Alausí is a town in the

Chimborazo Chimborazo () is a stratovolcano situated in Ecuador in the Cordillera Occidental (Ecuador), Cordillera Occidental range of the Andes. Its last known Types of volcanic eruptions, eruption is believed to have occurred around AD 550. Although not ...

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

. The town is particularly well-known across Ecuador for its railway heritage. It was named a ''

Pueblo Mágico Pueblo refers to the settlements of the Pueblo peoples, Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, currently in New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. The permanent communities, including some of the oldest continually occupied settlemen ...

'' (magical town) by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR) in 2019.

History

During the Spanish conquest of Ecuador, the city was named by

Sebastián de Belalcázar Sebastián Moyano y Cabrera, best known as Sebastián de Belalcázar (; c. 1490 – April 28, 1551) was a Spanish conquistador. Belalcázar, also written as Benalcázar. He is known as the founder of important early virreinal cities in the northw ...

as ''San Pedro de Alausí'', giving the city the name of the saint of the day, coinciding with the founding of the city of

Quito Quito (; ), officially San Francisco de Quito, is the capital city, capital and second-largest city of Ecuador, with an estimated population of 2.8 million in its metropolitan area. It is also the capital of the province of Pichincha Province, P ...

. Later the founding of the city was legalized by Benálcazar with the name "Alausí". After the creation of the Government of Quito, Alausí formed part of that province as a lesser political and administrative entity. In 1810, when Quito launched its movement for independence, Alausí recognized the new government and named Captain José Antonio Pontón as its voice and member of the Junta. When the first assembly of the free towns took place in 1811, Captain José Antonio Pontón served as Representative for the Province of Alausí, in which capacity he signed the Carta de Estado de Quito in 1812. In recognition of its patriotism, fidelity, and honor of its inhabitants, the Bishop Cuero y Caicedo resolved that the town's political and administrative status be raised to "Villa".

Transport

Alausí is served by bus to many destinations in Ecuador. Alausi's bus station is located three blocks down from the train station, on 5 de Junio along the town’s main street. Buses to and from smaller towns run regularly. There are set schedules for more popular destinations, such as Quito, Cuenca and Guayaquil.

Alausí railway station Alausí railway station in Alausí, Chimborazo Province, is located on the only railway in Ecuador, which connects Quito in the north and Durán (a suburb of Guayaquil) in the south. It was opened in 1929. The railway reached Alausí on 8 Septem ...

is the starting-off point for the Nariz del Diablo train. This engineering work is among the most audacious projects realized in the Andean mountain range. Nariz del Diablo was the tomb of many Jamaican slaves contracted to dynamite the mountain. Tourists visiting the Ingapirca ruins in Cañar can board a bus heading for Cuenca. The ruins are about an hour and a half outside of Cañar.

Cityscape

Alausí is known for its architecture, and most of its houses are more than 100 years old. In Alausí, one finds various monuments located in the parks and important places in the city. Without doubt the most important is the Monument to Saint Peter (Monumento a San Pedro), the patron saint of the city, built by the Ecuadorian artist Eddie Crespo. This monument is located in Loma de Lluglli, and can be seen from any point in the city due to its large size and strategic location. The most important church in the city is "la Matriz", located in front of 13 November park (parque 13 de Noviembre). The church was constructed in the 18th century with stone extracted from the mines of Chiripungo, located about 2 kilometers outside of the city.

Festivals

Carnaval is the traditional festival of Alausí, and is celebrated with a special parade, in which the neighborhoods of the city and special invitees participate. The most important festival is the running of the bulls. Non-professional bullfighting and other festivals are also celebrated here. A testament to the Spanish influence in South America, the Festival of San Pedro is celebrated from June 22 to July 2, and has been celebrated since the colonial era. Traditional dance, music, folklore, cockfights, bullfights and other activities attract Ecuadorians and international tourists to the celebration.

Notable residents

* Bolivar Arellano (born 1944) Ecuadorian-American photographer and businessman

References