Coracora

Coracora,Ayacucho,Peru Qura Qura
—  Town  —
Nickname(s): Coracora Tiera de Tradisiones
Coracora,Ayacucho,Peru
Coordinates: 15°01′01.18″S 73°46′49.51″W / 15.0169944°S 73.7804194°W / -15.0169944; -73.7804194
Country	Peru
Region	Ayacucho
Province	Parinacochas
District	Coracora
Government
- Mayor	Alfredo Lopez Gutierrez
Elevation	3,175 m (10,417 ft)
Time zone	PET (UTC-5)

Coracora,Ayacucho,Peru is a town in Central Peru, capital of the province Parinacochas in the region Ayacucho.^[1]

Toponimia

Coracora is derived from the Quechua word Qura qura which means abundant bushes or place with a lot of grass, referring to a humid place or old swamp.

Location

It is located 800 km from the city of Lima, at an altitude between 3,150 and 3,350 meters above sea level, in what is known as the Quechua ecological region.

Climate

Dry and sometimes cold, in the day it resembles a summer day, but in the night it resembles a freezing cold winter. The days are usually something mild between +12 and +18 °C and at nights between -5 and 5 °C. The winter season is manifested between June and September with frequent frosts, and the temperate and very rainy summer between December and March.

History

Been founded by the Spanish conquerors toward the 17th century, probably on an Amerindian Andean poblamiento, soon a population of important European origin, will developed in what was the road between Lima and Cuzco. It proves of they are it old such colonial constructions as the beautiful local church of Baroque and Renaissance style, built in white ashlars.

Nevertheless, it was in the 19th century and it leaves of the 20th one that Coracora becomes one of the flourishing cities of the Peruvian south mountain, thanks to the export cattle raising that could gather an important number of local managers and European immigrants.

Toward the decade of 1940, Coracora reached a not very common cultural and economic peak for a small city mountain Peruvian, this prosperity began to vary in the decade of 1980 in direct relationship with the social violence of those years in the whole country.

At the moment it has recovered their character of center cattleman, commercial and tourist with important improvements in access roads, infrastructure and services.

Festivities

In the beginning of August, Coracora celebrates the devotion of La Virgen de Las Nieves, or known as "Virgen of the Snow". The days that they celebrate are August 1–12.

August 1: People make preparations for the festivities. They make food for the whole family.

August 2: People walk to Pumahuiri (the mountain that the Virgen of the Snow was found). Los Negritos (kids that dance and sing for the Virgen of the Snow) People sing and dance as they walk to Pumahuiri, and the songs are also prayers.

August 3: Is the Entrada de Negritos(Entrance of the Blackies). The kids, as they were mentioned before, walk into town and keep singing and dancing as people follow them just as they did on their way to Pumahuiri.

August 4: On this day it is the Entrada de Chamiza, Entrance of Retama. It smells really good, they are brought on donkeys' ans llamas' backs. At night people burn this dry plant. People dance around it with the rhythm of the band that plays all night. On that same night they have Los Castillos, or fireworks on wood, in the Main Plaza, Plaza de Armas. Also they have serenades with people with people dancing and singing.

August 5: Is the main day of the festivitie day. On this day the whole town walks around the main plaza where the church is located.

August 6–8: On this day, the town goes to the bullfighting ring. Each family makes their own spot and pays for it. Each square foot is $200.00. 12 bulls each day, there are jumping, rebel, and calm bulls. People buy the bulls, so they can be killed. But those people buy the bulls and names the bull whatever they want. It is kind of like a donation. If the bulls does not die the person who bought it and the person who received it as a gift must pay a fine. After the bull is killed the people who bought the bull and the person who received the bull as a gift, go into the ring and takes the bull outside and does whatever they want with it.

Every year a person must sign up to be the one in charge of the town party on August 5.

Virgen de Las Nieves

Spainards had a specific job to bring the statue of the Virgen. Their destination was to Cuzco, but along the way they had stopped in Pumahuiri. Their route was really from lima to cuzco, but Pumahuiri was a long and very tiring mountain, so they stopped and rested. But one man of the many had a dream of the Virgen of the Snow telling him about a town, she had wanted to stay in that town, not Cuzco. That town was Coracora. When the man awakened, he told his fellow mates about his dream. They believed on what he had dreamed so they climbed down the mountain and took the Virgen to Coracora. Since the men that carried the Virgen Mary down the mountain with hope and honor, the small Negritos are suspose to represent the black men that carried the Virgen Mary.

Music

Huaynos is the traditional music of Coracora.

References

1. ^ (Spanish) Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática. Banco de Información Digital, Retrieved June 10, 2008

Coordinates: 15°01′01.18″S 73°46′49.51″W / 15.0169944°S 73.7804194°W / -15.0169944; -73.7804194