Chalchuapa | |
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  Chalchuapa Location in El Salvador | |
| Coordinates: 13°59′N89°41′W / 13.983°N 89.683°W | |
| Country |  El Salvador |
| Department | Santa Ana Department |
| Population (2005) | |
| • Total | 72,728 |
Chalchuapa is a town and a municipality located in the Santa Ana department of El Salvador. The city of Chalchuapa is in a wide valley at 650 meters above sea level, and watered by the Pampe River.
It is situated 15 kilometers west from Santa Ana city, in the valley of Cuscachapa. The 'El Trapiche' pool is in the countryside of the city, filled with fresh and transparent waters; and the Mayan structure of Casa Blanca, which exhibits the rock on which General Justo Rufino Barrios from Guatemala was fatally wounded and murdered in the bloody battle of April 2, 1885. It also possesses an old-fashioned church of pure colonial style. It is a beautiful architectural jewel consecrated to the patron of the city of Santiago Apostol whose lyric representation on horseback crowns the dome of the Catholic Church.
Chalchuapa, which in Nahuatl means 'Río de Jadeitas' or Jade River, was the most remarkable emporium of the civilization of the Pok'omames, town of the Mayan-quiche or Mayan family. It also constitutes some of the most important archaeological areas of the country, with five ceremonial centers: Tazumal, Pampe, Trapiche, Casa Blanca, and Las Victorias; also, Cuzcachapa Lagoon. These pre-Columbian vestiges are scattered in an area of 6 square km.
The ruins of Tazumal include a main pyramidal structure 23 meters in height (the inferior structures are still buried) located in a block and forming two truncated pyramids to the west. It has eight pilasters with chiseled figures. Northernmost, there are other complex constructions and a memorial dance ground with ladders. The 'Ball Game' field, almost totally destroyed, used to be located in the current cemetery area.[ citation needed ]
On the western flank of Ku or Teocali, there is a monolith carved in basaltic rock called “Estela de Tazumal” 2.65 meters high and 1.16 meters wide. It represents a richly adorned character, showing on the side hieroglyphical inscriptions that are possibly chronological, but different from the classical of the Mayan culture.
An important battle took place in Chalchuapa on April 2, 1885. Guatemalan President Justo Rufino Barrios died during this battle.
Coordinates: 13°59′N89°41′W / 13.983°N 89.683°W
Capital: Santa Ana | ||
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Justo Rufino Barrios Auyón was a Guatemalan politician and military general who served as President of Guatemala from 1873 to his death in 1885. He was known for his liberal reforms and his attempts to reunite Central America.
José María Reyna Barrios was President of Guatemala from 15 March 1892 until his death on 8 February 1898. He was born in San Marcos, Guatemala and was nicknamed Reynita, the diminutive form, because of his short stature.
El Mirador is a large pre-Columbian Middle and Late Preclassic Mayan settlement, located in the north of the modern department of El Petén, Guatemala. It is part of the Mirador-Calakmul Karst Basin of northern Guatemala.
Manuel Lisandro Barillas Bercián was a Guatemalan general and acting president of Guatemala from 6 April 1885 to 15 March 1886 and President from 16 March 1886 to 15 March 1892. He was born in Quetzaltenango, and assassinated in Mexico City in 1907.
The Torre del Reformador is a 71.85 meter (236 ft.) tall steel framework tower in Zone 9 of Guatemala City. The tower was built in 1935, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Justo Rufino Barrios, who was President of Guatemala and instituted a number of reforms. The basic shape of the structure resembles the Eiffel Tower. It was originally constructed with a bell on its top, which in 1986 was replaced with a beacon.
Andrés del Valle Rodríguez was President of El Salvador from February 1 until May 1, 1876.
San Pedro Sacatepéquez is a city, with a population of 49,589, and a municipality in the San Marcos department of Guatemala. The municipality covers an area of 114 km2 at an altitude of 2330 metres and has a population of 79,158.
Tazumal is a pre-Columbian archeological site in Chalchuapa, El Salvador. Tazumal is an architectural complex within the larger area of the ancient Mesoamerican city of Chalchuapa, in western El Salvador. The Tazumal group is located in the southern portion of the Chalchuapa archaeological zone. Archaeologist Stanley Boggs excavated and restored the Tazumal complex during the 1940s and 1950s.
Cuzcatlan was a pre-Columbian Nahua state confederation of the Mesoamerican postclassical period that extended from the Paz river to the Lempa river ; this was the nation that Spanish chroniclers came to call the Pipils or Cuzcatlecos. No codices survive that shed light on this confederation except the Annals of the Cakchiquels, although Spanish chroniclers such as Domingo Juarros, Palaces, Lozano, and others claim that some codices did exist but have since disappeared. Their Nawat language, art and temples revealed that they had significant Mayan and Toltec influence from the ties they had with the Itza in Yucatan. It is believed that the first settlers to arrive came from the Toltec people in central Mexico, mostly Puebla during the Chichimeca-Toltec civil wars in the 10th century AD.
Once Lobos Chalchuapa, commonly known as Once Lobos, is a professional Salvadoran football club based in Chalchuapa, Santa Ana, El Salvador.
Casa Blanca is a pre-Columbian Maya archeological site in Chalchuapa, El Salvador. The site possesses several pyramids dating to the Late Preclassic period and the Classic period. This ruin is part of the Chalchuapa archaeological zone and displays influences from the Olmecs and from Teotihuacan. It is closely related to the ruins of Tazumal and San Andrés. The government purchased the park in 1977 and it was given the name of the coffee plantation upon which it was situated. There are many pyramids at Casa Blanca but only two have been partially restored. Casa Blanca is located in the department of Santa Ana. Casa Blanca has been closed to the public and is undergoing restoration work; it has a site museum with exhibits that include Maya ceramics and other artifacts.
Ramón Rosa Soto was a prominent lawyer, journalist, politician and liberal writer of the second half of the nineteenth century. He was the ideologue of educational changes of Liberal Reform in Guatemala and then in Honduras. He served as Principal Minister during the rule of his cousin, Dr. Marco Aurelio Soto and was associated with Soto's mining investments.
Tourism accounts for a large part of El Salvador's economy. El Salvador has many natural attractions including beaches with some of the best surfing breaks on the Pacific Coast. El Salvador offers many lush forests shrouded in cool temperatures with abundant wildlife and scenic mountain-top vistas. El Salvador also has great potential in the field of cultural tourism; with over 2,000 known archaeological sites, mostly of the Maya and Olmec cultures. These sites are of international interest for their easy access and well preserved remains.
The Guatemala City General Cemetery was built in 1880, during general Justo Rufino Barrios presidency. Ruined by 1917-18 earthquakes, it never recovered its old splendor; originally it was exclusive for the elites and presidents, but gradually the eight Mayan hills that form it were invaded without any urban plan, like what happened with Guatemala City itself after the 1917–18 and 1976 earthquakes.
Juan Martín Barrundia Flores was a military officer and liberal politician from Guatemala. He was the son of the influential liberal leader José Francisco Barrundia. Barrundia was appointed as Secretary of War during the constitutional presidential term of general Justo Rufino Barrios, until the violent death of Barrios, on 2 April 1885. After the president's death, Barrundia was hoping to reach the presidency, but was outsmarted by general Manuel Lisandro Barillas, governor of Quetzaltenango who became president instead.
Francisca Aparicio, 1st Marquis of Vistabella was the First Lady of Guatemala between 1874 and 1885, performing the state duties required for the post. After her husband's death, she moved with her seven children to New York City and was well known for her entertainments. In 1892, she married a Spanish parliamentarian and moved to Europe, where her children were educated. Two paintings of her, painted by Francisco Masriera y Manovens are in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. When she was 14, she married Justo Rufino Barrios and immediately became the first Guatemalan First Lady in history to take office.
Central American reunification, sometimes called Central Americanism, is the proposed political union of the countries of Central America, which had historically occurred during the existence of the Federal Republic of Central America. It is distinct from the Central American integration process, which is a diplomatic initiative similar to that of the European Union.
The Battle of Coatepeque was a battle fought between the forces of El Salvador and Guatemala from 22 to 24 February 1863.
The Battle of Chalchuapa was a battle between the military forces of El Salvador and Guatemala from 1–2 April 1885. Guatemalan President Justo Rufino Barrios was killed during the battle.
Barrios' War of Reunification was a war initiated by President Justo Rufino Barrios of Guatemala. His goal was to reunify Central America with himself as President. He died in battle on 2 April 1885 and peace was reached on 14 April.
