Emiliano Zapata is one of the most outstanding heroes and most remembered by Mexicans, it is not for nothing that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced at his morning conference on April 5, 2022 that in his vote in the revocation of mandate consultation he will write the caption “Viva Zapata!” , moreover, the democratic exercise will take place on 10 April, the same date on which the revolutionary was assassinated.
The house where the so-called Caudillo del Sur grew up is located in the state of Morelos, specifically in the town of Anenecuilco that is located within the municipality of Ayala, where it grew.
This site houses the ruins of what was once the home of Zapata. It is a structure made of adobe that was later converted into a cultural space to preserve the memory of the Morelense.
The history of that place goes back years before Emiliano's arrival, since for a long time it was the roof of his parents, Gabriel Zapata and Cleofas Salazar. However, on August 8, 1879, a new member and future symbol of Mexican history would arrive, it should be noted that he was born on the day of “San Emiliano” and because his parents were very Catholic, they decided to give him that name.
In the building of clay and straw he grew up with nine other brothers, five women: Romana, Mary of Jesus, Mary of Light, Jovita, and Matilde; and four men: Peter, Celsus, Euphemius and Loreto. Emiliano was the second last to be born.
In the text Centenario Luctuoso by Emiliano Zapata 1919-2019 of the Chamber of Deputies it is mentioned that after the armed conflict of 1910 ended, many territories of the warlords were taken and then abandoned, something that happened with the Zapatista residence.
For a long time the site was in ruins, because over the years, the rains and the sun weakened the flimsy structure. Everything changed when federal government officials decided to create the Casa Zapata Museum on that site, in order to recover the exploits of the great character and tell the inhabitants interesting facts about his life and career as a revolutionary.
The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) founded it on August 1, 2006. The works were accompanied by reconstruction and refurbishment, as it was necessary to modify the space so that it could be converted into a cultural venue.
After the earthquake that shook the country on September 19, 2017, the museum was severely affected and, according to the National Cultural Information Network, the house had to be “subjected to an intense restoration program following the damage it suffered by the earthquake”.
Nowadays the place is already in perfect condition and is visited daily by all kinds of tourists who want to know more about Emiliano's life. In the facilities, objects of the leader are exhibited, his weapons, his saddle and his hat stand out, “and even the clothes he was killed in on April 10, 1919; it also has a classroom that houses a center for Zapatista studies, open-air auditoriums and a murals area.”
If you are a lover of this character, you can count on the joy of visiting his old home. In addition, there is a copy of the Ayala Plan, pre-Hispanic, colonial and Mexican Revolution-era pieces that were donated by descendants of the entity's revolutionaries.
The INAH details that the museum is divided into six rooms where Zapata's personal objects are displayed such as “photographs of his childhood, letters and documents. A documentary that tells the story of the revolutionary movement is also screened.” Finally, in Emiliano's house there are still four adobe walls that the Institute restored in early 2007.
The address is Calle Ayuntamiento 33, Anenecuilco, Morelos. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and admission costs $35 pesos, but on Sundays it is completely free.
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