León, Guanajuato

León (), officially León de Los Aldama, is the most populous city and municipal seat of the municipality of León in the Mexican state of Guanajuato. In the 2020 census, INEGI reported 1,579,803 people living in the city of León

León has a large leather industry, making shoes, boots, belts, jackets, and other leather accessories for national and international markets. The leather industry earned its inhabitants the nickname of "green belly" (panzaverde in Spanish) because of the green tainting in the workers' bodies resulting from treating leather. Its hotel and service industry make it an important commercial center with numerous options for entertainment, gastronomy, leisure activities, arts, and recreation. It is also considered one of the most environmentally friendly cities in Mexico and has a high number of cyclists, in part because of integrating a network of bike lanes into the SIT system. In March 2012, it received an award as "City Water Champion", mainly due to great progress in the areas of sanitation, wastewater reuse, and energy cogeneration from biogas.

History

thumb|Madero street

Mesoamerica

In the León area there are ten distinct archeological zones, dating from the pre-classic Mesoamerican period. Most of these are identified with the Chupícuaro culture. By the Classic period, the area was under Teotihuacan and Toltec influence. In the 13th century, the Chichimecas, mostly of the Guamare and Guachichil subgroups, overran the area, migrating from an area of what is now San Luis Potosí. They remained through the Colonial period.

Cityscape

Monumento calzado.JPG|Monument to the shoemaker

Universidad de Guanajuato (León) I.jpg|Universidad de Guanajuato

Optibus (León, Guanajuato), estación Central Camionera I.jpg|Optibus bus stop

Street food Leon Guanajuato.jpg|Street food stand

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Economy

Industrial parks

About 70 percent of all shoes made in Mexico come from León and the surrounding area. In addition to the Leather crafting, there are also industrial chemical, plastic, polymer, transportation, and container companies. The presence of the automotive industry includes a General Motors plant in the nearby municipality of Silao. In the financial sector, León is home to the national headquarters of Banco del Bajío, owned by Salvador Oñate, and to the regional headquarters of Banamex, and HSBC, among other banks.

left|thumb|Santa Fe Industrial Parks

Customs facility

A newly built facility within GTO Inland Port's premises speeds up the logistics process. Clearing customs in a border city or seaport is no longer a requirement for companies located in GTO Inland Port. Now they use this very convenient facility.

thumb|Customs within GTO Inland Port

Rail container facility

A rail container yard is now offering inter-modal services for rail transportation. The facility is operated by the largest rail company in Mexico and has one of the longest rail spurs in the country.

left|thumb|GPI Railyard

thumb|[[Del Bajío International Airport]]

Expositions

In the Poliforum there are trade fairs throughout the year. The principal two are Sapica (Shoe Fair), and ANPIC (suppliers of the shoe industry).

Retailing

León has several regional shopping malls:

Altacia, anchored by Liverpool, Cinépolis multicinemas and the Sealand aquarium,
City Center León (under construction), a mixed-use development with offices, 2 hotels, retail, apartments and a Cinépolis
Factory Shops León, a ( 740-million-peso (38-million-USD) outlet mall)
Plaza Galerías Las Torres, anchored by Walmart, Coppel and Cinépolis
Plaza Mayor, the largest mall in León, 117,000 m2 gross leasable area, of which 70,000 m2 retail floor space, and parking for 2,500 cars. Anchored by sears, Liverpool (planned to expand to 27,000 m2, West Elm, Innovasport, Sanborns, and with a Best Buy under that company stopped operations in Mexico. It will add a ca. 30,000-m2 Palacio de Hierro under construction, to open in 2024. León is one of only eight metropolitan areas in Mexico to boast a full-line Palacio store, a reflection on that company's hopes for the high-end retail potential of León and other nearby cities in El Bajío such as San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato city.

Historic sites

Cathedral

thumb|185x185px|Church of St. Sebastian at Mártires del 2 de Enero Square

The main church is called the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Light and is the seat of the Archdiocese of Leon. Construction of the church was begun in 1746 by the Jesuits and is a combination of Baroque and Neo Classic architectural styles. Construction was halted only eight months after it began when the Jesuit order was expelled from Mexico by the Spanish Crown. The Obregon family, however, took over its construction, continuing into the 19th century. The Archdiocese of Leon was created in 1864, with its first bishop, José María de Jesús Diez de Sollano y Dávalos helping to get the towers and cupola completed as he chose the church as the seat. It was finally completed and consecrated on 16 March 1866. Pope Benedict XVI officiated a mass here in 2012.

Expiatorio

thumb|left|150px|Detail of the façade of the Templo Expiatorio

Its full name is the Santuario Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Expiatory Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). Construction of this shrine was begun in 1920 by Bernardo Chavez with the support of Bishop Emeterio Valverde y Téllez. It is neo-Gothic in design, based on the old European medieval cathedrals but much of the outside wallspace is without decoration. Its work was halted by the Cristero Wars. Since then construction has continued off and on and it is considered 90% complete. An important source of income for the shrine's construction is the sale of crypts. This practice was begun in 1924. A chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Lourdes was begun in 1935 and later a chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe, which is separate from the main building, built between 1935 and 1939. A shrine with stained glass windows includes local allegories.

Municipal Palace

thumb|right|Municipal Palace

The current Municipal Palace is of the Ionic order and occupies part of the site of the old "Colegio Grande del Seminario de los Padres Paulinos" (Grand Seminary College for Pauline Priests) who had to abandon the city in 1860.

From 1861 to 1867 it was a military barracks. After the French Intervention, it was remodeled to conserve its original architecture by Coronel Octaviano Rosado to become the seat of government on 21 March 1869. The patio of the building contains (in 1972) a bronze statue of Benito Juárez to commemorate the centennial of his death. Since then, the building has had a number of additions such as the dome that now covers this patio, and a number of murals. These murals were painted in 1972 and 1973 by Jesus Gallardo covering the walls of the main stairwell and the hallway of the upper floor around the patio.

Arch of the Causeway of the Heroes (Arco de la Calzada de los Héroes)

thumb|Causeway Arch's Heroes

This arch (Arco de la Calzada de los Héroes, in Spanish), topped by a bronze lion, began construction in 1896 and has been modified a number of times since then. The first lion was added in 1943 by Francisco Lozornio Castillo made of bricks and mortar. This was replaced by the bronze one in 1958. The idea for a bronze lion was that of the matador Antonio Velázquez, a native of Leon, whose bravery in the ring earned him the nickname of the "Heart of Leon" ("Corazón de León", in Spanish). Not long before his death in 1959, he complained that the brick lion should be replaced with a better work of art, causing something of a commotion in the Leon community. This caught the attention of sculptor Humberto Peraza Ojeda who made the one that sits atop the arch today.

Integrated Transportation System

alt=Sistema Integrado de Transporte (SIT)|left|thumb|Transport's Integrated System

Integrated Transportation System (ITS) (Sistema Integrado de Transporte in Spanish) refers to the development and implementation of a Bus rapid transit system named "Optibús". Since 28 September 2003, the Integrated Transport Optibús has operated despite an existing need for a subway system "Metro", which originally was planned construction with two lines.

The system was the first of its kind in Mexico. Leon was the first city in the country with a BRT system, before it was implemented in Mexico City as Metrobús and Guadalajara as Macrobús.

Optibús System

The current route system is divided into four categories. These are:

Trunk routes: They consist of eight main lines that cross the city from end to end. The buses are also known as Orugas (caterpillars in Spanish) due to its articulated midsection. They have capacity for 175 passengers. The Optibús transit system consists of 52 stations located in the central area of the main avenues of the city.
Feeder and auxiliary routes: These are urban bus routes that were integrated into the regular system, as a stop as they have one or more transfer stations, and are identified by the letter A (feeder route / yellow decals) or X (auxiliary route / blue decals).
Conventional routes: These routes circulate through most of the city and are distinguished by having the corporative colors from its owners: orange, red, pink, purple, and green.
Suburban roads: Roads circulate outside or on the city edge communities as Comanjilla, Duarte, Loza de los Padres, La Hacienda, etc.

There are currently three permanent transfer stations (San Jeronimo, Delta de Jerez and San Juan Bosco), two micro-stations (Santa Rita - Parque Juarez), which are the endpoints for trunk routes, feeder routes and auxiliary routes. Passengers at these stations are allowed to transfer without cost from any of these lines.

In addition, as a control measure, the "PagoBús" system has been instituted; this is an electronic card system that allows users to streamline their access to stations and bus and thus save money. There are 2 types of cards: Preferential and General, cost rates with 50 and 15% lower total cost.

The environmental benefits of the system are also high, not least because the system introduced articulated buses using Euro IV technology and ultra low sulfur, resulting in 5,600 tons of reduction annually.

Education and research

Universities

Universidad de Guanajuato
National Autonomous University of Mexico
Ibero-American University
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education
Universidad Tecnológica de México (UNITEC) Campus León
Instituto Politécnico Nacional (UPIIG-IPN) Campus Guanajuato
Polytechnic of Guanajuato
Instituto Tecnológico de León
Universidad de León
Universidad De La Salle Bajío
Universidad Tecnológica de León

Sports

{| class="wikitable"

! Team !! SPORTS !! League !! Venue

| Club León || Association football || Liga MX || Estadio León

| Bravos de León || Baseball || Mexican Baseball League || Estadio Domingo Santana

| Abejas de León || Basketball || Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional || Domo de la Feria

Football

thumb|Nou Camp (León FC's Stadium)

The city's main professional Association football team is Club León, which is one of the foremost teams in Mexico, eight-time league champion, now playing in the Liga MX. The team's stadium, Estadio León, also bears a Catalan name: Nou Camp. FIFA World Cup games have been played there (1970 and 1986).

A new franchise with the name of Curtidores appeared in the Primera División A in the mid-1990s, but, after being champion in 1999 and earning the right to play in the Primera División, was sold and moved to Puebla to become Puebla, F.C. In 2007 a new franchise named Union de Curtidores began playing at Segunda división.

Nowadays, there are several football teams in the city playing in the Tercera División: Atlético ECCA, Juventud Cuerera and Conmudaj, among some others. Club Leon also has a women's section that plays in Liga MX Femenil.

Rally Mexico (WRC)

Since 2004 the city has hosted the headquarters of Rally Mexico located at the Centro de Convenciones Poliforum Leon, which is one round of the World Rally Championship. Thousands of fans camp at the nearby Sierra de Lobos and Sierra de Guanajuato mountains to watch the rally; the service park is also located and visited by fans at the Poliforum Leon. The Rally takes place in three cities: Guanajuato, Silao and León.

Basketball

Since 2004, León has a basketball team, Lechugueros, which plays in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP). They play in the Domo de la Feria (formerly known as Auditorio Municipal). Before this team, the city had other professional basketball teams: Lechugueros (original franchise), Zapateros, Pony-León and Atléticos. These teams participated in the CIMEBA (Circuito Mexicano de Básquetbol), which was the main basketball league of Mexico in the 1970s and 1980s.

Baseball

León had two baseball teams in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol: Cachorros de León, in the late 1970s, and Bravos de León, in the late 80's. Bravos, after becoming champions of the league in 1990, and due to financial problems, were sold and moved to Minatitlán, Veracruz. After many years of unsuccessful attempts to bring back baseball to Leon it was announced on 1 November 2016, by the assembly of presidents of the Mexican League, the approval the entry of Leon, Guanajuato, subject to certain conditions. The Bravos De Leon returned to play in 2017.

Tennis

León has been a host city for the yearly ATP Challenger Tour since 1992.

Golf

León hosts an annual event on the Web.com Tour. In 2015 the event was held from 13 to 19 April.

Notable people

thumb|The Theatre Doblado, located in the historic cente

Columba Bush (b. 1953) – wife of Jeb Bush and former First Lady of Florida
Chucho Castillo (1944–2013) – professional boxer
Daniel Escoto – stock car racer
María Grever (1885–1951) – composer
Lucía Méndez (b. 1955) – entertainer
Rafael Villagómez (b. 2001) – Formula 2 driver
Vicente B. Zacarías (1978/79–2016) – federal judge; assassinated
Felipe Zetter (1923–2013) – professional footballer; represented Mexico internationally
Black Shadow (wrestler) - professional wrestler; Lucha libre icon

Twin towns – sister cities

León is twinned with:

Bogotá, Colombia
Cangas de Onís, Spain
Havana, Cuba
Irving, United States
Laredo, United States
Las Vegas, United States
León, Nicaragua
León, Spain
Novo Hamburgo, Brazil
San Diego, United States
Suzhou, China
Fermo, Italy