Founded in 1577 by Spanish colonists, Saltillo is the oldest post-conquest settlement in northern Mexico. In 1824, the city was made the capital of the State of Coahuila y Tejas and included the area which is now the US State of Texas, and now is the capital of the Mexican state of Coahuila. It received various nicknames throughout the years, among which Las Atenas de Mexico (the Athens of Mexico), due to the great thinkers that it has given to the country, La Ciudad del Clima Ideal (The City of Perfect Climate), and La Tierra del Sarape (the Land of the Serape), since the Serape, one of the most representative and well-known articles of clothing from Mexico, originated here.
The Colonial Center of the city is built in pink marble, and the most prominent building is the cathedral, built between 1745 and 1800 and dedicated to the apostle Santiago el Mayor. It is the best example of colonial religious architecture in northeastern Mexico, with a spectacular churrigueresque facade, 6-inch thick doors of carved mahogany and cedar featuring St. Paul and St. Peter, and a stunning silver-plated altar. The Spanish symbolism of burying three gold coins as an offering in the construction of buildings was the basis of what today adorns its ceilings and walls. Devotion and fervor are brought together in the Stations of the Cross, from Belgium; the exquisite work of the antique pulpit; splendid paintings from the Viceroyalty and Colonial Periods like La Sagrada Familia and La Virgen de Guadalupe y sus apariciones, that reflect the artistic skill of don Jose de Alcibar. In front of the cathedral, in the midle of the Plaza de Armas (the Main Square), is La fuente de las Ninfas (the Fountain of the Nymphs).
This nice postcard was sent on December 12, 2012 (21.12.2012), the day in which didn't take place the end of the world.
About the stamp
The stamp, depicting a wooden crate, is part of the series México creación popular (Folk Art Mexico), about which I wrote here.
References
Saltillo - Wikipedia
Saltillo - Tourby Mexico
sender: Jaime De La Peña Perez (direct swap)
sent from Saltillo (Coahuila / Mexico), on 21.12.2012
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