Peralvillo

Jorge Pedro Uribe Llamas

The capital residents tend to forget that Tlatelolco is originally a very large island, north of Tenochtitlan, which included several neighborhoods in pre-Hispanic times, among them Tepito, as well as a good part of Guerrero, Nonoalco, etc. Similarly, we often overlook, ungrateful or ignorant as we are, that the current colony Ex Hipódromo de Peralvillo, part of this island, initially functioned precisely as that: a racetrack. The land was purchased for this purpose by the gentleman Pedro Rincón Gallardo, Marquis of Guadalupe. This was just a year after the organization of the prestigious Jockey Club, on June 8, 1881, a time of particular interest in horse racing. We know that for the occasion, English horses and riders were brought in, and the inauguration was quite an event. Manuel Romero Rubio would have been around, not only because of his political kinship with Don Porfirio, but especially for being the first president of the club. Other prominent members would include José Yves Limantour, Tomás Braniff, and Ignacio Torres Adalid, among others. The first page, so to speak. It's a pity that this racetrack lasted so little. It must have been the location, or the gusts and dust typical of the area. Thus, in 1902, work began to build another one, the Condesa, which experienced greater success. But the lands acquired by the Marquis of Guadalupe were not going to be wasted, so they ended up being subdivided, starting in 1889, by the now owner, Carlos David de Gheest. By 1910, the Peralvillo Land Company, led by Ignacio del Villar, would continue urbanizing another couple of lands, known as San José and La Cuchilla or Los Cuartos, completing the current perimeter. The chronicler Rivera Cambas recounts that in this nascent urbanization there was a large number of inns and that in the tenement houses lived the last layer of the poorest population. Currently, if we wish to explore this popular-toned colony, it is advisable to do so from the building that houses the Indigenous Museum, the former Garita de Peralvillo. Then venture through the different streets named after musicians. Admire the mysteries or shrines that give name to the avenue. And, of course, enjoy a barbecue at El Borrego de Oro or some flautas at Magos, or take advantage of the rich snacks at the cantina La Gran Tenochtitlan, very close to a colonial vestige of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. Finally, a little pulque at La Tlaxcalteca to thank the Tlatelolca ancestors, and also those from the Porfirio era, why not.

Saturday, October 6, 2018.