Santa Clara del Cobre (Spanish: [ˈsanta ˈklaɾa ðel ˈkoβɾe] ⓘ) is a Magical town (Pueblo Mágico) and municipality located in the center of the state of Michoacán, Mexico, 18 km from Pátzcuaro[1] and 79 km from the state capital of Morelia.

Economic reverses led to the industry's near-demise here until efforts in the 1940s and 1970s managed to bring the town's work back into prominence.

[3] Part of the reason for this is that the area contained mines such as Inguarán and Opopeo which were known for abundance and which attracted the Spanish when they arrived.

It burned again in 1910, with the Spanish population abandoning the town for nearby Pátzcuaro and Morelia, leaving only the indigenous.

[8] However, the town had so degraded economically that its coppersmithing tradition was ignored by Dr. Atl in his 1921 classic work The Popular Arts of Mexico.

Next to it is a plain plaza onto which face the town's two main churches, the Parish of Santa Clara and the Chapel del Hospital.

One section contains workshops in which classes are given and it is also home to the Unión de Artesanos (Artisans’ Union) which accredits smiths and products in order to conserve and further develop the craft.

[10] Many of the copper items made are of a utilitarian nature – cooking utensils, various types of containers, pots, pans, plates, shot glasses, clocks, jewelry, vases, beds, tables, chairs, light switches, counters, sinks, even bathtubs, and much, much more, all in copper.

[9] Pieces from this town have been collected by museums in various parts of the world as well as private Mexican and international collectors.

[12] A major force in the development of Santa Clara del Cobre's work since the 1970s has been the efforts of American James Metcalf and his wife, Mexican Ana Pellicer.

Giant public pieces were produced, from murals to bas-reliefs, which now adorn places like the Acapulco Convention Center and the Institute for Foreign Trade in Mexico City.

[3][11] With government support, Metcalf and Pellicer founded a school of arts and crafts in 1976 in the town, undertaking instruction in new techniques, development of new tools, and cultural, technical and artistic studies.

[3][11] The Feria Nacional y Concurso del Cobre Martillado (National Festival and Competition of Hammered Copper) takes place in late August and/or early September, around the feast day of the town's patron saint, Saint Clare (Santa Clara).

Its main feature is a copper crafts competition which awards more than eighty prizes with a combined purse of about 400,000 pesos.

Other attractions include musical groups, dances, singing contests, athletic events, classic car shows fireworks and food tasting.

Local food specialties include sopa rellena, tostadas de carne Apache, corundas and atole.

About one third of the municipality's total population of 38,502 lives in the town of Santa Clara del Cobre proper.

Animal life consists of small mammals such as opossums, foxes, rabbits with fish such as trout in the rivers and Lake Zirahuén.

[9] The landscapes of the municipality were featured in the novel “La vida inútil de Pito Pérez” by José Rubén Romero.

Objects such as chairs, rag dolls, wood items and other things are made by communities such as Opopeo and Casas Blancas.

Many of these artisans receive government support through the Fondo Nacional para el Fomento de las Artesanías.