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All Mexico Tilaco "El Huracán de la Sierra" (Hurricane of the Sierra)

"El Huracán de la Sierra" (Hurricane of the Sierra)

This truck is celebrated as part of the "miracle" that connected this town to the rest of Mexico.

Tilaco, Mexico

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“El Huracán de la Sierra” (Hurricane of the Sierra)   alejandrolinaresgarcia
“El Huracán de la Sierra” (Hurricane of the Sierra)   zufazu
“El Huracán de la Sierra” (Hurricane of the Sierra)   alejandrolinaresgarcia
Father Miracle Square, with the Hurricane and a statue of Father Miracle.   alejandrolinaresgarcia
Statue of Father Miracle.   alejandrolinaresgarcia
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About

The arrival of a paved road can be a joyous event for isolated communities. In the case of the town of Tilaco in Mexico's Sierra Gorda region, the arrival of a paved road was considered nothing short of a miracle.

Father Francisco Piñol Miracle, born and ordained in Spain, arrived at the Franciscan Mission of Tilaco in 1963, finding the 18th-century mission in a state of disrepair. Miracle spearheaded efforts to restore the mission, especially its highly elaborate Churrigueresque style facade. The work was greatly hindered because Tilaco was connected to nearby settlements by unpaved roads.

In 1964, Miracle and 100 inhabitants of Tilaco bought the dismantled components of a 1942 Chevrolet pick-up truck. Once reassembled and driven by its owner José Cortés, the truck began tracing a path that would eventually become the town's first paved road. The road connected the town to the main population centers of the Sierra Gorda and Huasteca regions, such as Tamazunchale and Xilitla.

The truck, nicknamed "The Hurricane of the Sierra," can now be found in a privileged location of Tilaco, near a statue of Miracle and the Franciscan mission he assisted in restoring. Thanks to the restoration and Tilaco's accessibility, the mission is now one of five listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site that belongs to the Sierra Gorda Franciscan Missions. The mission was inscribed in 2003, a year before Miracle's death.

To this day, many locals of Tilaco will refer to the works of Miracle, Cortés, and the Hurricane as "Father Miracle's Miracle."

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Trucks History & Culture Construction Miracles

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Father Miracle Square is public and the Hurricane is visible at all times.

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linkogecko

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Vaquero

  • Vaquero

Published

October 8, 2020

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  • https://www.landadematamorosqro.gob.mx/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=585:gastronomia-landa&catid=2&Itemid=202&showall=&limitstart=5
  • https://www.minube.com/rincon/el-huracan-de-la-sierra-a2208487
  • http://www.travel-leon.net/2010/01/el-huracan-de-la-sierra-en-tilaco/
"El Huracán de la Sierra" (Hurricane of the Sierra)
Carr. La Lagunita - Tilaco
Tilaco
Mexico
21.163188, -99.191188
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Nearby Places

Museo Histórico de la Sierra Gorda (Historical Museum of the Sierra Gorda)

Jalpan de Serra, Mexico

miles away

Leonora Carrington Museum

Xilitla, Mexico

miles away

Posada el Castillo

Xilitla, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico

Mexico

North America

Places 606
Stories 61

Nearby Places

Museo Histórico de la Sierra Gorda (Historical Museum of the Sierra Gorda)

Jalpan de Serra, Mexico

miles away

Leonora Carrington Museum

Xilitla, Mexico

miles away

Posada el Castillo

Xilitla, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico

Mexico

North America

Places 606
Stories 61

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