Montserrat Franco

Categoría: oaxaca

  • The roads of Mezcal: Santiago Matatlan

    The roads of Mezcal: Santiago Matatlan

    Santiago Matatlan, mezcal world capital

    Visiting the vast agave landscape in Oaxaca is akin to exploring the plateau in Bordeaux, where the concept of “terroir” in French or “terruño” in Spanish takes on a profound significance.

    Oaxaca, renowned for its unparalleled biodiversity, boasts a unique landscape characterized by its high desert mountain ranges, arid, expansive plains, and picturesque river valleys. These diverse habitats have provided the perfect environment for the largest array of wild agave species globally.

    Santiago Matatlan, the world capital of Mezcal, is a town where the entire community lives and breathes for this divine elixir. Every house takes pride in crafting its unique style of Mezcal or claiming to produce the best. Generations of families have dedicated their lives to the tradition of mezcaleros, preserving the art of Mezcal production.

    Santiago Caballero, Saint Patron of Matatlan. Real Matlatl distillery
    Alambique with Don Tacho’s engrave at Real Matlatl distillery in Santiago Matatlan
    Maestro Israel Pérez Santiago of Son de la luna Palenque with Montserrat Franco in Santiago Matatlan
    Montserrat Franco dressed in Valles centrales traditional outfit with “Son the horse” at Campo Rosal fields in Santiago Matatlan
    The Blas family, Mezcaleros family and Montserrat Franco in Santiago Matatlan
    The Santiago brothers Rodrigo and Omar of Campo Rosal and Montserrat Franco in Santiago Matatlan
    Rubio the horse and Montserrat Franco at the Amado’s family palenque in Santiago Matatlan
    Mom and daughter mezcaleras, The Hernandez of Mezcal “Desde La Eternidad” at their mezcal shop and distillery in Santiago Matatlan

    Origins:

    Santiago Matatlán is a name derived from Nahuatl words; Matlatl, which means net, and Tlan, which means place, so Matatlán means “place near nets.” It was established in 1575, with land titles issued in 1714.

    The ancient settlement of this Zapotec city, now an archaeological site that its own inhabitants buried again after the excavations as a way to safeguard the memory of their ancestors, “El Palmillo,” is located in the blood hill or “Ta Guiil Reiñ” in Zapotec.

    The archaeologists led by Gary Feinman and Linda Nicholas discovered El Palmillo at the end of the 20th century. The Zapotec civilization, which flourished between 500 BC and 750 AD, built the site, which over time became an active urban center.

    The Community Museum “Ta Guiil Reiñ” preserves pieces that were found at the archaeological site. This museum was inaugurated in 2012 to preserve its history, archaeology, and mezcal culture.

    Cosijo shaped urns at the Community Museum “Ta Guiil Reiñ” of Santiago Matatlan
    Diverse pottery found at El Palmillo site in Santiago Matatlan, in permanent exhibit at the community museum
    Montserrat Franco at the top of the hill of blood “Ta Guiil Reiñ“ El Palmillo Santiago Matatlan
    One of the carved stones found at El Palmillo site
    The tombstone found at El Palmillo site at around 900 AD, lies at the facade of the Mendez Leon residence since 1750 in Santiago Matatlan.
    The original structure of the Zapotec settlement at the time of discovery by the archaeologists team.

    Temple of Santiago Apóstol: A 17th-century church with a baroque, Churrigueresque-style main altar.

    Santiago Apostle Temple. Photo by Israel Perez Santiago
    The city hall bell. Photo by Israel Perez Santiago
    A view from the city hall. Photo: Israel Perez Santiago
    From the choir of the Santiago Apostle Temple. Photography: Israel Perez Santiago

    Matatlan today

    Santiago Matatlan’s Mayor Juan José Mendez León, comes from a long lineage of agave farmers, distillers and leaders in the world capital of mezcal.

    With a 6th generation, Juan José’s family is one of the oldest producers. His father was one of COMERCAM’s (Mezcal regulatory council) founding members, who helped establish the DO (Denomination of Origin) and the NOM (Normas Oficiales Mexicanas) in 1994, laying the foundation for the modern mezcal industry as well of helping establish Matatlan as the World Capital of Mezcal.

    COMERCAM (short for Consejo Mexicano Regulador de la Calidad del Mezcal) is the Mexican Regulatory Council for Mezcal. This organization surveys the quality, authenticity, and certification of mezcal under the Denomination of Origin (DO) guidelines.

    The State of Oaxaca produces more than 80% of the Mezcal within the DO of which Santiago Matatlan is responsible for almost 65%.

    Santiago Matatlan’s Mayor Juan José Mendez Leon and Montserrat Franco at his 18th century family hacienda
    The Mendez Leon lineage started with Jose Guadalupe Leocadio Mendez who established the meson hacienda in the strategic location next to the temple.
    The entrance to the Mendez Leon iconic hacienda. The only residence in front of the Santiago Apostle temple
    Montserrat Franco in the Matatlan traditional outfit at the 18th century Mendez Leon hacienda
    The Tierra Matateca Band with director and agave farmer Carlos Hernandez, Mtro Israel Perez Santiago and Montserrat Franco performing at the Gran Fiesta del Mezcal
    Montserrat Franco at La Casa del Pulque in Matatlan. Pulque is the sap extracted and fermented from the maguey Pulquero (Agave Americana)

    If you go:

    Ta Guiil Reiñ Community Museum contact here for hours of operation

    El Palmillo archeological site (not open to the public, independent hiking trails can be arranged)

    Listen to Soy Espadin presented live at the Gran Fiesta del Mezcal of Matatlan in July 2023.

    References:

    Gibran Rivera: Caracterizando la producción y organización de los mezcaleros en Matatlan, México “Capital mundial del mezcal”

    Javier Urcid: A Zapotec slab in Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca.

    Museo comunitario Taguil Reiñ

    Interviews with:

    Lic Juan José Mendez Leon, Mayor of Santiago Matatlan and producer at Mendez Leon.

    Mtro Mezcalero Israel Perez Santiago, founder of Son de La luna Palenque.

    Jesus Jimenez Martinez, producer and cultural promoter at Mezcal Verde Cobre.

    Watch the official video “Canto a Matatlan” Lyrics and voice by Montserrat Franco, music by Carlos “Charly” Hernández and the Band Los de Matatlan.

    Listen “Canto a Matatlan” on Spotify

  • The Dominican Route: Ex-Convent and Temple of Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán

    The Dominican Route: Ex-Convent and Temple of Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán

    Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán in the Mixtec region, one of the destinations on the Dominican Route of Oaxaca, holds special significance this year as we commemorate the 500th anniversary of the order of preachers in Mexico.

    The Ex-Convent of Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán, sets like a citadel at the top of a former Mixtec temple.

    Montserrat Franco at the Santo Domingo Yanhuitlan temple and ex-convent
    Ex-convent of Santo Domingo Yanhuitlan

    The enormous Plateresque church is roofed with lofty Gothic star vaults and lined with gilded altarpieces, including the huge main retablo by the noted XVI century Sevillian artist Andrés de la Concha.

    Santo Domingo Yanhuitlan, retablo mayor
    The main retablo is one of the great masterpieces of Mexican art
    De Concha painted in the Mannerist style of the Andalusian school, noted for its subtly mellow colors. 
    Some of the 13 altarpieces across de temple are still in restoration process
    The paintings at Yanhuitlan are considered the earliest, the most complete, and the finest of De Concha’s Mexican art.
    The retablo of La Soledad

    The principal paintings have been identified as the work of Andrés de Concha, the celebrated painter, sculptor and designer from Seville who traveled to Mexico in 1568, under commission by the encomendero Gonzalo de Las Casas
    The mix of colonial styles from Plateresque to Churrigueresque.
    A retablo still under restoration at the Santo Domingo Yanhuitlan temple

    Painted stucco and stone reliefs decorate many sections of the church, whose broad underchoir is spanned by an intricately carved Moorish wooden ceiling.

    Angeles Pasionarios


    Among these treasures is a collection of painted wooden angels known as “Angeles Pasionarios,” belonging to the various colonial barrios of Yanhuitlan. As a tradition that has endured for centuries, the mayordomos (chiefs) of each cofradia take great honor and pride in dressing and displaying the angels during the procession.

    Angeles Pasionarios de Santo Domingo Yanhuitlan
    Passionate angels are exhibit at the Temple’s museum during the year, dressed and carried in procession during lent.

    On Good Friday these figures, adorned with wings and crowns and carrying the Instruments of the Passion, are borne in procession around the town.

    Each archangel has a name of Mixtec origin, representing each of the eight neighborhoods:

    • Daná / Dequedaná (crazy head)
      • Attributes: Staff and title
    • Yuxacóyotl (edge of the marsh)
      • Attributes: Hammer
    • Yuyusa (riverbank)
      • Attributes: Spear
    • Xayujo / Xayuco (at the foot of the mountain)
      • Attributes: Crown
    • Ticoó (marshland)
      • Attributes: Cross, cincture, and radiance
    • Tindeé (land of thorns)
      • Attributes: Ladder
    • Ayuxi (revered flower)
      • Attributes: Lily
    • Yuxayó (reed river)
      • Attributes: Nails

    The garments of these sculptures are safeguarded by eight Yanhuitlán families. These stewardships are passed down from generation to generation, with some records showing that they have preserved these religious objects for over 150 years.

    The Pipe Organ

    The magnificent pipe organ built around 1705 and is currently in use.

    Built by an unknown maker, likely between1705–1725.
    Restored in 1996-1998 by Pascal Quoirin, overseen by the Academia Mexicana de Música Antigua para Órgano (AMMAO).

    It is an 8’ stationary organ, featuring a 47-note keyboard (added in 1886).

    The Codex Yanhuitlán

    The codex was written by its inhabitants dated 1550 to 1570, to celebrate the agreement between chiefs, religious and encomendero, the document also intended to take stock of what had in taxes and tequitl work or the community to their new rulers. The original is currently in the special collections of the José María Lafragua Historical Library of the Autonomous University of Puebla.


    The Yanhuitlán Codex was made in the 16th Century in a different format: instead of using a typical folding document, it was made like an European Codex.
    The codex serves as a record of dynastic succession and political relationships among indigenous rulers and Spanish authorities.
    Codex Yanhuitlan: it is interesting how the Saints or Spanish figures appear always bigger in comparison to the natives of the land.

    If you go:

    Check the official INAH site for hours of operations and costs.

    References:

    Codice Yanhuitlan, estudio preliminar de María Teresa Sepúlveda y Herrera

    Frassani, Alessia. 2013. “The Convento of Yanhuitlan and its Altarpiece: Patronage and the Making of a Colonial Iconography in 16th-century Mixteca Alta.” Colonial Latin American Review 22 (1): 67-97.

    Terraciano, Kevin, 2001. The Mixtecs of Colonial Oaxaca, Nudzahui History, 16th-18th Centuries.Stanford: Stanford University Press.