The Town
Landa de Matamoros sits at the foot of a chain of small mountains with crags at an altitude of 1,040 masl. just off Highway 120 about 210 km from the capital of Querértaro. The town of Landa de Matamoros is considered to have first been occupied by a group of P'urhépecha from Michoacán who migrated north. In the pre-Hispanic period, it had an important tianguis market, which traded merchandise from other parts of the La Huasteca and what is now Tampico. Today, Landa is a small community with cobblestone streets centered on a traditional main square in front of the mission. Landa's main economic activities include agriculture, livestock and services, including government services. It is also head of a district called Centro Estratégico Comunitario Micrregión 01, which oversees economic activities of thirteen communities with just under 2,000 people.
The town of Landa is best known for having one of the five Franciscan missions in the Sierra Gorda, which were made a World Heritage Site in 2003. This mission is dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. It along with the others are noted for their highly decorated Baroque facades, which contains indigenous elements. They were built under the direction of Junipero Serra in the mid 18th century, with the Landa mission built last, in the 1760s.
The Museo de Arte Agropecuario (Museum of Agricultural Art) is located in Landa has three exhibition halls. One room exhibits the fossil remains of a mastodon, which was found under the mission church during restoration work in 1984. The other two contain historical photographs, as well as implements related to farming, livestock, forestry, commerce and home. There is also an area with for temporary exhibits and a handcrafts store. The museum offers guided tours, conferences and summer courses. There is also the municipal auditorium and a cultural center called a Casa de Cultura.
The most important annual celebration is the feast of the patroness of the community, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. At least a thousand migrants return each year to Landa to celebrate, with many of these come from Texas especially Corpus Christi, Houston, Austin and Dallas, bringing their pickup trucks and cowboy clothes with them, but a number also come from Florida and Atlanta. The town hosts a major dance for the occasion, in part to honor the returnees. The event is held during the first half of December. The event often features musical styles popular in Texas.
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