OAXACA IN MEXICO, A CITY OF COLOUR


Oaxaca, nestled in the mountainous region of southern Mexico, is undoubtedly one of the country’s most impressive colonial cities. In a sunlit valley surrounded by the cloud-tipped peaks of the Sierra Madre, small villages specializing in folk art, form a ring of cultural excellence along Oaxaca’s perimeter.


In the city’s Historico Centro, colour dominates. The buildings in shades of French blue, orange, lime green, yellow ochre, sultry mauve and pink with windows covered with ornamental ironwork, create a Spanish style elegance.

Scarlet, magenta, gold, salmon pink, and creamy white bougainvillea spill in dense falls of blossom over high walls. Huge squat palms, tulip trees covered with brilliant flame coloured flowers, and jacaranda trees with clouds of mauve blossoms in spring time, line the roadways.

On the edge of the city, Monte Alban, an ancient and mighty archeological ruin was constructed five centuries before the birth of Christ. Its treasure comprising hundreds of gold and jade bracelets, necklaces, nose and earrings are now housed in the Centro Cultural de Santo Domingo.

Various artifacts in convents and monasteries erected at the time of the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, provide a glimpse into Oaxaca’s pre-Columbian past.

Posted by Anne Gordon on Saturday, 23rd October, 2010