GENERAL INFORMATION
The province of Morropón with its capital Chulucanas, is one of the most important ones in the Región Grau, For its agricultural production and its arable grounds quality.
It is situated on the western part of the “Piura’s Andes”

ALTITUDE
131 meters above sea level

WEATHER
It is MOSTLY cool, but hot in summer, reaching an average temperature of 32ºC

POPULATION
172,596 inhabitants

AREA
3,817 km2, from which 2,332.92 Km2 correspond to the coast and 1.485 to the Sierra.

ETHIMOLOGY OF THE WORD MORROPON
On its name the popular fiction states that the word Morropon has two possible origins:
1) MORRO (hill surrounded city) where the storm booms in thunder !PON..! (onomatopoeic origin)
2) From totem MORRO, a beautiful and melodious singing bird which augured, good crops when appeared in a place being implored by the inhabitants to lay eggs: !Morro….. for your eggs which us good fortune with rains and crops. Morropón.
It is said that the etymology of the word Chulucanas, provincial capital, derives from that personage named CHOLO CANO, whose popularity deserved to give the province the later name of Chulucanas.

ACCESS ROUTES
By land.- Through asphalted road to Morropón, 81 Kms far from Piura.
Through asphalted road to Chulucanas, 60 Kms far from Piura.

BRIEF HISTORICAL DESCRIPTION
In 1532, the Tallanes were a quechuas’ domain and had the Chincha chief named Maizabilca as governor of the valley.
The frech archeologist Paul Rivet thinks the Tallanes were situated on an area included between Motupe-Lambayeque on the south, and Mantas in Ecuador on the north.
The primitive man of Morropón used to live in this area and time immersed in the social, economic and political influences of these primitive towns.
It is really true that it is possible to see the Tallanes’ irrigation works, such as the famous channel dug in living rock at a certain height of the “de la Cruz” hill on the north of Morropón , which was used by Tallanes farmers whose water flew from the river known as Gallega to the arid lands of Piedra Balanca and Franco in the neighbourhood of Pabor (which was an Indian chief’s domain), this channel has been restored and used at present to irrigate the aea on the hills slopes and other sectors.
The pottery found in many Indian tombs of the sector show us the Tallanes as artists at clay usage to manufacture zoomorphic, anthropomorphic, fitomorphic pottery, as well as representations of their agriculture costumes, physiological aspects and polytheistic representations.
The Tallanes reached importance not only because of this, but in agriculture, becoming a very important twon, the existence of the Incas “Tambos” (roadside inns) between Huancabamba and Ayabaca within other important information about Tallanes corroborate its importance, such as the commercial route opening between Serrán, huancabamba and Jaén which followed the course of Piura river, going up to the Andes through steps made of stone.
It can be said that the Tallanes, annexed to the Chimu Empire which at a time was conquered by the Incas, had an active relationship within these civilizations in the middle Piura including the present sector of Morropón in the Upper Piura, where they live very long.
Of polytheistic religion, the primitive Morropón inhabitants adored the sun,the moon, the high promontories, birds and the phenomenom, whose causes were inexplicable: Thunder, lightning etc.
Silent millennial witness of the sacred remains found in it, Maray, whose quechua name means “Batan”, it was considered to be the guardian spirit of the valley. Maray is the center of what once was the Inca chief’s domain named Moscala where later the conqueror settled to destroy the Ayllus’ pagan rites.
So, the primitive inhabitants of Morropón were in the center of these pre-Inca cultures, receiving their fully influences .
On the North with the Ayahuascas
On the South with the Mochicas and Chimú
On the East with the Huancapampas from huancabamba
On the West with the Yungas.
During the colonial period , the Morropón zone to the east as far as Huancabamba’s Sierra started to be conquered and explored because of Francisco Pizarro’s decision who sent Hernando de Soto to explore having, according to the chroniclers, started from Pabur and gone over many towns by means of historical marches.
With the ground distribution among Spanish which took place by 1501, it was established the settlement of people and lands that were handed over after the beneficiary accepted the next official statement: “To you, Mr., so and so, we entrust you as many Indians in that “cacicazgo” (Indian chief’s domain) and teach them everything about our holy catholic faith”. Just as easy and simple as that lives and lands were transferred and passed to be the property of the settler.
The Moscala valley was entrusted to Juan Escobedo which included Indians and 1,000 pesos per year. But Escobedo sold it to Diego de Fonseca who, this way, became the owner of the Moscala valley.
This distributions as a possession was hereditary from parents to descendants. That was the Moscala condition with its 300 handed aborigines placed between the territories of Serrán’s Indian chief and Pabur’s.
In the settlement process, the Spanish founded their cities being Piura (the old one) the first one in inca lands and situated 7 Km west of Morropón . Before being moved it remained about 25 to 30 years, exerting its cultural influency to the aborigine groups of the sector. As a result of this influence we have many bequests such as the “Quebrada de las Damas “, because its fresh, clear and peaceful water which was for Spanish ladies’ personal use; the name “Gallega” given to the river that flows on the west of Morropón; the shape of the cities itself with the main square, surrounded by the church, the town council, the police office, the main personage or noble family’s residence.
The first site of Morropón was on the slopes of Maray, that was a very important native redoubt. Later it was moved to the Moscala’s prairies avoiding more serious diseases caused by the humidity and the abundant mosquitos existing in the former place.
The present Morropón remains in this location from de colonial period.
It was created as a province in January the 21st, 1936 and included the districts of Chulucanas, Morropón and salitral that belonged to province of Piura and, likewise, the districts of Santo Domingo and Chalaco that beloged to the province of Ayabaca. At present it has ten districts being Chulucanas its capital. By law Nº 4898 of November 11th, 1927, it was raised to the category of Village and was recognized as city by law Nº 8114 of January, 31st, 1936.

TOURIST RESOURCES
Natural resources
- Upper Piura valley: cotton, rice, maize, fruit and grazing.
- Piura river: cross the province from east to norwest
- Santo Domingo, Chalaco, Santiago, Silahua, Huachari and Paltashaco stand out by their.
Beautiful scenery, vegetation and stony zome.
- The “Cerro Negro” medicinal lagoons, in “Cerro Negro” 6 Km far from Chalaco, bordering.
On the settlement of INAPAMPA which is a natural view-point that allows us to look at.
The landscape beauty . These laggons are used by famous quacks (naturist masters).

CULTURAL RESOURCES

- “Monte de los padres”: Ex-farm that where the second foundation of the Spanish city of “San Miguel de Piura” took place in 1534. It includes two areas: “Piura the old “ and “La Bocana” (known as “Monte de los Padres” as well)..
- Archeological Zone Vicús:
- Great necropolis placed 7 Km south east from Chulucans, on vicús hill and surroundings
It shows the developmet of an important culture that has left valuable gold and silver
Works and pottery. It includes Vicús hill and Yecala (50 Km from Piura). It containts abundant, heterogeneous pottery with a great variety of styles and shapes. Regrettably the “Huaqueros” (illegal diggers) have caused irreparable damages.
- Ruinas de confesionarios: 16 Km far from Chalaco, standing out the construction and features of the buildings.

OTHER RESOURCES

- Northern cattle complex (La Mtanza) .- It develops works on cows and horses.
- Coochul and Calimex Essential lime oil factories (Chulucanas).- They produce ssential lime oil and dehydrated lime peel to get pectin (usead as raw material to produce jelly) which are exported.
- Craft Brick-making factories.- That supply the regional brick demand.
- Chulucanas Cathedral.- Of northamerican modern style.
- Sunday Fairs.- It is possible to see the beauty of Sierra and typical houses on the countryside in Cahlaco.

GASTRONOMY
It is varied and generally on the basis of what the zone produces, within the most important dishes we have:
- “ Seco de Chabelo”, “Chifes” (fried banana flakes), “Cabrito” (young goat), green tamals,
“patasca”, “meat cebiche”, “copús” (costal zone). Freíd guinea-pig, “chicharrón” (fried pork), “cancha” (toasted corn), “zango”, corn and wheat omelette and so on. Sweets such as “zambumba”, “preserved fig” “marzipan”, “chicoca sweets”, “preserved beans”, “Mashca”, sponge and cakes (sierra zone).
- Besides, within drinks we have “Chicha de jora” (maize liquor), “the pocima”, calentados made of “primera” or “cañazo” (alcoholic drinks gotten from sugar cane processing).
- In the coastal zone fish and seafood dishes are cooked.

MAIN FESTIVITIES

- Chulucans province festivity (June)
- Lime festivity – Chulucanas (May)
- Chalaco festivity (jun)
- Morropón festivity (Sep)

TRANSPORT AGENCIES

Agency Adresss Time

Piura-Chulucanas-Morropón-Chulucanas
Civa : Tacna and Ramón Castilla avenue 6.30 a.m
Phone 074-327234/32-8093 9.45 a.m
12.39 a.m
17.30 p.m
E.T. Chiclayo S.A. Av. Sánchez Cerro block 12 –Piura
Trampsa 424 Ramón Castilla avenue-phone 33-2801
601 cajamarca street-phone 074-21 Morropón
Piura-Chalaco-Pacaipampa-Piura

Agencia de Transportes 7.00 a.m
Flores S.A Ramón Castilla avenue 1.00 a.m
Agencia de Transporte
Emutch 3.00 p.m
Ramón Castilla avenue 1.00 a.m

Source: “Propuesta de Modelo De Planificación y gestión del Desarrollo Local”
Origins and Cultural importance (Cipca)
José Albán Ramos-Centro Peruano de servicios-CEPESER