The Old Hacienda of Peñuelas

MRSM Arq. Jorge Guadalupe Villanueva

The estate and its architectural complex are composed of two main groups; the first is the old core, meaning what was formed from the 16th century to almost the 18th century. During the middle part of the 18th century to the 20th century, the estate was transformed and new spaces were established that didn't exist before. Let's start with the main house, the large courtyard, the large sunning area, then it became an important area related to the temple. With the formation of the temple since it is one of the most important elements of this architectural group. Subsequent to it are the granaries, the pastures, the dam area. Two dams are built and uh something very important, the commercial part. It was the part of the inns where inns were spaces where all those who traveled along the royal road were received. They stayed at that inn, they were assisted, given food, and shelter for animals and protection. And finally, there is the formation of a group or a collection of residential houses, which is the prototype uh of a peasant house. This is particularly because in the 19th century, for the first time in the central part of our country, well, a peasant prototype of worker housing was established. What does this mean? There will be two elements, some houses that are practically 70 square meters related to the people, the laborers who work in the main house. And then there will be another collection that are about 110 square meters which relates to staff who essentially work in the main house and also with the professions or the regimes in which they are

MRSM Arq. Jorge Guadalupe Villanueva

The Royal Road in Aguascalientes, practically since its beginnings in the 16th century, had been established largely along the edge of the rive. This is important because this route heading northward in the country essentially starts and establishes the large estates that make up the state. Essentially, Peñuelas is the first point of contact between Jalisco and Aguascalientes. And it is practically the place where the two paths meet, both the road from Guadalajara and the road from Mexico City. Once they reach the town of Aguascalientes, then there's a change in route. Researchers have considered that the true path is the one that crosses straight north, but actually, it's not. The path essentially turns eastward and reaches the community of Bocas, now known as Santa María de Gallardo. Subsequently, it moves northward and reaches Ciénega Grande. From there, it concludes at Asientos and essentially crosses the border into the state of Zacatecas.

Oscar García Verdín

ind: captions The Todos Bravos livestock farm was established in 1921 when Don Miguel Dos Santos Raúl married the sole heir of the Hacienda de Peñuelas. From there, it is said that the breeding of bulls, of brave cattle, began, which is named Venadero Peñuelas because two families united, and a crest was created with "VP" for the cattle brand.

MRSM Arq. Jorge Guadalupe Villanueva

Peasant housing, this is a very interesting example nationally because it essentially establishes two types of housing for the workers or peasants according to their profession. In the first type, obviously those of lower skill or rank will inhabit spaces that are practically 70 square meters. Whereas the skilled workers or peasants or people with other roles within the organization of the Estate will live in spaces that are more towards the south, which are about 110 square meters. This is important because it relates to the architectural arrangement of each space and the interaction among families to ensure that the architectural project of the area is obviously maintained and prevails. It will obviously merge with the inn area, which also gives it significant importance as it separates, let's say, class A and class B along with the inns that essentially distribute the flow of the Royal Road in front of the estate.

Oscar García Verdín

Well, regarding the trades, in terms of people, my boss used to say that there were workshops, not just workshops, but ones for cart repairs, rope-making, carpentry. And, what's it called, for providing service to what was essentially the transport, the movement of carts and horses, I think there were even blacksmiths for shoeing the horses.

MCPA Arq. Iván Israel Sánchez

Discussing the temple of the Immaculate Conception at Hacienda de Peñuelas is to discuss one of the great examples of religious architecture in the state of Aguascalientes. Its layout, which is through a Latin cross with a long axis and a short axis, also speaks to the religious beliefs and building traditions of the 19th century. This temple was constructed in the mid-19th century, between 1847 and 1854, indicating a transition between styles, namely neoclassicism and eclecticism. A key aspect of the temple is the involvement of architect Refugio Reyes Rivas, a Zacatecan master builder who later resided in Aguascalientes. He was one of the major architects in the state. His influence is seen in the finishes, the integration of a marble cypress brought from Europe, and other decorative elements we can see in the building. So, when we talk about the temple at Hacienda de Peñuelas, we are referring to one of the great examples of religious architecture in the state.

Gabriela López Sigala

Well, contemporary weddings, all couples, all fiancés, want to get married here in the temple, not just because of the architecture, because it's very beautiful. The wedding would usually take place with the mass on Sundays at 2 pm. The priest only authorized that time and day for it. So the mass was at 2 pm, the couple would arrive, get married, and upon exiting the temple, it was customary in more recent times to have a mariachi band outside welcoming the newlyweds. Some songs were sung and after that, we were allowed to go to the garden to take the official wedding photographs of the couple.

MCPA Arq. Iván Israel Sánchez

Regarding the architecture of the main house, well, it's also of large dimensions and has significant architectural features. We'll find through its three courtyards, different construction periods and stages ranging from the 16th to the 19th century. Well, we'll find this mix of styles, including Baroque, Neoclassicism, even Eclecticism, and the presence of remnants still showing the influence of the railroad. It's important to mention that the main house or Hacienda de Peñuelas donated land for the construction of a railroad station. This speaks to the economic and social importance and productivity, of the entire estate within Aguascaliente, not just locally, but also regionally, through this communication initially via the Royal Road of the Interior, and then later through this new mode of communication, the railroad.

Gabriela López Sigala

Well, when I was a child, a long time ago, we had vacations from elementary school, and I, in particular, would come to visit my grandmother every holiday. During that season, Mrs. Raquel, along with her sisters, would invite us to go on walks, they would walk to the hill and the hill of the roosters, and we would accompany them. We would get up at 7 in the morning and wait outside the main house because we weren't allowed inside the main house. We waited there and then walked to the hill. They would leave us at a point so we wouldn't get too tired because we were children. And they would walk, maybe 1 kilometer, 2 kilometers further up, we would wait there playing, and when they came back, we would return with them. When we came back, they sometimes gave us the opportunity to go into the main house, to play with the rocking chair that is there in the entrance. And it was nice because at the end of the day we would finish the vacation season and they would give us a gift. I remember they gave us, I don't know, chocolates, notebooks, some crayons, I don't know. And that was nice because we had, in some way, uh, this interaction with them, as we, seeing them from the outside, couldn't enter, couldn't be with those people, felt special.

Oscar García Verdín

One would enter the main house from childhood, you know, when one entered accompanied, one's father would take him to do repairs, like since my father was a carpenter, he fixed doors, any furniture that was squeaking, we accompanied him and it was an opportunity to go with him inside to the bedrooms. I'm talking about 85, 86 when I was about 10 years old, and I remember having the access to see how it was inside.

MCPA Arq. Iván Israel Sánchez

At Hacienda de Peñuelas, there's something curious and important to mention: it's one of the estates in the state that still retains all its structural elements, everything that formed this large production unit. Even though they are in ruins, they allow us to read and identify what life was like in the large agricultural and livestock estates that were established in the state. And well, how this way of living, thinking, building, even of moving through these routes that are still preserved in the immediate context of the estate, through the bridges, dams, infrastructure, etc. But it's important to mention that this specific example, Hacienda de Peñuelas, allows us to travel back in time and imagine what customs and life were like in the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th even in the 20th century when the estate was still operational. So, for us, it's one of the great examples that we need to continue studying, spreading, and visiting.