The City Hall of El Fuerte is the most beautiful in the northwest of Mexico. It has neoclassical style architecture, built almost entirely of bricks and mix.
The magic town of El Fuerte is visited by hundreds of tourists from all over the world throughout the year.
The Plaza de Armas (or Barracks Square), the Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the archeological site of Cerro de la Máscara (or Mask Hill), are some of the most visited places.
Throughout the city, there are restaurants and hotels offering first class services.
One of the prettiest and with more tradition is Hotel Posada del Hidalgo
The construction of the Municipal Palace, an architectural gem, is owed to the Prefect Don Rafael J. Almada and to the Municipal President Don Francisco M. Torres who, with a very clear vision of the future for the region, took very firm steps requesting to the architect Luis F. Molina, as well as already had a wide reputation for his constructions in Culiacan. To design the blueprints; however, they were not approved by Don Rafael, who called the architect Francisco Salido, because he was a person of his trust and knew him since Alamos, Sonora, where he had developed several works of remarkable beauty, hiring a Don Manuel M. Castañeda too, who would be the Master Builder, of vast experience.
From the acquisition of the land until the completion of the magnificent construction, it spanned from 1903 to 1907. Along with the construction of the Municipal Palace of El Fuerte, the Plaza de Armas, or Garden, that was also a part of the project, embellished.
A kiosk was installed and, on the first century of the birth of Don Benito Juarez, his bust was placed on March 21st, 1906, with a cost of $6,000.00 pesos, the bronze bust was cast in Mazatlan.
The construction of the Municipal Palace, an architectural gem, is owed to the Prefect Don Rafael J. Almada and to the Municipal President Don Francisco M. Torres who, with a very clear vision of the future for the region
Moreover, the regal palace has been actor and witness to great events since its construction, beginning its functions at the end of the Porfirian regime and sheltering maderistas and constitutionalist revolutionaries.
In December 1909, poet and writer Enrique Gonzalez Martinez, arrived to the palace to serve as Prefect, the most prominent and brilliant authority El Fuerte has ever had throughout history.
However, it also had the privilege to have Don Emiliano Celso Garcia, who was a Deputy of the Constituent Congress, as well as a poet and journalist, as municipal president.
Nevertheless, the palace, apart from suffering the clashes of the revolution, after the revolt and once the country into to a peace process. The 400 anniversary of the city’s foundation celebrated in large, organizing expositions, concerts, among other cultural activities.
As the interior of the Municipal Palace is very big, a basketball court was built because this sport had a great boom and reached a high level standing out at a national level.
It was the golden era of basketball in El Fuerte, and the palace enjoyed the triumph of the citizens, its inhabitants.
The governor of Sinaloa from 1945 to 1950, General Pablo Macia Valenzuela, a native of El Fuerte, transferred the powers of the state to render a government report in the Municipal Palace of El Fuerte. In addition, this building also received Presidents of the Republic who admired its architectural beauty.
The governor of Sinaloa from 1945 to 1950, General Pablo Macia Valenzuela, a native of El Fuerte, transferred the powers of the state to render a government report in the Municipal Palace of El Fuerte. In addition, this building also received Presidents of the Republic who admired its architectural beauty.
In its offices and inner space, the town has expressed its different opinions of what happens there, it has heard reports and has fueled its hopes every swearing of new administrations, however, it has also enjoyed of great artistic expressions of all type of arts that the same town organizes or by support of the state and the federation.
In its walls, the extraordinary voice of the soprano Gilda Cruz Romo, symphonic orchestras or groups of medieval, rock, or modern music, beauty pageants, marching bands, and color guards, can be heard it.
This palace does not remain quiet by only being the center of municipal administration. No. Its function is diverse, and this constant activity has made it a true symbol and pride of the inhabitants of El Fuerte and Sinaloa; and it was one of the key works in order to be granted the appointment of Magic Town in July 2009.
Oh! However, there was not a lack of romanticism; there was a time when, in the central courtyard, great balls were organized during the November Fair.
There, courtships, marriages, disagreements, and disappointments were set up; treasons were plotted, escapes… And love commitments or healthy friendships were sealed.
That is why, elderly people can still be observed, upon entering the palace, they stop pensively and smile or sadden when they see the fountain at the quarry arcade.
The Palace is not only a pretty building to admire, it is something else: it has life of its own and it is a part of ours; by heart, it has a large mural painted by Manuel Ayala, a native from El Fuerte, where he summarizes the history of the municipality by brush and very illustrative scenes.
In addition, in case something livelier was missing, a platoon of swallows chose it as their permanent barracks; they fulfill their migratory mission and return promptly to their favorite Palace.
It was built with bricks because it is the union of the elements of nature: earth, vegetal, water and fire, and, the creative and transforming hand of men! The Municipal Palace of El Fuerte is a creation worthy of our cultural heritage, and the state and our country. .
Source: sinaloa360
The Mazatlan Post
