ORIZABA - Palacio de Hierro - Gustave Eiffel (english)
Originally built to be the Government Headquarters for the City of Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico at the end of the XIX Century. Orizaba was at that time, the 5th most important city in the nation and the richest in the State of Veracruz. Considered the most educated and cultured city in the country during President Porfirio Diaz regime. Reason from which, a good number of it's foreign inhabitants migrated to Orizaba to test their luck and furtune(mainly during the last half of the 1800's): French, Swedish, Irish, English, Spaniards, Italians, Americans and Germans established themselves in Orizaba to start a new venture, business or company. This Inmigrant influx brought to the city the taste for the 'international' culture and the latest European trends. On September 26,1891, with the support of the citizenry and the State's Government, Orizaba's Mayor, Sr. Julio M. Velez, gave the order to the Societe Anonyme des Forges D´Aiseau, of Belgium to build an exceptional and unique construction that would represent the modernity and financial status of Orizaba in Mexico. A palace that would showcase Orizaba's International Status. The Belgian company offered the project to the architect with most prestige and fame in Europe, the one that with his most innovative and original techniques could designed such an important building, they called the French-German Engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. Following his great triumph at the Paris Fair in 1889, with the presentation with his famous tower, Eiffel conceived a Palace completely built of metal structure, fully demountable. The cost was in excess of 71, 000 pesos in gold, mainly supported by the granted loan the illustrious philantropist and Orizaba's native did, Sr. Don Manuel Carrillo Tablas. The rest was covered by the State and the Municipality as well. The complete cargo (3369 boxes plus the metallic structure) was shipped to the Port of Vera-cruz from Antwerp in 3 separate steamships: the Paris, the Vala and the Haver. At their arrival to Vera-cruz, the cost of the unloading and transportation to Orizaba's mountains requiered of 10,000 pesos more, wich it was covered, once again, by the city's patron, Sr. Carrilo Tablas. The hi cost of construction propossed by the Belgian company forced the city to employ only the structure's blue-prints to assemble the giant metal palace. The City hired a team of Mexican Architects and specialized workers. The team was commanded by the mexican engineers, Arturo B. Boca (foundations) and Ricardo Segura (construction). The assigned lot was the city's old Army Plaza in between the City Hall and the current Municipal House (present -and out of place- Alvarez Zardain Building). The old trees that embellished the plaza for centuries were transplanted to the Alameda. The grand inauguration was held on the eve of September 16, 1894 along with the festivities of Mexico's Independence. Exactly a year after it's construction had started. Among the famous guests was Sr. Don Teodoro A Dehesa, Governor of the State of Vera-cruz.The Palacio de Hierro (Iron Palace) worked as municipal headquarters for the city for 97 years. In 1991, Architect Isaias Rodriguez Vivas -city's Mayor- gave the executive order to move the government seat to the much larger CEO Palace. Today, the Palacio de Hierro hosts within it's walls the Museums of Beer and Archeology, a Library, a Tourism Office and a Coffee Shop. Lately, the gardens and the sorrounding streets had been remodeled and refurbished by the current Municipal President, Lic. Juan Manuel Diez Francos who has given priority to the cultural and ecological rescue of Orizaba.
Because of it's original characteristic -metallic construction-, the Palacio de Hierro requires constant repairs and maintenance. We hope soon we'll be able to enjoy the original beauty of the ONLY demountable metallic Art Nouveau Palace in the World, a true world's Architectural Jewel. The Iron Palace is listed among the 10 most important architectural achievements of Gustave Eiffel, among the Statue of Liberty in New York City and his famous Tower in Paris. Some of his works have been named Cultural Treasures by the countries they belong to.........the beautiful Palacio de Hierro is still waiting for the cultural and historical recognition that it deserves.
ORIZABA
the Magic City
MonjaAlferez09
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