Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/28575
PUEBLA continued Te layout of the city is of classic Spanish design, centered on a main plaza, called the Zocalo. By the mid-16th century, water was brought in to the main plaza to a newly installed fountain and a new Cathedral begun in 1575. Its favor- able climate and strategic location helped the city to prosper, quickly becoming the second most impor- tant city in New Spain. Rather than gold and silver, its riches were in agriculture, textiles and cattle and it continued to prosper. Of all the places we’ve visited, Puebla is most like a Spanish city. Its Cathedral de Los Angeles’ mag- nificent interior is similar to those we visited in Toledo and Seville. But all was not peaceful in Puebla. During the French inter- vention in Mexico on 5 May 1862 in the Battle of Puebla, defending Mexican forces defeated the French army considered to be the most powerful in the world at the time. Every year Puebla celebrates the defeat of invading French troops and although celebrated in the United States, this holiday is not widely observed in other parts of Mexico. From 1931 until the end of the 20th century, growth of the city spurred the absorption of surround- ing municipalities and in 1977, the federal government declared the city as a Zone of Historical Monu- ments. In 1987, the historic center of Puebla is declared a World Her- itage Site by UNESCO. Each day we learned more about this fascinating city and its history. Te historical and cultural value of Puebla's architecture are major reasons the city was chosen as a World Heritage Site. Various styles 50 DISCOVER HOLLYWOOD / SPRING 2011 ABOVE: The Casa de Alfeñique is named for the intricate mortarwork that covers its facade. Alfeñique is a kind of sugarand almond candy. RIGHT: The intricately carvedand gilded Chapel Del Rosario is located in the Church of Santo Domingo and is awonder to behold. and techniques such as Baroque, Renaissance and Classic are repre- sented here in over 5,000 buildings. Te historic center is filled with churches, monasteries, mansions and the like, mostly done in gray cantera stone, red brick and deco- rated with multicolored tiles. Puebla is also considered to be the “cradle of Mexican Baroque” both in architecture and in the decorative arts, and one of the five most im- portant colonial cities in Mexico. During the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, Puebla remained important culturally and economically. It had a thriving textile industry at this time. Immigration from Europe was encouraged and people from Spain, Italy, Germany