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Salamanca, Guanajuato, Mexico — The Central Highlands (North America)
 

Valtierrilla

 
 
Valtierrilla Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. Makali Bruton, March 3, 2018
1. Valtierrilla Marker
The Hacienda of the Cañada de Ortega Sanctuary Marker is directly to the north of the featured marker.
Inscription.  
Valtierrilla
Este poblado es el principal de las comunidades del municipio de Salamanca. Tiene su origen desde la época prehispánica, como asentamiento de la tribu otomí. Pasa al dominio español durante la conquista en los albores el siglo XVI, denominándole el Pueblo de Santa Cruz de Valtierrilla, cuando la corona española otorgaba a los conquistadores grandes extensiones de tierra en la Nueva España para trabajarlas y obtener beneficios de ellas, sobre todo a partir de la ganadería y la agricultura.

Estos espacios eran denominados “estancias” y constituían una fuente modesta de ingresos para la población nativa, la cual trabajaba para los caciques españoles.

La estancia de Baltierra se ubicó en el margen sur del Río Grade (hoy Lerma), dividida en Baltierra el Grande y Baltierra el Chico, siendo esta última la que derivó en la actual Valtierrilla y se dedicaba principalmente a las labores del campo, ganadería y pesca, por el paso de hoy Río Laja. La población indígena que trabajaba en ella era de origen otomí, cultura que comenzó a formar pequeñas chozas alrededor de la estancia
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hasta constituir una “ranchería” y más tarde en calidad de Pueblo. Ya a finales del siglo XVII y principios del XVIII, esta pequeña ranchería comenzó a consolidarse: se seccionaron los terrenos, se abrieron calles, las chozas fueron sustituidas por cuartos de adobe y paja y se edificó una capilla dedicada a la Santa Cruz con su atrio y Plaza Principal (hoy jardín del poblado). Paulatinamente, el pueblo fue creciendo conforme aumentaba su población, dando origen a una nueva comunidad de la Villa de Salamanca, siendo en la actualidad la más importante y poblada de las comunidades del actual municipio de Salamanca, Gto.

Valtierrilla, Capital Mundial del Nopal
Una de las características principales de este poblado es el cultivo y producción del nopal. La tradición nació en el marco de las celebraciones de la Cuaresma, cuando los pobladores de Valtierrilla subían al Cerro de Culiacán por nopales para preparar sus platillos de Vigilia. Así pasaron varios años hasta que se decidió traer la planta del nopal al poblado, pues notaron que su cultivo en sus tierras fértiles era fácil y los beneficios muchos.

Con el paso del tiempo, inició la comercialización de este producto, procurando con ello una nueva fuente de ingresos para los valtierrillenses. Al poco tiempo, la venta del nopal se convirtió en la columna vertebral de la economía del poblado,
Valtierrilla Marker English side image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. Makali Bruton, March 3, 2018
2. Valtierrilla Marker English side
pues en torno a su producción se han generado, hasta la fecha, cientos de empleos formando cooperativas y fábricas en las que se procesa el nopal.

Los pobladores de Valtierrilla han desarrollado una buena cantidad de productos a base de nopal: tortillas, crema para la piel, gel para el cabello, dulces, nieve, gelatina, mermelada y muchos platillos cuyo principal ingrediente es el nopal, incluso es posible adquirir en el pueblo nopales en escabeche, en salmuera y nopal deshidratado molido. Desde hace ya varios años se lleva a cabo en Valtierrilla, en el mes de Febrero, la famosa Exponopal, feria en donde las personas dedicadas al cultivo de este tipo de cactácea se reúnen para mostrar y vender sus productos al visitante.

English:
Valtierrilla
This village in the municipality of Salamanca has its origins in the seventeenth century, when the Spanish crown granted the conqueror large areas of land in New Spain to work them and benefit from them, especially from livestock and agriculture.

These spaces were called “estancias” and constituted a modest source of income for the native population, which worked for the Spanish overlords. So, around the “estancias” were small native villages that gradually became larger and larger population centers.

Baltierra “estancia” placed on
Valtierrilla Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. Makali Bruton, March 3, 2018
3. Valtierrilla Marker
The marker is the third marker towards the north in this view of a portion of the Jardín Principal (Main Garden Square) of Salamanca.
the south bank of the Big River (Today Lerma River) divided into Baltierra The Great, Baltierra the Small, being this last one, being that led to the current Valtierrilla and is mainly engaged in field work, livestock and fisheries by the passage of Laja River today. The native people who worked on it was Otomí origin, culture began to form small huts around the “Estancia” to be a “Ranchería” and later to the level of Pueblo. Since the late seventeenth century and early eighteenth centuries, this small hamlet began to consolidate: the land were cut, streets were opened, the huts were replaced by houses of adobe and straw and a chapel dedicated to the Holy Cross with its atrium was built and Main Square (now garden village). Gradually, the village was growing with increasing population, giving rise to a new community of Villa de Salamanca, and is currently the most important and populous communitie of present municipality of Salamanca, Gto.

Valtierrilla: World capital of nopal.
One of the main features of this town is the production of nopal. The tradition was born in the framework of the celebrations of Lent, when the people of Valtierrilla climbed the Mountain of Culiacan to get nopales to prepare their dishes for Vigil. They spent several years until it was decided to bring the nopal plant to the town, as they noticed that their
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cultivation was easy and the benefits are many.

With the passage of time began marketing this product, thereby ensuring a new source of income for the people of Valtierrilla. Soon, the sale of nopal became the backbone of the economy of the town, because around its production have been generated to date, hundreds of jobs.

Valtierrilla villagers have developed a lot of products based on the nopal: tortillas, skin cream, hair gel, candy, snow, jelly, jam and many dishes whose main ingredient is the nopal; it is even possible to acquire in the village nopales pickled in brine and dehydrated nopal ground.

Since several years now takes places in Valtierrilla the Exponopal, where people used to grow this type of cactus gather to display and sell their products to visitors.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: AgricultureColonial EraSettlements & Settlers.
 
Location. 20° 34.127′ N, 101° 11.964′ W. Marker is in Salamanca, Guanajuato. Marker is on Calle Río Lerma just north of Calle Revolución, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Salamanca GTO 36700, Mexico. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Ex-Convent of Saint Augustine (here, next to this marker); Hacienda of the Cañada de Ortega Sanctuary (here, next to this marker); The Lord of the Hospital (within shouting distance of this marker); The Founders of Salamanca (within shouting distance of this marker); The Main Garden or Constitution Square (within shouting distance of this marker); The House of the Inquisitor (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); The Temple of Saint Augustine (about 150 meters away); Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (about 180 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Salamanca.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on March 22, 2018. It was originally submitted on March 22, 2018, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. This page has been viewed 128 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on March 22, 2018, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana.

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Mar. 19, 2024