Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines

Brief Synthesis The cultural landscape of the Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines comprises a superb collection of Neoclassical and Baroque buildings as well as the industrial infrastructure for an extensive silver mine all set in a remarkable landscape of hills and deep winding valleys at an altitude of 2,084 metres. In the mid-16th century, Spaniards discovered rich outcrops of silver in the hills of Guanaxhuata in central Mexico. They built four fortifications at Marfil, Tepetapa, Santa Anna, and Cerro del Cuarto to protect their mines. These forts formed the nuclei of the historic town whose urban evolution was dictated by the rugged topography. Unlike many colonial towns in the region that were laid out on a grid pattern, Guanajuato became a sprawling town stretching along the narrow winding valley exhibiting a remarkable adaptation of its layout to topography in the organization of its narrow streets, gardens, piazzas and buildings and subterranean streets. Additional infrastructure was built for water management particularly to in response to major flooding in the late 18th century. By the 18thcentury, Guanajuato had become the world’s largest silver-extraction centre and the impressive Baroque buildings like the Teatro Juárez, Hidalgo Market and the Alhondiga de Granaditas reflected its wealth. The churches of La Compañia (1745-1765) and La Valenciana (1765-1788) are considered to be masterpieces of the Mexican Churriguesresque style. The property covers 190 hectares and includes the urban area of Guanajuato as well as evidence of its industrial heritage such as the “Boca del Infierno” a mineshaft that plunges 600 metres. The industrial past is also reflected in its intangible cultural heritage. The area’s distinctive traditions have developed through a unique contribution of residents of the area, a combination of indigenous nomadic tribes and Spanish settlers all influenced by various religious orders, Criterion (i): Guanajuato possesses several of the most beautiful examples of Baroque architecture in the New World. The churches of La Compañía (1745-1765) and above all La Valenciana (1765-1788) are masterpieces of the Mexican Churrigueresque style. In the field of the history of technology, Guanajuato may also pride itself on unique artistic achievements such as the ‘Boca del Infierno”’, a 12 metres in diameter that plunges a breathtaking 600 metres. Criterion (ii): The influence of Guanajuato was felt in the majority of the mining towns of northern Mexico from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Though more modest due to the tardy appearance of the process of industrialisation, Guanajuato’s place in world technological history is nonetheless far from negligible. Criterion (iv): Guanajuato is an outstanding example of an architectural ensemble that incorporates the industrial and economic aspects of a mining operation. Just as the major 18th century hydraulic works are inextricably linked to an urban topography determined by the confines of the river path and mineral outcrops, so the Baroque buildings are directly linked to the wealth of the mines. The church of La Valenciana and the Casa Rul y Valenciana were financed by the most prosperous mines. The more modest operations of Cata and Mellado also boasted churches, palaces or houses located near the mines or in the town. Criterion (vi) : Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines is directly and tangibly associated with world economic history, particularly that of the 18th century. Integrity The Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines is a cultural landscape defined by its industrial past and surrounding topography. The 190-hectare property contains the historic town, with Baroque and Neoclassical monuments, as well as significant industrial elements related to the silver mines. The cultural landscape also includes the roads and bridges, tunnels, an underground river and other natural elements. The integrity of the historic town, in particular its layout and scale within the river valley, is threatened by population growth and the resulting urban pressure. New buildings, such as high rises and development in the upper part of the valley, threaten the overall characteristic of the landscape. The growth of the tourism industry is also likely to have a negative impact and threaten the integrity of the historic town if it is not carefully managed. Authenticity The surviving form of the historic town reflects its origins, based on the four original forts and on a formal urban plan, as well as its growth, dictated by topography in a winding valley. The city’s present economy is still in part dependent on the ongoing mining operations. Major Baroque style buildings have been preserved and serve as witnesses to the city’s former wealth and influence. The city retains an intangible heritage in its unique mixture of customs and traditions developed by the migration of people from other regions. Protection and management requirements Ownership of properties in the historic town is under a mixture of public ownership though the federal government and the municipality as well as private citizens. Deterioration to the city’s rich cultural heritage prompted the authorities’ concern resulting in the establishment of various laws and regulations for cultural heritage preservation and to prevent irreversible destruction. The 1953 law to protect the historic town was one of the first such laws in the country. Moreover, since 1982, protection for the historic town is the responsibility of Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (INAH) under the Ministry of Public Education. Moreover, the national Ministry for Urban Development and Environmental Protection, which is responsible for urban growth and development, collaborates with the State of Guanajuato through a 1953 law for the protection and conservation of the City of Guanajuato. The establishment of a school of architecture with an institute of restoration in the 1960s has provided assistance with certain local projects. Conservation efforts include reforestation of the hills surrounding the town as well as the preservation of the urban core with its Baroque buildings along with Neo-classical monuments from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Currently there is a need to create a multidisciplinary working group to address the site’s requirements, implement the city’s management plan, and establish guidelines to control the growth and change. A proposed extension to the buffer zone around the 190-hectare inscribed property is currently under review.