About Irapuato

Known as "“World Strawberry Capital"”, the city of Irapuato is located in the country's Bajio region and belongs to the State of Guanajuato. Its pleasant climate and strategic geographic location are two great advantages that have prompted the city's economic growth, mainly of its horticulture industry with an outstanding strawberry production, a product of export quality and extensively distributed throughout the world.

The "“place of houses or low rooms"” was originally inhabited by Chichimeca Indians, later, the Purépecha Empire arrived to start with the zone's sedentary settlements and finally the Tarasco Indians were the Iriquitzio city dwellers upon the arrival of the Spaniards.

The important mining villa of Guanajuato gave life to the new Irapuato settlement by handing over the zone's lands to the Spaniards Francisco Hernandez, Pedro González and Jerónimo Jiralde in 1556. (Popular tradition wrongly identifies the 15th of February 1547 as the date of the settlement's foundation). Years later, in 1594 it obtained the title of villa under the new name of San Luis in honor of then Spanish Viceroy Luis de Velasco "“El Joven"”.

During that time, its geographic location as a crossroad to Mexico City earned it the venue of the General Spanish Barracks of the Bajio, as well as of the Military Commanders Liñan and Iturbide.

With the start of Mexico's Independence, insurgents Miguel Hidalgo and Allende passed through the city on their way to Guanajuato, receiving a lively welcome by Irapuato's citizens.

In 1826, the Congress of the Union declared the creation of the sovereign and independent State of Guanajuato and the Villa of Irapuato became registered in its jurisdiction. Afterwards, on the 18th of November 1893 it was raised to a city category.

The second half of the XIX century is an era of great changes and advances in Irapuato's society because besides overcoming numerous floods and droughts suffered by horticulture fields, the population had to recover from two great epidemics, one of cholera and the other of typhoid that considerably diminished the number of inhabitants. Simultaneously, it began the publication of three important newspapers and one typographic magazine, the first Municipal Crafts Exhibit and the first Irapuato Annual Fair.

Irapuato has an excellent communication and transport infrastructure with great highways to Mexico City, Guanajuato and other great capitals in the country. Additionally, it is only 25 minutes away from the International Airport of Bajio; besides having one train station in the city.

The city's greatest tourist attraction is its beautiful and recently renovated Historic Center, where you can tour along the Main Garden and sit on the benches of Plazuela Miguel Hidalgo to enjoy a great outdoor regional music concert; or attend one of the region's most beautiful shows by Fuentes Danzarinas.
 

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