Acolman

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Acolman de Nezahualtcóyotl is a municipality on the outskirts of Mexico City in México State approximately 24 miles (38 kilometres) northeast of the city. It has an area of 86.88 km² (33.54 sq mi) and a 2005 census population of 77,035. Its municipal seat is the town of Acolman de Nezahualcóyotl, although its most populous community by far is the town of Tepexpan.

It borders on the north with the municipalities of Tecámac and Teotihuacán; on the east with Tepetlaoxtoc and Teotihuacán; on the south with Atenco, Tezoyuca, and Chiautla, and on the west with Tecámac and Ecatepec de Morelos.

The internal divition has 15 towns:

Cuanalán
San Bartolo Acolman
San Marcos Nepantla
San Mateo Chipiltepec
San Miguel Totolcingo
Santa Catarina
Santa María Acolman
Tepexpan
San Miguel Xometla
San Pedro Tepetitlán
Tenango
San Juanico
San Francisco Zacango
San Lucas Tepango
Granjas Familiares

Acolman has 37 colonias:

San Agustin (Acolman de Nezahualcoyotl)
Benito Juárez (Cuanalán)
Loma bonita ( Cuanalán)
Santa Maria de Guadalupe (Cuanalán)
Tetexcala ( Cuanalán)
Pilares (San Mateo Chipiltepec)
Loma Linda ( San Mateo Chipiltepec)
San José (San Bartolo)
San Bartolo Chico ( San Bartolo)
Emiliano Zapata
Lomas de Santa Catarina ( Santa Catarina)
Los Reyes ( San Juanico)
Radio Faro ( Totolcingo)
La Laguna (Totolcingo)
La Era ( Totolcingo)
Plan de Guadalupe ( Totolcingo)
El Olivo ( Totolcingo)
Los Angeles
Lázaro Cárdenas
Ampliació Los Angeles
La Concepción ( Xometla)
Primero de Octubre ( Xometla )
Quinta Las Flores ( Xometla )
Anahuac 1 Sección ( Tepexpan )
Anahuac II Sección ( Tepexpan )
Chimalpa ( Tepexpan )
Los Reyes ( Tepexpan )
Las Brisas ( Totolcingo)
Fraccionamiento STUNAM ( Granjas Familiares)
Santa Cruz (Totolcingo)
Paraje El Faro ( Tepexpan)
El Ranchito ( Xometla)
Prado San Juan
Guerrero
Pirules
Real del Valle
Geovillas de Terranova

[edit] San Agustín Acolman

The area is known for San Agustín Acolman, one of Mexico's oldest monasteries, built by Augustinian monks in 1536, on a mission to convert local Indians. The monastery is notable for its atrium, a Christian version of the pre-Columbian ceremonial plaza, where crowds of Indian disciples would gather to hear the new religion preached from the chapel balcony above. The fortress like building, now housing colonial paintings and sculptures is typical of New Spain's early monasteries.

The forbidding aspect of the monastery however is softened by the adjoining church's beautiful Plateresque facade which is characterized by classic Italian Renaissance columns, richly decorated door arches, and a choir window replicating the portal below. The sparse interior of the 57 metre (187 ft) nave is notable only for its apse, which boasts a gothic fan vaulting and is adorned with rich frescoes.