Cultural tourism in the neighbourhoods of Aguascalientes: architecture and crafts as cornestones of identity
Abstract
The purpose of this work is to explain the role of architecture and crafts as axes of collective identity and cultural tourism in the neighborhoods of Encino, Guadalupe, and San Marcos, from a historical-urban and cultural perspective. We conceive of these neighborhoods as living cultural landscapes where built spaces, crafts, ritual practices, and festivities have coexisted from the viceroyalty to the present day. Methodologically, this research is part of a long-term plan within the Research Line on Historical Studies in Architecture and Urbanism at the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes.
The initial results show that architecture has functioned as a material support for collective memory and a setting for social, productive and festive practices, where crafts, understood as intangible cultural heritage, have sustained local economies and reinforce the authenticity of cultural tourism experiences.
Furthermore, it demonstrates that celebrations such as the San Marcos National Fair, the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the Lord of El Encino act as integrators between tangible and intangible heritage. However, tensions arising from urban modernization and the loss of historical architecture are identified, concluding that comprehensive conservation and heritage management strategies are required that recognize architecture and crafts as active social resources for the sustainable cultural development of Aguascalientes.
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