Almoloya del Río
Encyclopedia
Almolya del Río is a town and municipality located in the State of Mexico 26 km from the state capital of Toluca
Toluca
Toluca, formally known as Toluca de Lerdo, is the state capital of Mexico State as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. It is the center of a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico. It is located west-southwest of Mexico City and only about 40 minutes by car to the...

. It is located 2,600 meters above sea level. The name Almoloya comes from the Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...

 phrase almoloyán which means place where water flows out. “del Rio” means “of the river” in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

 and refers to the Lerma River
Lerma River
The Lerma Santiago River is Mexico's second longest river. It is a river in west-central Mexico that begins in Mexican Plateau at an altitude over above sea level, and ends where it empties into Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest lake, near Guadalajara, Jalisco...

, which originates here.

History

While the area had been long inhabited by hunter-gatherers, the first sedentary farming communities appeared in this area around 5000 to 1000 BC. Almoloya was founded on the edges of the marshes of Lake Chicnahuapan. In the Pre-Classic period, agriculture intensified and tribal communities began to develop. By the High Classic period, villages with ceremonial centers had developed as well as the cultivation of corn, beans and vegetables on chinampa
Chinampa
Chinampa is a method of ancient Mesoamerican agriculture which used small, rectangle-shaped areas of fertile arable land to grow crops on the shallow lake beds in the Valley of Mexico.-Description:...

s in Lake Chicnahuapan and the Chicnahuapan River, now known as the Lerma River
Lerma River
The Lerma Santiago River is Mexico's second longest river. It is a river in west-central Mexico that begins in Mexican Plateau at an altitude over above sea level, and ends where it empties into Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest lake, near Guadalajara, Jalisco...

. The village of Almoloya was founded between 650 and 850 AD by the Otomí
Otomi people
The Otomi people . Smaller Otomi populations exist in the states of Puebla, Mexico, Tlaxcala, Michoacán and Guanajuato. The Otomi language belonging to the Oto-Pamean branch of the Oto-Manguean language family is spoken in many different varieties some of which are not mutually intelligible.One of...

  and Matlatzinca
Matlatzinca
Matlatzinca is a name used to refer to different indigenous ethnic groups in the Toluca Valley in the state of México, located in the central highlands of Mexico. The term is applied to the ethnic group inhabiting the valley of Toluca and to their language, Matlatzinca.When used as an ethnonym,...

 people. The patron divinity was the Night Jaguar from the Olmec
Olmec
The Olmec were the first major Pre-Columbian civilization in Mexico. They lived in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, in the modern-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco....

 culture and the ceremonial center was called Xiutépetl Xaxalpa.

Mixcoatl
Mixcoatl
Mixcoatl , or Camaxtli, was the god of the hunt and identified with the Milky Way, the stars, and the heavens in several Mesoamerican cultures. He was the patron deity of the Otomi, the Chichimecs, and several groups that claimed descent from the Chichimecs...

 conquered Almoloya del Río, along with Toluca, Tenango
Tenango
Tenango may mean:*Tenango del Aire, Edomex*Tenango de Arista, in the municipality of Tenango del Valle, Edomex*Tenango, Chiapas*Tenango, Hidalgo *Tenango, Morelos...

, Malinalco
Malinalco
Malinalco is a town and municipality located 65 kilometers south of the city of Toluca in the south of the western portion of the Mexico State. Malinalco is 115 km southwest Mexico City....

 and Zoquitzinco. This was part of the expansion of the Tepanec
Tepanec
The Tepanecs or Tepaneca are a Mesoamerican people who arrived in the Valley of Mexico in the late 12th or early 13th centuries. The Tepanec were a sister culture of the Aztecs as well as the Acolhua and others—these tribes spoke the Nahuatl language and shared the same general pantheon, with...

 empire which included many of the peoples of the Valley of Toluca. Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...

 conquest came in 1476 under leader Axayacatl
Axayacatl
Axayacatl was the sixth Aztec Emperor, a ruler of the Postclassic Mesoamerican Aztec Empire and city of Tenochtitlan, who reigned from 1469 to 1481.He is chiefly remembered for subjugating Tlatelolco, Tenochtitlan's sister city, in 1473....

 putting the town under the jurisdiction of Tacuba
Tacuba
Tacuba is a municipality in the Ahuachapán department of El Salvador.-Church Of Tacuba:It is located in Villa of Tacuba. It is head of the municipality of the same name in the department of Ahuachapán, at about 14 Kilometers of the city of Ahuachapán and at 700 meters over the sea level...

. Later, in 1521, Spaniard Gonzalo de Sandoval
Gonzalo de Sandoval
Gonzalo de Sandoval was a Spanish conquistador in New Spain and briefly co-governor of the colony while Hernan Cortés was away from the capital .-Arrival in New Spain:Sandoval was the youngest of the lieutenants of Cortés. They arrived together in New Spain in 1519...

 took over the town along with the rest of the valley, putting it under the jurisdiction of Toluca. The Franciscans came shortly thereafter to evangelize the native population, very likely building a small, temporary church where the current church stands. In 1528, the town was part of the encomienda
Encomienda
The encomienda was a system that was employed mainly by the Spanish crown during the colonization of the Americas to regulate Native American labor....

 of Juan Gutiérrez Altamirano, a cousin of Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...

, who had a hacienda
Hacienda
Hacienda is a Spanish word for an estate. Some haciendas were plantations, mines, or even business factories. Many haciendas combined these productive activities...

 named Ateneo. He also set up a hacienda just outside of the town of Almoloya. In the 16th and 17th centuries the town church, San Miguel Arcangel was built. In the 18th century, the town of Metepec had grown sufficiently that it became a jurisdiction, which Almoloya belonged to. Viceregal authorities mandated that Indians living in scattered small communities in this valley be grouped into four larger communities; one of these communities was Almoloya By 1808, the town itself had grown sufficiently that it had jurisdiction over three other communities: San Mateo Texcalyacac, Santa Cruz Atizapán
Santa Cruz Atizapán
Santa Cruz Atizapán is a town and municipality, in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 8.42 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 8,909....

, Santa María Nativitas
Santa María Nativitas
Santa María Nativitas is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of km².It is part of the Coixtlahuaca district in the Mixteca Region.As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of ....

 and San Pedro Techuchulco. During the Mexican War of Independence
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...

, Ignacio Rayón’s troops fought royalist troops in the fields between this town and Santiago Tianguistenco
Santiago Tianguistenco
Santiago Tianguistenco, often just simply called Tianguistenco, is a city and municipality located in Mexico State about thirty km south of the state capital of Toluca. It is located in the southwest part of the Valley of Toluca at the edge of the Ajusco mountain range that separates it from Mexico...

.

On 26 October 1884, 300 people led by Friar Isidro García attacked forty evangelists killing Pastor Landa, Nicanor Gomez and Nicolas Muciño.

In 1889, the town had a territory of 18 km2 and a population of 3,740 people.

During the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...

, the townspeople’s loyalty was split between the federal government and Zapatista
Liberation Army of the South
The Liberation Army of the South was an armed group formed and led by Emiliano Zapata that took part in the Mexican Revolution. The force was commonly known as the Zapatistas....

 and other revolutionaries. In 1913, Genovevo de la O
Genovevo de la O
Genovevo de la O was an important figure in the Mexican Revolution.He was born in Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Morelos, to sharecropper parents. He was dedicated to the plight of Mexico's peasants and came to be an outstanding Liberation Army of the South guerrilla general...

. took the town’s municipal president, Apolonio Vázquez prisoner and nearly executed him. In 1915, fighting between federalists and revolutionaries resulted in the burning of the municipal palace and the destruction of almost all of the municipality’s records. A small portion was saved by Juan Hernández.

Between 1914 and 1918, a series of epidemics such as typhoid and famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...

s struck the town, resulting in the reduction of the population.

Between the 1930’s and 1950’s a number of work projects began to divert water from the Lerma River to supply nearby Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

. This eventually led to the disappearance of Lake Chignahuapan. These works included an aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....

 and other actions such as dynamiting to divert the water to the city. In addition to the disappearance of the lake, this diversion has had seriously negative consequences to the Lerma River itself by blocking off the springs that feed the river. Overexploitation
Overexploitation
Overexploitation, also called overharvesting, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Sustained overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource...

 of these springs is also causing the dropping of water tables that will eventually cause the springs to dry up altogether.

By 1995 only 55 people spoke an indigenous language and by 2005, only 31 did. As of 2005, the town had a population of 7,992 people.

Notable sites

The town church, called San Miguel Arcángel, is its most outstanding feature, built between the 16th and 17th centuries. It is dedicated to Our Lord of Burgos. The church faces west, towards where Lake Chignahupan was, with a view of the Nevado de Toluca
Nevado de Toluca
Nevado de Toluca is a large stratovolcano in central Mexico, located about west of Mexico City near the city of Toluca. It is generally cited as the fourth highest of Mexico's peaks, after Pico de Orizaba, Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, although by some measurements, Sierra Negra is slightly...

. In the late 19th century, the stone wall to the north was constructed and its tower is thought to have been built around this time as well. Its bells were cast in 1947. According to sources, to achieve a better sound, many women of the town donated much of their gold jewelry. Many of the church’s improvements at this time were the work of a religious fraternity called “La Agrupacion.” The church has two side naves and one main nave, at the back of which if the main altar, whose age is undetermined. Above the vestibule is the choir, which used to have a large organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...

. In its interior are sculptures of the Archangel Michael, Saint Augustine, Archangel Gabriel, and four of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...

.

The Esmeralda Clock was made in 1926 in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 with its base made in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

. It originally was located in Mexico City. It was given to the municipality as a token of appreciated for the sale of its water to the city. It was placed in its current position in 1940. As the town is located on the tallest hill in the municipality, the tones of this clock can be heard in the nearby communities, with many people using these chimes to mark their day.

The Parque Ecoturístico was inaugurated in 2007 in the marshes of the old lake. These marshes are home to a wide variety of species including a third of the bird species native to the State of Mexico. It is also a wintering ground for birds that migrate from the U.S. and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

.

Economy

As the principal economic activity of the town is the production of denim clothing, every year in September is the “Feria de Vestido y Costura” (Festival of Clothing and Sewing).Garments produced include rebozo
Rebozo
A rebozo is a woman's garment used in Mexico. Rectangular in shape, rebozos vary in size from 1.5 to upwards of three metres, and can be made of cotton, wool, silk, or articela. They can be worn as scarves or shawls, and women often use them to carry children and take products to the market. It is...

s, stoles and embroidered wool skirts. Traditional garments of the region, especially those associated with the feast of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi (feast)
Corpus Christi is a Latin Rite solemnity, now designated the solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ . It is also celebrated in some Anglican, Lutheran and Old Catholic Churches. Like Trinity Sunday and the Solemnity of Christ the King, it does not commemorate a particular event in...

 are a specialty as well. Many of these garments can be bought at the weekly Sunday tianguis
Tianguis
A tianguis is an open air market or bazaar that is traditionally held on certain market days in a town or city neighborhood in Mexico and Central America. This bazaar tradition has its roots well into the pre-Hispanic period and continues in many cases essentially unchanged into the present day....

 or open-air market.

Almoloya is known for mariachi bands that make their living at Plaza Garibaldi
Plaza Garibaldi
Plaza Garibaldi is located in the historic center of Mexico City, on Eje Central between historic Calle República de Honduras and Calle República de Peru, a few blocks north of the Palacio de Bellas Artes. The original name of this plaza was Plaza Santa Cecilia, but in 1910 it was renamed in...

 in Mexico City. The best-known of these bands are called “Benito Juarez” and “Miguel Hidalgo”.

Festivals

This town celebrates Carnaval
Brazilian Carnival
The Carnival of Brazil is an annual festival held forty-six days before Easter. On certain days of Lent, Roman Catholics and some other Christians traditionally abstained from the consumption of meat and poultry, hence the term "carnival," from carnelevare, "to remove meat." Carnival celebrations...

 every year in honor of the Virgin of Dolores. During this celebration, folkdances such as the "Paseo de Locos" (Parade of Crazies) los "Vaqueros" (the Cowboys) las "Pastoras" (the Shepardesses) and " Señor Santiago" (Lord Santiago).

This town is also the home of the annual “Biker Fantasy Fest,” also known as the “International Camping Biker” which started in 1994. This is a rock-and-roll and motorcyclists’ event, billed as non-violent and family-friendly. The 2007 event expected 50,000 people over the three-day event. This event mostly features Mexican rock bands such as Las victimas del Dr. Cerebro, La Dolorosa, Los Gatos (band)
Los Gatos (band)
Los Gatos were an Argentine rock group of the late 1960s, members of the founding trilogy of Spanish-language rock in Argentina.- History:The group got their start in 1967...

, Congal Tijuana, Panteón Rococó
Panteón Rococó
Panteón Rococó is a Mexican ska band from Mexico City. Despite flourishing black markets, they have sold thousands of records. While being stars in Mexico, they have been touring Europe for the last several years, especially Germany, where their European Label Übersee Records is located.- Musical...

 and Maldita Vecindad
Maldita Vecindad
La Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio are a band formed in Mexico City in 1985. They are pioneers in rock en Español and are one of the most influential rock bands in Latin America....

.

The municipality

As municipal seat, the town of Almoloya del Río currently has governing jurisdiction over only two other communities, Tecalco to the north of the main town and Texcoapan to the south. These two are divided into the following communities: Emiliano Zapata, El Calavario, La Puerta, Loma Linda, San Miguel, Duraznitos, Loma Alta, Florida (El Jaguey), Mirasol and Mezapa. Together the combined municipality had a population of 8,939 in 2005.It is bordered by the municipalities of Santa Cruz Atizapán, Santiago Tianguistenco, Texcalyacac, Xalatlaco
Xalatlaco
Xalatlaco is a town and municipality in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 93.23 km². It is one of the 17 municipalities that border Mexico City, bordering the capital city's southwest side....

 and San Antonio la Isla
San Antonio la Isla
San Antonio La Isla is a town and municipality located in the State of Mexico in Mexico. Its name originally was "Techialoyan" or "Tlachialoyan", which in Nahuatl means "place of those who watch". Its glyph is an eye on the apex of a pyramid that floats on water...

. It has a territory of 6.44 square km. The topography of this small municipality consists of a hill of volcanic origin, on which the town lies, surrounded by smaller, rolling hills and the lakebed of the old Lake Chignahuapan. From here the Lerma River has its start from a number of springs that originate here.

On 26 March 1847, Almoloya del Río became a municipality. In 1854, the communities under its jurisdiction were San Pedro Techuchulco, San Mateo Texcalyacac, Santa Cruz Atizapán and the Rancho de Almoloya. However, its territory was reduced in 1866 when the municipality of Texcalyacac was erected and again in 1870 when Santa Cruz Atizapán separated.

The area has a rainy season from April to October and a dry season from November to March with a total annual rainfall of 871.7 mm. Average temperature is about 11.7C with temperatures as high as 18C and as low as 1.5C.

The principal economic activity, the production of clothing, is based on the town. Some handcrafts are produced including woven baskets for tortillas and flower arrangements. Outside the town, there is still agriculture, primarily the production of animal feed and corn on communal and ejido
Ejido
The ejido system is a process whereby the government promotes the use of communal land shared by the people of the community. This use of community land was a common practice during the time of Aztec rule in Mexico...

lands. Cattle raising is also practiced here.
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