After a very good Mexican breakfast in a restaurant on the Jardine, we set off in search of adventure. We found our way to the Funicular or incline railway that takes passengers up to the Monumento A El Pipila and it’s spectacular views of the city.
El Pipila is the miner who enabled the Revolutionaries to take the granary (Alhondiga) where the occupying Spanish had barricaded themselves when Hidalgo’s rag tag army of 20,000 poorly armed peasants marched into Guanajuato on September 28, 1810. The Spanish were entrenched in the granary with plenty of food and water and, since Hidalgo had no artillery, could have held off the attack for some time. El Pipila strapped a slab of stone to his back and with Spanish bullets raining down on him, carried a torch and pitch to the front of the stronghold and set the massive wooden door ablaze. This allowed the Alhondiga to be stormed and the Spanish occupiers to be killed. The inscription on the base of his monument says, “Aun hay otras Alhondigas por incendiar” or, “There are still other Alhondigas to burn”.
Here is the monument viewed from town. The blue building part way up the hill is where we are going for dinner tonight. It is atop a steep set of stairs that will develop an appetite for the fine Italian fare that it is famous for!
No comments:
Post a Comment