish colony. In fact, many clergymen wanted to occupy one of the parishes in the prosperous area. This is how Bishop Francisco Marroquín noted it in 1556: «I know that they have complained [of] that many clerics come to this bishopric: I do not call them nor give them away [flattery]; and I promise Your Majesty that some I have thrown out very much against his will and others I have [allowed] to go. As this land in some parts is rich in the fruit of cacao, they come to this province and serve this church and in other places of little interest and they trust that in some year I will take advantage of them [in the cacao-growing regions]...». The monks of the convent of Santo Domingo de Sonsonate also decided to move there in 1572.
Between the years 1571 and 1574, according to Juan López de Velasco, "the amount of three hundred thousand ducats" of cocoa was exported from Acajutla. For his part, the oidor Don Diego García de Palacio, in a letter dated March 8, 1576, wrote to King Philip II: «In effect, it was [in pre-Columbian times] the most precious thing here; it has grown and multiplied so much, after [these towns] are in Your Royal Crown, with the freedom they have to see it and treat it, that New Spain is provided mainly from this province [of the Izalcos] and its region, from which there is a lot of trade and contracting from one party to another".
During the Spanish colonization period, Izalco belonged to the Mayor of Sonsonate. By the year 1770, Pedro Cortés y Larraz described that the parish of Dolores Izalco, or “barrio de arriba”, coexisted in the town, with a ladino population totaling 3,455 inhabitants; and that of Asunción Izalco, or «barrio de abajo», with an Indian population that amounted to 2,212. Before his arrival, he received a letter from the parish priest of the place in which the following is described: «The common language spoken in this parish is Spanish, although the Indians have their native language, which is Mexican, but they speak Spanish well, the Indians are somewhat more reluctant to speak it and are more revitalized to Mexican».
Republican era
With the promulgation of the first Salvadoran constitution in 1824, Izalco was added to the new department of Sonsonate, and on April 6, 1827 it was erected as the head of the district with the title of town, although Dolores Izalco and Asunción Izalco maintained their municipal authorities.
In the midst of the turbulent years of the Central American federation, in 1827 the headquarters of federal president Manuel José Arce, who had a conflict with the Salvadoran government, was established in the town. This place also served to engage in peace talks. In addition, in November 1832 an indigenous uprising broke out, allegedly promoted by the religious Pablo Sagastume in favor of the conservative faction, and which was led by Felipe Vega and Manuel Amaya. Sonsonate was looted from the mutiny.
On February 24, 1838, and by Legislative Decree, Asunción and Dolores Izalco were merged into a single town that maintained the title of town. However, the union did not prosper, since the rivalry between both places was notorious. For this reason, in the year 1853 the inhabitants of Asunción asked the legislative chambers of El Salvador for the creation of an autonomous municipal government; said body delegated the decision to the executive power. Francisco Dueñas, at that time president of the republic, again agreed to the division between both places; he furthermore stipulated that Dolores should appoint two mayors, five regidores and a trustee, and Asunción, a mayor, four regidores and one trustee. The president founded his resolution " bearing in mind that customs greatly influence the lives of men, that it is to the taste of both [peoples] to separate ".
By the year 1859, Dolores had 4,543 inhabitants, many of them indigenous despite the ladino character of the place. In addition, at that time it was noted in a report that coffee was cultivated with a certain "indifference", and cocoa, despite lacking incentives for its production, was still observed in local markets.. For its part, Asunción had a population of 2863 inhabitants.
By decree of President Gerardo Barrios on February 7, 1862, the union of both locations under a municipal government was once again arranged; In addition, Izalco would hold the title of city.
In the report of the governor of the department of Sonsonate Antonio Ipiña made on December 25, 1865, he noted that Dolores and Asunción had composed their public buildings. In Asunción he almost completely fixed up his town hall, which was "very neat", he composed a street and was working on the repair of his parish church. Dolores paved 178 street yards 10 yards wide and took care that private houses were built on the edge of the streets to close off the blocks. The city lacked a trace and needed to light its streets at night and its municipality was ordered to present taxes to obtain funds with which to do these works.
At the end of 1865, construction began on a new bridge over the Río de Ceniza to replace the one that had been destroyed by a flood. This bridge that connected Izalco with Sonsonate and Sonzacate formed an important part of the highway from the capital to Sonsonate, and its reconstruction was a very important work for the country's commerce; therefore the construction of the bridge was done by order and account of the government. The construction was advancing in December 1865 after clearing some arrears of the businessman in charge of the construction. By January 22, 1866, the bridge of the Ceniza river that would connect Izalco with Sonsonate and Sonzacate had its arch about to begin, having already the wood for its falsework and it was expected to be completed before the rains.
After the Rural Police was regulated with rural Police Judges on May 16, 1868, Don Francisco Machado was appointed as Rural Police Judge of the District of Izalco, whose endowment was 30 pesos per month.
By legislative decree of February 18, 1869, the erection of a single municipal regime was definitively ordered.
On March 14, 1875 there was a riot that ended in the death of Corporal 2nd Tránsito Romualdo and Candelario Pashaca; On September 27, the Izalco jury sentenced those involved, declaring Encarnación Lucero, Matías Teshe, Luis Quilizapa, Dolores Cúni, Dolores Ramón, Nazario Gómez and Lázaro Maye guilty of homicide and the main perpetrators of the riot; 5 others as accomplices; and acquitting 11.
In 1890 Izalco had a population of 8,968; and the geographer Guillermo Dawson described the town in these terms: «Its streets are picturesque. Its beautiful surroundings, and throughout the city there is a certain no, I know what brings to the mind of the visitor historical memories that date back many centuries». Six years later, the Swedish botanist Carl Vilhelm Hartman passed through the place and took a series of photographs of the indigenous people that were used for his work Ethnographic recognition of the Aztecs in El Salvador in 1901.
On the night of November 14, 1898, during the coup d'état carried out by General Tomás Regalado against President Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez, there was a political commotion in Izalco in which more than 80 people took part and which ended in the death more than thirteen people. On March 31, 1900, nine people were absolutely and unconditionally amnestied by the National Legislative Assembly for the crime of murder: Colonel Francisco Calvo, officers Enrique Mojica and Francisco Segura, and soldiers Manuel Calvo alias Torito, Apolinario Menjívar, Marcelino Vásquez, Enrique Rosales, Silvestre Morán, Pedro Romualdo, Antonio Ramírez, Carlos Díaz, Rafael Gil, Rubén Romualdo, Mercedes Campos, Rodrigo Estrada, Tomás Nejapa and Ignacio Sarmiento, who were prosecuted in the court of 1 Criminal Instance of the department of Sonsonate; the amnesty is sanctioned by President Tomás Regalado on April 7. These same are amnestied by the same assembly on April 21 for the crime of homicide of four more people for which they were prosecuted in the 2nd court. of the 1st Criminal Instance of the department of Sonsonate; the amnesty is sanctioned by President Regalado on April 23. On May 9, the assembly granted amnesty to 78 people, largely indigenous, who were prosecuted for the crime of rebellion; such an amnesty was sanctioned by the president on May 15.
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In 1912, a park was being built in Plaza de la Asunción (today Parque Tomás Zaldaña). The government contributed $1,000 for this work.
The events of the year 1932
At the end of the XIX century, in El Salvador a new economic activity began to take shape based on productive activities that opened up the possibility of participating in the foreign market. Chief among these was the cultivation of coffee, which generated profits for a small group of landowners, investors, and merchants.
One of the measures promoted by the State to encourage production was the abolition of communal and ejido lands held by peasants, whose process began in the 1880s and which consolidated private property in the countryside. The discontent over these measures was already being noted even before that year, since in 1875 in Izalco there was an outbreak of violence due to the dispossession of ejido lands; which would also be repeated in 1884.
Already in the XX century, agricultural land was concentrated in a few hands, so the number of impoverished peasants grew, and violence began to spread both in urban and rural areas. By 1929, the world economic crisis occurred that directly affected countries like El Salvador, which depended on the monoculture of coffee. After the failed government of Arturo Araujo, militarism established itself in power in 1931 and the social outbreak occurred in the peasant uprising of 1932, which had Izalco as one of its main points of conflict. In fact, the departments of Sonsonate and Ahuachapán recorded the largest killing of indigenous people by government forces, precisely where 13% of ejido lands of the total estimated 21% had existed in the national territory, at the time that the the process of extinction of ejidos.
In Izalco, as in other points in the western part of the country and supported by members of the Salvadoran Communist Party, on January 22 the peasants rose up and attacked barracks, police garrisons, government offices, as well as the houses of landowners and merchants. After the populations were retaken by military troops, the cacique and leader of the brotherhood of the Holy Spirit of Izalco, Feliciano Ama, was accused of being one of the instigators of the uprising. His lifeless body ended up hanging from a ceiba tree in front of the Asunción church.
Later Years
In Izalco, the discord between the ladinos and indigenous people has been recurrent. The confrontation became more intense during and after the 1932 uprising. In fact, the ladinos formed groups called "white guards" to persecute the communists, presumably linked to the indigenous people.
During the presidency of Maximiliano Hernández Martínez, it was established that the municipal government would fall into the hands of the ladinos, while the relationship with the indigenous people had a paternalistic nature. In those years, the cacique Félix Turish became the mediator between the indigenous people and the government. After the death of Turish in the 1970s, the disorganization affected the indigenous community of Izalco, which could not recover until the 1990s with the formation of a Committee for the Rescue of the Traditions of Izalco.
Izalco is one of the last places where a few people still speak the Nahuat language. Within the framework of a project financed by the Círculo Solidario Foundation, Nahuat is now taught in a school in Izalco (Dr. Mario Calvo Marroquin school).
Geography
The territorial extension of the municipality is 175.9 km², and the headwaters are located at 440 m s. no. m. It borders the following municipalities:
| Northwest: Nahuizalco | North: Santa Ana and the Congo | Northeast: Armenia and the Congo |
| West: Sonsonate, Nahuizalco and Sonzacate |  | This: Armenia |
| Southwest: Nahulingo | South: Caluco, San Julián, Sonsonate and Nahulingo | Sureste: San Julián |
Izalco is irrigated by 19 rivers and 37 streams; and among the orographic accidents, the Izalco volcano stands out, in addition to eight hills, nine hills, two plains, two mountains, four valleys, four plateaus and two ravines.
Izalco Volcano
Izalco is one of the active volcanoes in El Salvador. It has an altitude of 1968 ms. no. m., and belongs to the Los Volcanes National Park next to the Santa Ana volcano and Cerro Verde. It was known for several years as "The Pacific Lighthouse" due to the incessant expulsion of lava and rocks that could be seen from the country's marine coast. The last eruption occurred in 1965 and its birth has been the subject of debate, although the year 1770 is considered the beginning of its most energetic growth. Be that as it may, it is considered the youngest volcano in El Salvador.
Political division
The head of Izalco includes nine neighborhoods: Asunción, Dolores, San Sebastián, Cruz Galana, Santa Teresa, San Juan, Santa Lucía, Santa Cruz and La Otra Banda; there are also twenty-one colonies. There are 25 cantons, whose names are (in brackets the number of hamlets in each one): Cruz Grande (3), Teshcal (4), Shón-Shón (5), Las Marías (4), Las Lajas (3), San Isidro (8), El Sunza (8), Cuyagualo (2), Quebrada Española (4), Las Higueras (3), Joya de Cerén (6), Piedras Pachas (4), Cuntán (5), Chorro Arriba (7), Chorro Abajo (4), Ceiba del Charco (6), Tapalshucut (4), Huiscoyolate (6), Cangrejera (3), Tecuma (4), Las Tres Ceibas (3), La Chapina (4), Talcomunca (3), Tunalmiles (5), and San Luis (2).
Heritage
Religion
Historical heritage
- Parish of Our Lady of Assumption
The first temple of the Assumption began to be erected in the year 1568, approximately. The descriptions of the building, at the time of the Spanish colonization, noted that its wealth did not compare to those existing in the town of the Santísima Trinidad de Sonsonate. By the year 1773, it succumbed to the Santa Marta earthquakes, although there is another version that indicates that it could have collapsed in 1765 due to a series of earthquakes.
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Construction of the new temple began in 1782 until it was completed in 1815. The first stone was laid by Pedro Cortés y Larraz. The vestiges of the old church can still be seen nearby, as well as the bell popularly known as María Asunción, which according to tradition was a gift from Carlos I of Spain.
- Our Lady of the Dolores Parish
The original temple of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores was built in 1716. Of this structure, the nave, side walls, the presbytery and the main altar have been preserved; while the façade is from the mid-20th century century.
- The Plain
It is a space located next to the La Asunción church, and was declared a "Cultural Asset" by the Ministry of Culture in 2012, since the remains of an undetermined number of people who died are found there. as a result of the government repression of 1932. Every January tribute is paid to the victims by local communities.
- House of the Barrientos
This building was built in 1864, and was owned by the landowner Don Ramón Barrientos Vega. After his death and that of his son Pedro in the 1890s, it was inhabited by his two daughters, other members of the family plus the servants, for which reason it began to be known as the "house of the Barrientos Girls. Later he was in charge of his nephews Alfonso and Gracia Barrientos. Alfonso served as mayor of the city, and during his residence the house became a point of reference.
On October 10, 1991, it was declared a National Monument for its high architectural value, in which its neoclassical arches stand out, and a style attached to Antigueño. Since then it has undergone restoration. In 2010, the Ministry of Culture and the Izalco mayor's office, which acquired the house in 1983, signed an agreement to install a Restoration Training Center there.
Cultural heritage
- Common mayor
In Izalco there is an instance elected by the indigenous communities that is called the "Common Mayor". Its origin dates back to the time of the Spanish colonization when the crown authorities considered it necessary to maintain a hierarchy in the town in the hands of of the indigenous people, especially with regard to the brotherhoods and guachivales. At present the common mayor maintains said prerogative, since he appoints the mayordomos of the brotherhoods in the council of mayordomos. In addition, he is accompanied by councilors and they resolve conflicts among the residents.
- Costumes
At the time of Spanish colonization, the Franciscan and Dominican orders were in charge of establishing these Catholic organizations in Izalco. The objective was fulfilled without mishap, since the brotherhoods were related to the ancestral beliefs related to the formal hierarchy and ritual aspects of the natives. Precisely, both the legally recognized brotherhoods developed there, as well as the guachivales, a kind of "indigenous spontaneous religiosity".
The guachivales, however, were not well regarded by the Catholic prelates due to the celebrations being somewhat out of the required formality, since drunkenness, music and dancing were common in the festivities. However, the merriment had its reason for being, as the historian Pedro Escalante Arce establishes: « they were to feel protected, consoled, supportive, around a venerated image that would never despise its poor Indians, and that was happy that they at the party were happy, carefree, escaped from reality». In addition, they must have been tolerated by the Catholic hierarchy, as they were important contributors to the parishes. of a formal nature they amounted to twenty, distributed in equal parts for the towns of Asunción and Dolores.
In general terms, the brotherhoods have been characterized by having an «Altar Table», where the effigies, insignia, images (holder and attached), and other decorations are placed. The organization is made up of “Mayordomos” together with their collaborators, and the festivities can vary between two or several days, which include visits from other brotherhoods, procession, main Mass, offerings (known as Entrances), until culminating with the distribution of food, music and dance.
In Izalco there are some 24 traditional religious associations, although there are others with less formality. The one that holds the most important hierarchical rank is the Brotherhood of the Most Holy Eternal Father.
- Holy Week
The cities of Sonsonate and Izalco hold the most solemn celebrations of Holy Week in El Salvador. Since Lent, different religious events take place that culminate in the biggest week, in which traditional religious processions take place; such as that of the Consecrated Image of "Jesús de las Once" on Good Friday with the Penitential Via Crucis. Or the "Procession of the Christs", which is considered one of the longest in the country, since it can last for 16 hours. The procession consists of twelve images of the crucified Christ, belonging to the same number of brotherhoods, which accompany the Venerable Image of Jesus Nazareno "Mighty King" on Holy Thursday, one of the most venerated images in El Salvador.
- The Jeu
El Jeu, also known as El Tabal, takes place on December 24th. The brotherhood of the Virgin of Bethlehem is in charge of its organization, and consists of the presentation of corn offerings to the Child God. The participants carry out a procession to the rhythm of the whistle and the drum towards the church of the Assumption, and carry branches of the garrucha tree, which are decorated with ears of corn and colored paper. Upon reaching the temple, they sing bombas, whose couplets end with the cry of Jeu!. Later the pilgrims visit other brotherhoods.
- Patron Festivals
In the month of August, the patronal festival dedicated to the Virgen del Tránsito and Asunción is celebrated in Izalco, while in the month of December the festivals of the Immaculate Conception take place. In the latter, a procession is carried out towards the slopes of the Izalco volcano on December 10, a tradition that began in 1935. That year, and at the initiative of Father Salvador Castillo, the image of the Virgin was taken to look for protection against the intense volcanic activity that took place at that time. Each patronal festival corresponds to the old division of the lower neighborhood or Asunción and the upper neighborhood or Dolores, respectively.
Natural heritage
- Atecozol
It is a water park that was inaugurated in 1956, although in 1941 it was recognized as "Atecozol public bath". It has an extension of 24 blocks in which the lush vegetation, two natural pools, and several sculptures that represent myths and legends of El Salvador, works of the master Valentín Estrada, stand out. It also has other facilities for tourists.
Twinned cities
Berkeley, United States.
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