Morelia

The colonial city of Morelia is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, and from its breathtaking architecture, it's clear to see why. Besides being the capital of the State of Michoacan – and the state's largest and most populated city, at that – it is also the seat of government institutions and the most prestigious higher education institute in the region: the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo (Michoacanan University of Saint Nicolas of Hidalgo). Since 2003, the Morelia International Film Festival has also been held each October and has featured renowned directors such as Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu, Quentin Tarantino, Pedro Almodovar, and Guillermo del Toro among others. All of this combines to make Morelia by far the most cultural city in Michoacan, offering its visitors a wide range of museums and art galleries, as well as cafés perfect for chatting over coffee while sharing pleasant moments. Like all cities, Morelia has stadiums, sports arenas, convention centers, colleges, restaurants and top-level hotels, as well as movie theaters and concert and entertainment venues. There are also activities for making the most of the natural wooded environment and for bringing you back to Mother Nature.

Human settlements in the Guayangareo Valley in which Morelia is located have been dated back as far as the 7th century. Artifacts found here have shown Teotihuacán culture influence on early cultures in this area. In the 12th century, the Tarascos or the P'urhépecha arrived in the valley. They dominated it politically for the rest of the pre-Hispanic period but did not build any major settlements here.

The Spanish pushed into the Guayangareo Valley between 1525 and 1526, headed by Gonzalo Gómez. In the 1530s, the area was evangelized by Franciscans such as Juan de San Miguel and Antonio de Lisboa. In 1545, Guayangareo gained city status from Charles V in 1545 with the name of Valladolid, after the hometown of Antonio de Mendoza.

The 17th century saw growth for Valladolid, with the construction of the cathedral and aqueduct. The cathedral was begun in 1640 (finished in 1744) and the aqueduct in 1657. During the 17th century, many of the city’s large churches and monasteries were established, such as the monasteries of San Francisco, San Agustin, El Carmen and La Merced as well as the convents of Las Rosas, Las Monjas and Capuchinas.

At the end of the colonial period, Valladolid was also an educational center with four important schools such as the College of San Nicolás. These schools would turn out scholars such as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and José María Morelos y Pavón, who were sympathetic to the new republican ideas coming out of post-revolution France and United States. Demonstrations against Spanish rule had been occurring in the town in 1809, culminating in the Conspiracy of 1809. This plot was discovered, with the main conspirators were arrested and sent to other parts of New Spain, which helped to spread republican ideas.

In 1828, the newly created state of Michoacán changed the name of the city from Valladolid to Morelia, in honor of José María Morelos y Pavón. The city became a municipality in 1831.

Weather
The climate here is between temperate and subtropical with medium humidity. Most precipitation falls during the summer rainy season. Average monthly temperatures are between 14 and 22°C, with maximum temperatures of 38.5°C in the early summer.