{"id":6516,"date":"2018-11-25T22:26:44","date_gmt":"2018-11-26T04:26:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visitpatzcuaro.com\/item\/la-ruta-don-vasco-y-su-centro-interactivo\/"},"modified":"2025-12-22T16:53:45","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T22:53:45","slug":"la-ruta-don-vasco-y-su-centro-de-interactivo","status":"publish","type":"citadela-item","link":"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/en\/item\/la-ruta-don-vasco-y-su-centro-de-interactivo\/","title":{"rendered":"The Don Vasco route and its interactive centre"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7038 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/CIVAQ-1024x675-1.jpg.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"527\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 800px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 800\/527;\" data-smush-webp-fallback=\"{&quot;data-src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/villapatzcuaro.com\\\/visitpatzcuaro\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/CIVAQ-1024x675-1.jpg&quot;}\" \/><\/h3>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/h5>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"5\">The Don Vasco Route: The journey to the heart of Michoac\u00e1n<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"6\"><b>Following in the footsteps of the humanist who dreamed of a Utopia<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"7\" class=\"translation-block\">The missionary Vasco de Quiroga, affectionately known in our region as \"Tata Vasco\" (Father Vasco), is the central figure of one of Mexico's most beautiful cultural routes. Traveling the Don Vasco Route is not just tourism; it's about journeying through the land he loved, understanding the magnitude of his work, and experiencing the living heritage he cultivated in the Pur\u00e9pecha region.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"8\" class=\"translation-block\"><b>What is the Don Vasco Route?<\/b> It's an itinerary that encompasses the Lake P\u00e1tzcuaro region, the Pur\u00e9pecha Plateau, and the Ca\u00f1ada de los Once Pueblos (Canyon of the Eleven Towns). Its backbone connects three key cities: <a href=\"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/en\/loc\/morelia\/\" target=\"_self\"><b>Morelia<\/b><\/a> (the current capital), <b>P\u00e1tzcuaro<\/b> (Don Vasco's utopian capital), and <b>Uruapan<\/b>. Along this route, you'll visit Magical Towns like Tzintzuntzan, Santa Clara del Cobre, and Cuitzeo, offering an immersion in architecture, legends, folk art, and traditional cuisine.<\/p>\n<hr data-path-to-node=\"9\" \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"10\">The 6 Keys to Understanding the Legacy<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"11\">To be fascinated by Tata Vasco's work, one must understand its pillars:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"12,0,0\" class=\"translation-block\"><b>Utopia:<\/b> Don Vasco was inspired by the book <i>Utopia<\/i> by Thomas More (1516) to create his \u201chospital-villages\u201d, peaceful and just communities organized around work and faith.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"12,1,0\" class=\"translation-block\"><b>Arts and Crafts:<\/b> It specialized each town in a different craft (copper in Santa Clara, pottery in Cocucho, lacquerware in Uruapan) to promote trade and prevent unfair competition. Today, this organization is still active.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"12,2,0\" class=\"translation-block\"><b>Intense Life:<\/b> He arrived in New Spain when he was over 60 years old and worked tirelessly for another 30 years, founding more than 200 hospitals and defending the indigenous people.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"12,3,0\" class=\"translation-block\"><b>Spirituality and Art:<\/b> Chapels and decorated ceilings (coffered ceilings) not only decorate, but teach. Looking up puts you in a prayerful position.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"12,4,0\" class=\"translation-block\"><b>Social Organization:<\/b> Life revolved around the <i>Huat\u00e1pera<\/i> (hospital). Man was dignified through work, and travelers were cared for.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"12,5,0\" class=\"translation-block\"><b>Knowledge:<\/b> In 1540 he founded the College of San Nicol\u00e1s Obispo (now Michoacan University), the first higher education institution in America that admitted indigenous students.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr data-path-to-node=\"13\" \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"14\">Quick Guide: What you can't miss<\/h3>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"15\">\ud83d\udccd <a href=\"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/en\/loc\/patzcuaro\/\">P\u00e1tzcuaro (The Center of Utopia)<\/a><\/h4>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"16\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"16,0,0\" class=\"translation-block\"><b>Basilica of Health:<\/b> Where the mortal remains of the bishop rest.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"16,1,0\" class=\"translation-block\"><b>Former Jesuit College:<\/b> Home of the first School of Arts and Crafts.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"16,2,0\" class=\"translation-block\"><b>Janitzio Island:<\/b> The epicenter of the Night of the Dead, the ritual that best shows religious syncretism.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"17\">\ud83d\udccd <a href=\"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/en\/loc\/santa-fe-de-la-laguna\/\">Santa Fe de la Laguna<\/a><\/h4>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"18\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"18,0,0\" class=\"translation-block\"><b>First Hospital-Town:<\/b> Founded in 1533. Even today, the hospital is run by a family who diligently safeguard the tradition.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"18,1,0\" class=\"translation-block\"><b>Crafts:<\/b> Black glazed pottery with pastillage technique.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"19\">\ud83d\udccd <a href=\"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/en\/loc\/tzintzuntzan\/\">Tzintzuntzan (Place of Hummingbirds)<\/a><\/h4>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"20\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"20,0,0\" class=\"translation-block\"><b>Las Y\u00e1catas:<\/b> Ceremonial center of the Pur\u00e9pecha empire.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"20,1,0\" class=\"translation-block\"><b>Franciscan Convent:<\/b> With its centuries-old olive trees that, according to legend, were planted by Don Vasco himself.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"21\">\ud83d\udccd S<a href=\"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/en\/loc\/santa-clara-del-cobre\/\">anta Clara del Cobre<\/a><\/h4>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"22\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"22,0,0\" class=\"translation-block\"><b>Workshops:<\/b> Watch the artisans hammering copper, a technique perfected under Quiroga's guidance.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"23\">\ud83d\udccd Pur\u00e9pecha Plateau and <a href=\"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/en\/loc\/uruapan\/\">Uruapan<\/a><\/h4>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"24\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"24,0,0\" class=\"translation-block\"><b>La Huat\u00e1pera (Uruapan):<\/b> The place where Tata Vasco is said to have died, now converted into a museum.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"24,1,0\" class=\"translation-block\"><b>Nurio and Angahuan:<\/b> Architectural gems with decorated roofs and a viewpoint towards the <b>Paricut\u00edn Volcano<\/b>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr data-path-to-node=\"25\" \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"26\">\ud83c\udfdb\ufe0f About the Don Vasco Route Interpretation Centre<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"27\"><i>(Editor's Note: This space seeks to preserve the memory of a pioneering project)<\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"28\" class=\"translation-block\">Located in a former warehouse at the P\u00e1tzcuaro train station, the <b>Don Vasco Route Interpretation Center<\/b> was created. Designed not as a museum of display cases, but as an interactive, multimedia experience, its goal was to explain in a sensory way how Don Vasco's influence persists to this day. Through technology, it presented the Pur\u00e9pecha cosmogony, traditional cuisine, and crafts.<\/p>\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"29\">\n<li>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"29,0,0\" class=\"translation-block\"><i>Visitor Tip:<\/i> Before visiting, we recommend checking their current operating hours, as these may vary due to seasons or administrative changes.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>La Ruta Don Vasco: El viaje al coraz\u00f3n de Michoac\u00e1n Tras los pasos del humanista que so\u00f1\u00f3 una Utop\u00eda El misionero Vasco de Quiroga, conocido cari\u00f1osamente en nuestra regi\u00f3n como \u201cTata Vasco\u201d (Pap\u00e1 Vasco), es el eje de una de las rutas culturales m\u00e1s bellas de M\u00e9xico. Recorrer la Ruta Don Vasco no es solo [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6519,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","citadela-item-category":[391,465,689],"citadela-item-location":[392],"class_list":["post-6516","citadela-item","type-citadela-item","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","citadela-item-category-edificios","citadela-item-category-museos-sitios-arqueologicos","citadela-item-category-ruta-de-la-fe-y-el-arte","citadela-item-location-patzcuaro"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/citadela-item\/6516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/citadela-item"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/citadela-item"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6516"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/citadela-item\/6516\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"citadela-item-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/citadela-item-category?post=6516"},{"taxonomy":"citadela-item-location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villapatzcuaro.com\/visitpatzcuaro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/citadela-item-location?post=6516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}