San Miguel Zinacantepec
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| (San Miguel) Zinacantepec | |
| — Municipal Seat — | |
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | Mexico |
| State | Mexico State |
| Municipality | Zinacantepec |
| Founded | 1826 |
| Government | |
| - Municipal President | Raúl Espinosa Velásquez (PAN) |
| Elevation | 2,740 m (8,990 ft) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Postal code of seat | 51350 |
| Area code(s) | 722 |
San Miguel Zinacantepec or "Zinacantepec" is the municipal seat and municipality in the west-central part of the Mexico State, in central Mexico. Zinacantepec means in Nahuatl "next to the hill of bats ". [1]
[edit] The city
The Otomis and the Matlatzincas settled in the territory of Zinacantepec during the peak of the Teotihuacan culture, between 1120 and 1450. In 1410, the Aztec Empire conquered the area, giving it the current name of Zinacantepec.[2]
During the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, Hernán Cortés sent Gonzalo de Sandoval with an army of 118 men to conquer Zinacantepec along with the rest of the Vally of Toluca. Juan de Samano, son of the secretary of Carlos I, was named mayor of the town, who made the town the seat of the western part of the Valley of Toluca. The Samano family also established the Hacienda de la Gavia, which at its height encompassed over 67,000 hectares of land in the municipality. In 1526, Spanish friars came to evangelize the area, adding “San Miguel” to the name of this town.[2]
On October 29, 1810 a group of habitants joined Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla to fight in the battle of Monte de las Cruces during the Mexican War of Independence. In this city, Ignacio López Rayón and Vicente Filosola defeated the royalist forces at the nearby Huertas hacienda. [2]
Notable Residents
- Don Juan de Sámano: Son of the the secretary of Carlos I of Spain. He promoted the construction of the Zinacantepec monastery.
- Don Arkadio Henkel: Zinacantepec congressman (diputado estatal), part of the State of Mexico Congress. He built “Hacienda la Huerta” and the railroad named “El perico”.
- Pastor Velázquez.: Designer of the coat of arms of the State of Mexico (1954).
- Emeterio Valverde y Téllez: Bishop of León, historian and philosopher.
- Matilde Zúñiga: Painter
- Manuel Medina. Governor of the State of Mexico.
- Don Juan Fernández Albarrán: Governor of the State of Mexico who lived in San Miguel Zinacantepec in 1959.[2]
According to INEGI 2005 census figures, the city had a population of 46,569 inhabitants. [3] The city has a number of notable sites such as:
Ex Franciscan Monastery
This was built before 1550 and on September 6, 1933 the federal government declared it a national monument. In 1987, the local government, with the support of the National Fund for Social Activities (FONAPAS), remodeled this monastery next to Zinacantepec’s main church. The monastery has an open chapel with beautiful frescos from the XVI century, standing out is the one of Saint Francis of Assisi and the family tree that sprouts from his heart. Next to the chapel, there is a monolithic baptismal font from 1581. In the central patio there are two sun dials. Inside the building, there are 60 copies of portraits of viceroys and archbishops, with the originals at the Chapultepec Castle. Among the sculptures, there is a wooden Mary Magdalene from the XVI century, a Saint Francis of Assisi sculpture from the XVII century and a crucifix made of giant reed.
Museum of Viceregal Art:
This is located in the central square of San Miguel Zinacantepec. It focuses on the evangelistic activities of the Franciscans in Mexico. It was inaugurated on July 5, 1980 by José López Portillo. The museum has 18 rooms, including a library with 4800 volumes written in Latin and ancient Spanish. The topics of these books are religious and some of them have original stamps from diverse religious orders. It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10 to 18 hours. [4]
[edit] The municipality
As municipal seat, San Miguel Zinacantepec is the governing authority of the following communities: Rancho las Ánimas, Buenavista, Colonia la Deportiva Rancho Viejo, Contadero de Matamoros (San José), El Cóporo, Rancho Santa Lugarda, El Curtidor, Colonia Morelos (Ej. San Juan de las Huertas), Loma Alta, Loma de San Francisco, El Molino (Hacienda del Molino), Cerro del Murciélago, Ojo de Agua, La Peñuela, La Puerta del Monte (La Puerta), San Antonio Acahualco, San Juan de las Huertas, Ejido San Lorenzo Cuauhtenco, San Pedro Tejalpa, Santa Cruz Cuauhtenco, Santa María del Monte, Santa María Nativitas, Rancho Serratón, Tejalpa, Colonia Ricardo Flores Magón, Recibitas (El Remolino), San Bartolo del Llano (San Isidro), San Bartolo el Viejo, Barrio de México, Cruz Colorada, La Lima, Raíces, San José Barbabosa, Colonia Nueva Serratón, Rinconada de Tecaxic, Colonia San Matías Transfiguración, La Cañada (Cañada Grande), Colonia la Herradura, Ciendabajo (Hacienda de Abajo), La Joya, Colonia Praztitlán (Col. de los Ingenieros), El Capón (Puerta del Llano), Dos Caminos (Crucero de la Puerta), Agua Blanca Ejido de Santa María del Monte, Cerro Gordo (El Gachupín), Loma de San Luis Mextepec, Barrio de la Rosa, San Miguel Hojas Anchas, Colonia Dos de Marzo, Colonia la Virgen, Colonia Cuauhtémoc, El Kiosco, and Los Rosales as well as 24 unnamed settlements.According to INEGI 2005 census figures, the municipality had a population of 136,167 inhabitants[3].
The municipality covers an area of 308.68 km² (119.18 sq mi). It shares borders with Almoloya de Juárez, Texcaltitlán, Toluca, Calimaya, Temascaltepec Amanalco de Becerra, Villa Guerrero and Coatepec Harinas. The municipality of Zinacantepec was created in 1821 although this was not ratified by the government of the Mexico State until 1826. [1] Communities of Otomis and Matzalincas still exist in the municipality. The Otomis are concentrated in the north of the municipality, including the municipal seat while the Matzalincas are concentrated in the south.[2]
The average temperature in San Miguel Zinacantepec is 12º C (53.6 ºF). It rains from May to October.[2]
Nevado de Toluca National Park is located partially in the municipality of Zinacantepec. The Ppark's most important feature is an extinct volcano 10,381 feet (3,164 m) high, with picturesque crater lakes. These lakes are the source of the springs that are located in the municipality of Zinacantepec. The crater's rim is reached by a road that is said to be the highest in Mexico. The lower slopes of the mountains are wooded with pine and oyamel fir or sacred fir [5] The temperature on the slopes of the volcano are of 28°C (82.4 °F) in summer and -5º (23 °F) C in winter.
The main economic activities of this region are agriculture, livestock raising and industrial activities. Agricultural activities are based on family plots and small farms, primarily producing corn during the rainy season, with small quantities of potatoes, lima beans, green beans, carrots, spinach, onions and radishes. There are several family orchards. Livestock raising has based on cattle, swine and sheep.[2]
A small industrial zone has been established in San Miguel Zinacantepec, featuring a Grupo Bimbo warehouse, a Coca Cola bottling plant, CIMSA Gas and other smaller industries are located in this town. Among traditional products of this region are found handmade napkins, red and green mole (sauce), barbacoa, carnitas, pulque and fruit liquors.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Gobierno del Estado de México. Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Enciclopedia de Municipios de Mexico. Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
- ^ a b INEGI II Conteo de Población y Vivienda 2005. Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
- ^ Mexico State tourism guide. Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
- ^ Britannica Online. Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
