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Post by Don Cuevas on Feb 27, 2009 1:10:03 GMT
Bixa asked me for pics of the ancient olive trees at the church in Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, Mexico. This one is a repost of one I put on another branch/sub-forum. Here's one of the churches on the same grounds.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 27, 2009 1:25:22 GMT
Oh, thank you ~~ I am thrilled to see these pictures!
If some of you can't tell from the top picture, an adult can easily fit into those spaces in the tree.
Don, you should tell the story of how they came to be planted there.
(gawd -- I love Michoacan!)
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Post by Don Cuevas on Feb 27, 2009 8:30:05 GMT
I'm not sure I have accurate info about the olive trees' origin, but as far as I know, they date back to missionaries or priests who had planted them, in defiance of Spanish law which prohibited the growing of olives (and vineyards) in Nueva España. How they got away with it, I don't know.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 27, 2009 17:22:32 GMT
Some background: The Purépecha, the native people of the area, were renowned for staving off the incursion of the Aztecs. However, the combination of Spanish cruelty and smallpox vanquished them. The mistreatment of the indigenous population by the first Spanish governor of the region, Nuño de Guzmán, was so appalling that he was recalled in disgrace. His replacement, Bishop Vasco de Quiroga, was a staunch advocate of rights for the indigenous, actually challenging the emperor Charles V in order to obtain these rights. He channeled the different villages of the area into developing distinct crafts to strengthen each economically, using his own money to help establish villages according to the Utopian model.
The story I heard was that the olive trees in Tzintzuntzan were planted by Tata Vasco (affectionate name, "Father Vasco", by which he is known). Apparently the Spaniards established olive groves all over Mexico which were later destroyed because they competed with the Spanish olive trade. The Father Vasco trees were spared because he'd planted them.
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Post by spindrift on Feb 27, 2009 18:36:59 GMT
When did Father Vasco live? Perhaps around 1750?
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 27, 2009 18:58:12 GMT
born @1470, died 1565. Spindrift, remember that the Spanish conquest of Mexico took place 1519-1521. de Quiroga became bishop of Michoacan in 1537. So, even if those trees were planted the year of his death, they'd be 444 years old! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasco_de_Quiroga
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Post by Don Cuevas on Feb 27, 2009 22:53:54 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 4, 2020 4:30:31 GMT
Resurrecting the second oldest thread in the Mexico board because I have something to add to it. I have a few pictures my sister gave me from a couple of our trips together. As far as we can figure, this trip to Michoacán was in 2003 or 2004. If some of you can't tell from the top picture, an adult can easily fit into those spaces in the tree. Adult in tree:
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Post by bjd on Jul 4, 2020 5:44:32 GMT
Is that you, Bixa? I can see you fit right into Mexico.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 4, 2020 7:17:09 GMT
It is obviously Bixa posing as la Virgen de Guadalupe.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 4, 2020 16:41:07 GMT
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Post by casimira on Jul 10, 2020 11:13:28 GMT
I meant to comment on this picture earlier when it was posted. That's such a great picture of you Bixa. It's been quite awhile since you had long hair and this pic reminds me of when you did. I love everything about this picture. I'm so glad you posted it. Do you recall when it was taken? I'm thinking it was likely when you and your sister were travelling around Mexico together.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 10, 2020 17:26:06 GMT
Awww ~ thank you! Up when I posted in #7 I said that the best guess is 2003 or 2004. I would love to go back to that area.
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Post by lugg on Jul 11, 2020 18:56:37 GMT
What a lovely photo of you Bixa .
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 12, 2020 5:08:05 GMT
What a lovely thing to say, Lugg ~ thank you!
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