Esquipulas

The northern region and center of Esquipulas is located within the geographical area known as Region Ch'orti' people of Guatemala. Chorti culture and the Kingdom Payaki or Payaqui which was notable for leaving some of their old architectures developed within this municipality.[14]

The first settlers were descendants from Maya people of Copán (archaeological site) Copán, Honduras who came to these lands, shortly after they were forming groups or ethnic groups including ethnic Ch'orti ', these moved Esquipulas after leaving or moving of its ancient cities, this culture achievement develop for several years, even after of the Spanish conquest these were gradually disappearing from the municipality and moved to other municipality such as Camotan, Chiquimula and Jocotan, although they reached the Valley of Esquipulas, this culture is developed more in the villages Timushan and Chanmagua.[15]

Another ethnic group who lived in this municipality was ethnically Payaqui. The priest Topiltzín Axcitl or Nacxit was the founder of the Kingdom of Payaqui. The origin of this town, is located in the depths of the mystery of the cultura maya (the name Isquitzuchil´ appears in the history from the earliest times in 1000 BC).

Esquipulas Basílica in 1895.

After the arrival of the Spaniards to Guatemala from South Mexico in 1523, they reached Esquipulas in 1525, where they found the Chorti inhabitants. After the violent conquest, they imposed all non-believers the Catholic doctrine, settled South of the Valley of the Monte Cristo and founded the village of Yzquipulas there. They formed a system of streets that ran from the main church which was the Santiago parish until the main aqueduct of the city, they built two seater (now the central park of Esquipulas and the Plaza of the municipality).[15]

In 1525, the captains Juan Pérez Dardón, Sancho de Barahona and Bartolomé Becerra under the command of Pedro de Alvarado conquered the province of Chiquimula the saw, and as a result, the Catholic religion imposed on conquered peoples. In April 1530 the locals led by chieftains Copantl and Galel again revolted against the conquerors and as a result, Don Francisco de Orduña ordered the captains Pedro de Amalina and Hernando de Chávez that they leave from Mitlan to placate the rebellion in Esquipulas, who departed along with 60 Marines, 400 Allied Indians and 30 horses. The city was well entrenched that hindered the entry of the Spanish army, and after fighting for 3 days, the inhabitants of Esquipulas finally surrendered the city, most for peace and public tranquility, for fear of the Castilian arms, in the words of the Chief.[16]

The village of Yzquipulas village was founded by the Spaniards between 1560 and 1570, who lived peacefully with the Chorti people of the region. For beginning of the 18th century it was one of the most numerous Spanish communities according to the book of baptisms with a population of 198 people. A century later, the Spanish community reached the 851 inhabitants, representing this to 30% of the total community of Chiquimula who were attracted to the region by the fertility of the valleys.[17]

Esquipulan winners in the National Olympiad of Science (ONC) are various and Esquipulas has the largest share and the highest number of awards won. Participants go to various materials and are: mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, chemistry, physics and biology major, degrees from 1° to 3° basic or secondary and diversified.[19]

In 1956, Pope Pius XII erected the Prelature nullius for the Black Christ and established by the municipality of Esquipulas and the Santuario de Esquipulas Cathedral as its venue. The Archbishop of Guatemala, Monsignor Mariano Rossell y Arellano, was appointed the First Prelate of Esquipulas; one of the first concerns of Rossell y Arellano was to seek a religious order to take over the care of the sanctuary. Finally, he found support from the Benedictine Abbey of San José, located in Louisiana, USA. The order sent three monks in 1959 with the mission of founding the Benedictine Monastery of Esquipulas which is responsible for the care of the Basilica in the 21st century.

In 1961, Archbishop Rossell sent a request to Pope John XXIII, who, based in religious, cultural and historic shrine of Esquipulas raised to the rank of Minor Basilica. This Basilica is the only one that has been erected in Central America.

These two stones, one on top of the other in strange balance, have stood the test of time as well as historical earthquakes. They are not small at all: the upper stone is about the size of a regular sedan and together they reach a height of about three meters and a calculated weight of 50 tons. A legend in Esquipulas says that two friends became "compadres" (godfathers to the offspring of the other), but in spite of this sacred pact, one of them was carried away by desire and seduced the other's wife. They were turned into stone as punishment for their sins, left for all to see their forbidden desire for each other, among the whispering wind and swaying trees. On the other hand, traditional communities believe that the stones are a manifestation of divine powers, or materialization of divine will; therefore, the place is scene of sacred rituals, prayers, sacrifices and penances. The stones are blackened by the rituals performed there, often including a sacrificed, beheaded cock placed between candles.

The oral tradition dictates that it was in this place where Christ reveals the image of the famous sculptor Quirio Black Catano, creator of the famous statue venerated in Esquipulas.

Are located south of the city right next to the Basilica and one kilometer away from the road leading to Honduras, there are some hills which one was drilled in a cross lying north to south in the more margins of the Rio Chacalapa or Miracles. It is said that many went through all these places in search of a mine that salvation was to finance the work of the Basilica, but finally, up and down and doing tests, the savior was found, began drilling and operating silver mine that was a fact, when they needed was more like a miracle those deluded savior.

These caves were like a memory of that silver mine, which by its geographical location near the Basilica, they found there has been attributed to the miraculous Christ of Esquipulas, which is not true because the documents were later found which consists reliable that the image was burilado by the architect in Antigua Guatemala Quirio Catano, however many indigenous pilgrims from the West, with a mixture of Christian faith and traditions or beliefs, come to visit these caves, performing their own rituals, burn pon and candles, even money left within them.

The caves are within private land whose owner have taken advantage of the touristic value that they have, given the influx of pilgrims and the river that runs through the place. They installed the "Cuevas de las Minas" Ecological Park, which has a zoo with more than 25 species, and several modern amenities.

Chatun is an Adventure and Fun Park, where all features are intended to show the diversity of our natural resources and our customs and traditions, based on two pillars: adventure and nature.

The cathedral at Esquipulas was proclaimed a basilica in 1961 by Pope John XXIII, and in 1995, celebrating the 400th anniversary of the shrine, Pope John Paul II proclaimed it "the spiritual center of Central America." Every year, thousands of pilgrims from Guatemala, the United States, Mexico, Europe and other Central American countries flock to pay homage to the dark wooden image of the crucified Christ, the most revered Catholic shrine in the region.[21]

El Santuario de Chimayo, a major Roman Catholic pilgrimage site in Chimayó, New Mexico, United States, is closely linked with Esquipulas.

Esquipulas is famous for its Tierra Santa (Holy Earth) clay tablets that are purchased by the pilgrims during church festivals. The clay from the local deposits is cleaned and pressed into small cakes.[22] Such clay is also known as tierra bendita, or Tierra del Santo. The popularity of this clay is attested by the many names (for example, akipula, cipula, askipula, kipula) that are used for such medicinal clay tablets all around Central America. Pilgrims sometimes eat the supposedly curative clay, or they rub themselves with it.

Similar customs prevail at the sister shrine El Santuario de Chimayo in the US.

In 1987 the Trifinio biosphere reserve was created to protect the unique flora and fauna in the region.

The maximum beauty event in Esquipulas is "Miss Beauty of Esquipulas", formerly "Señorita Esquipulas", followed by the National Queen of the Independence Party. These events are the second most important beauty contests in the country after only "Miss Universe Guatemala".