Santa Clara del Cobre: Copper Art and History

Santa Clara del Cobre combines a strong copperworking tradition with a historic townscape. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, you can base your choice on different interests: the craftsmanship, its history, or the town’s architecture. The Museo Nacional del Cobre, workshops, and the historic district each offer a distinct focus. The Feria Nacional del Cobre also brings these themes together with music, parades, and craft exhibitions.

Copper Craftsmanship in the Museum and Workshops

At the Museo Nacional del Cobre, you can watch copper pieces being made live through every required step. The museum also presents the history and tradition of copperworking, from the early work of Purépecha artisans to nationally award-winning pieces. The Premio Nacional de Ciencias en Artes y Tradiciones Populares is also housed in the museum. It was awarded to the artisans of Santa Clara del Cobre for their creativity in hammered copper art and their high standing in Mexico and around the world.

You can get another glimpse of the craft by visiting workshops. There, a traditional copper-smelting process is demonstrated in a furnace set into the ground; it has changed little since its beginnings. Techniques used in Santa Clara del Cobre include hammering, repoussé, and chasing, as well as the more recent methods of silver plating and enameling. The portales in the historic district are also used to display and sell crafts, particularly folk copper art. Together, the museum, workshops, and portales show the different contexts in which copperworking is present in the town.

Historic Architecture and Local History

The historic-monument zone comprises 26 city blocks with buildings dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries; preserving it as a whole is in the national interest. Around the main square, buildings have portales with stone bases and structures supported by wooden pillars. Santa Clara del Cobre is also characterized by pitched roofs with wooden structures and red clay tiles. If you are interested in the town’s built heritage as well as copperworking, the square, portales, and roof forms offer a distinct way to explore its history.

The history of the craft also goes back a long way: copper was known and worked here as early as pre-Hispanic times. Archaeological studies provide evidence of this in the form of ornamental objects and fragments of smelting slag, known regionally as “querenda.” At the beginning of the 17th century, a Royal Foundry administered by the Spanish Crown was also established in Santa Clara del Cobre.

Further historical connections can be found at religious and literary sites. The founding of the Templo de la Huatápera is attributed to Bishop Vasco de Quiroga. Local Catholic devotional objects are kept there, as well as in the parish church of the Purísima Concepción de María and the parish church of Nuestra Señora del Sagrario. Santa Clara del Cobre is also the literary setting where the famous protagonist of José Rubén Romero’s 1938 novel “La vida inútil de Pito Pérez” was born.

The Feria, Regional Cuisine, and Surrounding Landscape

The Feria Nacional del Cobre features family activities, traditional dances, music, parades, and craft exhibitions. The regional cuisine at the Feria includes the traditional Torta de Tostada, prepared in copper ovens with charcoal. If you would like to plan your trip around the Feria, check the specific event dates before booking your hotel.

The nearby surroundings offer a different attraction: Lake Zirahuén, surrounded by forests of pine, oak, and strawberry trees.

Discover more destinations: Tacámbaro De Codallos, Las Cruces, Senguio, Pátzcuaro, Pastor Ortiz, Jiquilpan, Lagunillas, Zitácuaro

See the main travel overview: Michoacán.