0063 EL SALVADOR (Cabañas) - San Miguel Arcangel church from Ilobasco

Affectionately called Pulgarcito de America (the Tom Thumb of the Americas), El Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America, and the only one in the area that doesn’t have a significant African population, those more than 6 million inhabitants being mostly mestizos.

About Señorío of Cuzcatlán (The Lordship of Cuzcatlán), Mayans and Spanish conquistadors I will write when I will have a postcard with the pyramids of Tazumal or San Andrés. About very commendable but failed attempts to form a republic of Central American countries, when I will have a postcard with San Salvador. About Farabundo Martí and La matanza (The Massacre), when I will have a postcard from one of the provinces affected by the peasant uprising of 1932. About La guerra del fútbol (the Soccer War), when I will have a postcard from Honduras. About the civil war that devastated El Salvador 12 years (1980-1992), when I will have a postcard with Catedral Metropolitana de San Salvador (the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador), where was buried Archbishop Oscar Romero, killed by a member of the death squads. About volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, when I will have a postcard with one of many volcanoes of the Central America Volcanic Arc.

Now I have a postcard with ethereal Iglesia Parroquial San Miguel Arcangel (Parish Church Saint Michael Archangel) of Ilobasco, located 48 km northeast of the capital, San Salvador. The church building began in 1880 and lasted 8 years. The town celebrates its patron saint festivities on September 22nd to 29th in honor of San Miguel Arcangel.

But this town is best known for its pottery, made from local clays, which include the miniatures, no bigger than 2 inches tall. Of all, the most preferred ones are the sorpresas (surprises), small egg shaped figurines covered by a sort of cap that when opened reveal a daily activity of the town. Ilobasco is also known for its moliendas (production of dulce de atado).

Thank you, Guillermo, for this postcard, the first of my collection not only from El Salvador but also from America to the south of Rio Grande.

Hardly I have found some information about the stamps. The first belongs of the special set issued by Correos de El Salvador on June 7, 2011, with the occasion of celebrating the Bicentenario del Primer Grito de Independencia de El Salvador 1811-2011 (Bicentenary of the first cry of independence of El Salvador). On the 8 stamps of the series are presented iconic characters of El Salvador: the Priest José Matías Delgado, General Manuel José Arce, an allegorical image to the First Cry of Independence, photo of the Angel of Independence, and the bell of the church La Merced (the last one it's on the postcard). The paintings were completed between 1857 and 1959 by Chilean artist Luis Vergara Ahumada, who was advised by salvadorian historian Jorge Lardos y Larini.

The second stamp is also a commemorative one, issued on 2009 with the occasion of celebrating 150 years since the establishment of Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

The third I believe that is part of a series, Villa Palestine, dedicated to the improving of the quality of life and issued also in 2009.

sender: William Guillermo Romero Martinez (direct swap)