An
old grain storage building in Guanajuato City, Mexico
is The Alhóndiga de Granaditas (public granary).
This historic
building was created to replace an old granary near
the city's river. Its construction lasted from 1798
to 1809, by orders of Juan Antonio de Riaño
y Bárcena, a Spaniard who was the quartermaster
of the city during the Viceroyality of New Spain.
The
construction of this house is an interesting one.
Side entrance of the Alhóndiga measures 71
by 68 metres, with a height of 23 metres, and occupies
an area of 4,828 square metres. It is constructed
on the side of a hill and two of its sides are surrounded
by elevations, a consequence of the odd geography
in the city. There are no ornamental facets on the
exterior, except for a few windows
at the top of each storage room. It has cornices
built in a Doric style, constructed with two types
of regional stone-reddish and greenish. This gives
it a curious appearance, resembling a stronghold
or a castle, which it has come to be called by the
people of Guanajuato. In the interior, there is
a porch that leads to a spacious central patio.
The porch contains Tuscan columns and adornments.
There are two staircases that lead to the upper
floor. The Alhóndiga has only two access
doors, a small one facing the east, adorned by two
columns, and a large door of the same basic style,
facing the north. The edifice was used for the buying
and selling of wheat, corn, and other grains. Prior
to the Mexican independence from Spain, it was used
as a warehouse, military barracks, and prison. Currently
it serves as a regional museum.
The
interior protion of the Alhóndiga includes
two murals in the Alhóndiga. When Miguel
Hidalgo y Costilla's insurgent troops threatened
to take over this city during the Mexican War of
Independence, Riaño securer himself in the
Alhóndiga on 1810-09-28, along with many
other Spaniards and some rich criollos. Riaño
believed that the strength of the building and its
positioning would make it easy to repel the insurgents'
attacks. This belief held up at first, but soon
the insurgents surrounded the building and began
throwing rocks. Riaño died in this attack.
The insurgents decided to burn down the eastern
door to
be able to enter and attack their oppressors. The
man chosen to perform this task was Juan José
Martínez "El Pípila," an
extraordinarily strong local miner. He tied a large
flattened stoned to his back, to protect himself
from the bullet and rock storm expected once he
entered. He poured petroleum on the door and lit
it using a torch, it soon burnt down and they stormed
into the Alhóndiga led by Martínez.
Most of the people hiding in the building died.
At the end of the day, hundreds of bodies were burried.
The
four main participans-Miguel Hidalgo, Ignacio Allende,
Juan Aldama, and Mariano Jiménez were beheaded.
The four heads were humg from each of the Alhóndiga's
corners, to discourage other independence movements.
The heads remained hanging for ten years, until
Mexico had achieved its independence; after which,
they were taken to Mexico City and put to rest under
el Ángel de la Independencia.
