| Plaza Garibaldi is a central plaza in
downtown Mexico City famous for its gatherings of
itinerant mariachi, norteño and jarocho bands. The plaza is
surrounded by colonial and 19th century buildings and numerous restaurants and bars catering
to aficionados of mariachi music, the most
famous of which is the legendary Salon Tenampa.
Plaza Garibaldi is named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was a lieutenant colonel (teniente coronel)
in the army of Pancho Villa during the initial
victories of the 1910 Mexican Revolution, in honor of
his actions in the battle of Nuevo Casas Grandes.
Garibaldi was the grand-son of the Italian hero of the
Risorgimento, Giuseppe Garibaldi. Lt Col Garibaldi was
ignominiously sacked by Pancho Villa after the first battle
of Juarez in 1911, but the name of the plaza (formerly
Pila de la Habana) stuck nonetheless, despite
the way he exited the Army of the Revolution.
The plaza was a noted hangout of Mexican movie
legend Pedro Infante, a painting of whom graces the
interior of Salon Tenampa, charro star Jorge
Negrete, and the "queen of ranchera
music", Lola Beltrán. Many Mexican movies have
been made with Plaza Garibaldi as a backdrop or
central point of the action.
In this occasion, we will explore the Plaza in
Company of Mexican poet and human rights activist
Manuel Amador who will share his vision of the city
and his poetry with us.
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