Ozumba
Encyclopedia
Ozumba is a town and municipality located in the southeast portion of the Valley of Mexico
, 70km southeast of Mexico City
near the Mexico City-Cuautla
highway. The main feature of this area is the Parish of the Immaculate Conception (Inmaculada Concepción) which began as a Franciscan
monastery in the 16th century. The entrance to the cloister area contains murals related to the early evangelization efforts of this order. They include scenes such as Hernán Cortés
greeting the first Franciscan missionaries in Mexico, the martyrdom of some of the first young converts to Christianity and even a scene where the monks are flogging Cortés. The church itself inside has suffered the theft of a number of its antique pieces. The name Ozumba comes from Nahuatl
meaning “over the streams of water”. “de Alzate” was added to the formal name in honor of the scientist José Antonio Alzate y Ramirez Santillana who was born here.
tribes. By the 16th century, the area was firmly under the control of the Aztec Empire as a tributary province.
After arriving to the Valley of Mexico, the first Spanish crossed through here on their way to Tenochtitlan. The peoples here allied themselves with the Spanish in 1521 against the Aztecs, an alliance which allowed the people here to suffer less modification of their lifestyles than in other parts of early New Spain
. However, this area remained a tributary province with tribute going to the Spanish instead of the Aztecs. The area was divided into encomenderos, but the natives maintained much of their communal farmland despite efforts by hacienda owners to confiscate them.
During the colonial period, the main town in this area was Chimalhuacan, generally called Chimalhuacan-Chalco. The village of Ozumba was founded in 1525 by Francisco Atlanlzincuilzin, who was its first leader. Evangelization was done by the Franciscans at the end of the 16th century, when the monastery was most likely established here. The earliest parts of the building date from this time. The first formal church parish was established here in 1606, according to the first records of baptism, which dates from 1621. In this book, which extends to 1650, the baptisms of the indigenous are recorded in Nahuatl and those of the Europeans in Spanish.
Ozumba was under the religious jurisdiction of Tlalmanalco
. The bishops and other administrators eventually ceased being monks, with these duties handed over to regular clergy. From 1773 to 1813, a large number of priests were assigned to the parish, which only two staying long term.
During the Mexican War of Independence
, Morelos’
success in Cuautla forced viceroy
Felix Calleja to retreat to Ozumba with more than 200 wounded. After Independence and the erection of the State of Mexico, Ozumba became a municipality in 1825, when the area had about 4,000 inhabitants. “de Alzarte” was added to the official name in 1879.
From 1860 to 1870, the area was plagued by a bandit group known as Los Plateados. The first train arrived in 1882, connecting Ozumba with the outside world, especially Cuautla and Mexico City. This contact resulted in the replacement of Nahuatl with Spanish as the dominant language.
During the Mexican Revolution
, Ozumba was on the border of lands controlled by the government and those controlled by the rebels, leading to significant violence here, including the derailment of the train by Zapatista troops. Ozumba remained mostly in government hands, but the Zapatistas
attacked frequently, capturing it for brief periods on two occasions. The violence ended in 1917, and the town has been mostly quiet since. The original municipal palace was demolished in the 1950s and replaced with the current one. The municipal market
was constructed in the 1970s.
Violence returned to the town when gunmen, presumably from “La Familia Michoacana” drug cartel, shot up municipal president Luis Alfredo Galicia Arrieta’s house in the town in the middle of the night in December 2009.
south of Amecameca
. It is part of the “Volcano Route” (a tourism promotion of the State of Mexico) which includes the municipalities of Chalco, Tlalmanalco, Amecameca and Nepantla. The town and municipality experience ash and small quakes from the Popocatépetl
volcano from time to time. For this reason, it is one of the 20 communities near the active volcano subject to emergency evacuation procedures in the event of an eruption. These procedures affect 60,000 people in fourteen municipalities in Mexico State alone. The town has narrow streets whose layout dates back to the colonial era. The main plaza is a simple layout with an open area for concerts and other events and a kiosk of simple design. It is surrounded by stands offering street food such as tacos and quesadillas. However the most of the town’s activity focuses on the Nuestra Senora de la Inmaculada Concepcion Church with its large atrium
. Many come here to rest, and children are allowed to play in the area as well as to see the murals painted in the side entrance.
The Church of Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Conception began as a Franciscan
monastery established in the 16th century. Only the side entrance and columns of the church date from 16th century. The rest, including the church, dates from the 17th century to the early 18th century. This latter construction was due to the dilapidated condition of the original church, which was rebuilt, starting in 1696. The tower was constructed in 1717 by architects Juan Perez and Juan Ventura. Baptismal records indicate that this monastery church became the parish church of the area in the 17th century.
The facade has undergone some changes since it was first built. Today, it consists of three bodies crowned by a crest. In the first two bodies there are images between the columns. The third body is decorated with a stone image of the Virgin Mary. The crest contains in image of God, the Father looking down on those entering the church with hands spread in blessing. The tower contains stone and plaster decorative elements.
The two main features are the main altarpieces and the high choir on the right hand side. This is one of the few of its kind remaining in Mexico and its is completely made of intricately carved wood.
The main altarpiece completely covers the wall behind the main altar. The center part of the cut out and replaced by a Neoclassical
one. Its restoration to a more original appearance is relatively recent and based on research by the INAH to determine what it probably looked like. In the center of the altarpiece is an image of the Immaculate Conception, surrounded by images of the saints associated with the life of the Virgin Mary as well as Franciscan friars such as Anthony of Padua
, Diego de Acala Obispo, Francis of Assisi
and Bernardino of Siena
and others such as Saint Dominic
and Augustine of Hippo
. Two sculptures are missing… those of Saint Cecilia
and King David
due to theft. Although extremely ornate, this piece is considered to be part of the “sober” Baroque tradition
. The entire altarpiece is gilded and the main feature is the repeating Solomonic Baroque columns
.
Other colonial altarpieces in various styles line the nave and stand in the side chapels, some with paintings by well known Mexican artists such as Juan Correa
and the Arellano family. The altarpiece of the Passion of Christ was begun in 1741. Its sculpting was finished in 1746 and was gilded between 1749 and 1753. It was originally dedicated to Jesus the Nazarene until the 19th century. This sculpture was then moved to the second body. There used to be seven archangels here but only two remain.
The Chapel of the Third Order has a more traditional altarpiece, with two bodies approachable from three sides. It contains niches, some of which are now empty. These contained images such as those of San Hugo and the Immaculate Conception. The altarpiece was done by a sculptor named Domingo and contains two of his paintings. At the top are paintings done by someone named Arellano. Some aspects of the altars are modern such as the statue of Thérèse de Lisieux
. Originally, there was a statue of Anthony of Padua here.
Unfortunately, this church, along with a number of others in the area, has suffered the theft of artwork. This have included statues of saints, altar items and paintings such as “The Transit of the Virgin” which was stolen in the 1990s.
The monastery area is to the right of the church. The main entrance is a “portería” or an arched, colonnaded entry. Inside this portería are murals depicting scenes from the early evangelization efforts by the Franciscans in Mexico. It has been theorized that this portería originally served as the monastery’s chapel and where evangelization efforts were concentrated. This would explain the six major scenes which are depicted on the walls. These murals are all that is left of the monastery’s original decoration from the 16th century. The murals were retouched in the mid 19th century. They are one of the earliest examples of Rubens motif in the New World and contain one of the very few depictions of Peter of Ghent.
On the left hand side is a depiction of Hernán Cortés greeting the arrival of the first twelve Franciscan monks to arrive to Tenochtitlan-Mexico City. These friars had walked barefoot from Veracruz
on the Gulf coast, 250 to the east. Cortés greets them on the causeway leading into the city as the head of a retinue of conquistadors and high ranking Aztec
nobles. The Aztecs show surprise when Cortés and the other Spaniards bow to the monks.
To the right of the main door is a depicted of the “Niños Mártires” or child martyrs of Tlaxcala
. According to the story, in 1527, Axotecatl, one of the four lords of Tlaxcala, sent his sons to be educated by the Franciscans. Then the boys returned, they had converted to Christianity and began to smash native idols and scolding their father for his polygamy and drinking. The lord beat one son, who the Spaniards named Cristobal, and then burned him to death. The other two boys fled but continued to preach until they met a martyr’s fate. This scene not only shows martyrdom but also shows how the Franciscans invested in childhood education and even suggests that they may have loved the boys more than their own parents.
To the far right is a relative rare scene of Cortés being flagellated, which depicts a story from Texcoco. According to the story, an Indian missed mass and was punished by public flogging, prompting an angry response from the native community. To pacify the situation, Cortés arranged with the friars to arrive late to Mass and to receive the flogging in front of the natives. The idea was to show that the punishment was impartial. However, the Franciscans also viewed Cortés flogging as voluntary and as a sign of his piety. The depiction has two messages, one of the special relationship between the Church and the Spaniards as well as the acceptance of public punishment.
Above the doorframe is an image of Francis of Assisi holding three globes that support an image of Mary Immaculate as María de Ágreda
writes the Mystical city of God and Duns Scotus
writes a defense of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception
. This image would appear in later monasteries such as the Mission Landa in the Sierra Gorda
of Querétaro
, at a college in Zacatecas
and another college in Mexico City.
Although most are (semi) abandoned and not restored for tourists, the town has a number of other architectural and historic sites. The abandoned train station is on the Mexico City-Cuautla section of the Ferrocarril Interocianico (Inter-Ocean Railway) which connected Acapulco
with Veracruz. The station was built in 1895. Casa de Cultura José A. Alzate has temporary art and other exhibits as well as classes in dance, painting, music, theater and other arts. It is named after Jose Antonio de Alzate y Ramirez Santillana, who was baptized here in 1737. He was a scientist with influence in the social, political and economic fields during the intellectual movement of Mexico in the 18th century. The scientist’s childhood home is also located here. Colonial era constructions include the Juan Rulfo house, the Casa de la Nueva York and the Chapel of San Francisco, one of the oldest churches in the municipality. Rodolfo Ortega house is representative of the architectural style of the municipality.
The municipal market is located on the main road in front of the church. It is a typical rural market of Mexico State selling basic necessities such as foods, seed, grain and even cattle. Particularly during the rainy season, this market, as well as many others in the area, also offers up to 90 species of edible wild mushrooms. These are most often sold by older women in areas just outside of the market building. The value of mushrooms in this region of Mexico helps to maintain traditional ethnobiological
knowledge. The most common prepared food items sold in the food stalls are barbacoa
and moronga
, a type of blood sausage prepared in various ways.
Principal festivities here is the Feast of the Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepcion on 8 December , the anniversary of the municipality on 23 June and the Festival of the Gremios on 15 August. On feast days, traditional dances include Los Concheros, Los Moros y Cristianos and Las Marotas.
There is one institution of higher education located here called the Universidad Alzate de Ozumba. http://www.unicoalzate.com.mx/
, Amecameca, Atlautla
, Tepetlixpa
and Juchitepec
as well as to the south by the state of Morelos
.
The most important geographical feature of the area is the Popocatepetl volcano although it lies outside of the municipality proper. Much of the land here was tempered by past lava flows. The town is surrounded by many ravines and the municipality’s territory is very rugged. The ravines are formed by small streams, whose water flows and swirls into spirals. This is what gives the area its name. Most ravines align northeast to southwest. The highest elevation is the Xoyacan Mountain which separates it from Amecameca and Ayapango. Another major elevation is the Chimal or Huilotepec Mountain which also forms part of its border, separating it from Tepetlixpa. The Cuautepec Mountain separates the municipality from the state of Morelos. Between the town of Ozumba and Chimalhuacan there is a small elevation which is locally known as the Cerrito (small mountain) and it is one of the few elevations in the center of the municipality. The only natural surface water is found in ravines and springs. The most notable ravines are called the Tlapunatlaco, the San Bartolo, and the San Francisco. The north and central parts of the municipality have a temperate climate (C(w2) (w) b(i)g), while the lower southern part has a somewhat warmer climate (A) C(w2) (w) a(i´)). Most of the wild vegetation here is pine and oak forest, which has been heavily exploited by man. Fauna includes armadillo
, cacomixtle), rabbits, bobcat
s, bats, skunks, hummingbirds, doves, butterflies, scorpions and spiders.
Sixty five percent of the land here is used for agriculture with most of the rest being developed. Some of the main crops are produced in family orchards and include walnuts, capulin
s, avocado
s, Mexican hawthorn
s, peaches, apricots, apples, and others. A number of commercial flowers and medicinal plants are also grown here. Agriculture is still the most important economic activity, with some livestock and some logging done at the foothills of the Popocatepetl volcano. The only industry is small workshops which produce farm implements, saddles, fireworks and boots .Despite agriculture’s importance, just under half the municipality’s population is engaged in commerce.
The municipality has two main attractions, a variety of natural areas and parks and its architectural heritage consisting of early colonial churches and monasteries completed before the end of the 17th century. The community of San Mateo Tecalco has both. The largest park Parque Olla and there are year-round fresh water springs at Pozas de Santa Maria. It also has one of the oldest churches in the municipality.
Just south of the municipal seat is the community of San Vicent Chimalhuacan, which is often called Chimalhuacan-Chalco or just simply Chimal. Natural attractions here include the Parque El Salto with its small waterfall, gardens and caves located just west of the Dominican monastery. This area is popular with local tourists despite the lack of facilities. Another natural area is the Parque La Herradura, which is a forested area in the foothills of the Popocatepetl volcano. The most important architectural attraction here is the former Dominican
monastery which dates from the 16th century. It has a wide church with thick buttresses. The main entrance is sculpted in sandstone containing the coats of arms of Castilla
and of the Dominican order. The complex overall is a mix of Moorish and Plateresque
styles. A plaque states that Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was baptized here in 1651 although she was really baptized in 1648. The baptismal font dates from 1542. This church has been converted into a cultural center due to the annual celebrations held here to commemorate the birth of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. The parish church for the community is the Church of San Vicente Ferrer which was once the richest church in the municipality. Today it has a small archeological museum containing carved stone, ceramics, clay figures, utensils and more from the pre-Hispanic era. The Arco de los Conejos and Los Guardias are colonial era monuments marking the entrance to San Vicente Chimalhuacan.
There are a number of other attractions in the more rural areas of the municipality. The Pozas del Alvaresco and the Pozas de Atzinco are natural springs which emit water during the rainy season. The Hacienda de Actopan is located just east of the town and is available to rent for functions. The Hacienda de Actempan is located east of the town and is semi abandoned. The Puente de los Aztecs is a pre-Hispanic era bridge located in a rural area of the municipality.
Valley of Mexico
The Valley of Mexico is a highlands plateau in central Mexico roughly coterminous with the present-day Distrito Federal and the eastern half of the State of Mexico. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, the Valley of Mexico was a centre for several pre-Columbian civilizations, including...
, 70km southeast of 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...
near the Mexico City-Cuautla
Cuautla, Morelos
Cuautla , officially La heroica e histórica Cuautla de Morelos, or H. H. Cuautla de Morelos, is a city and municipality in the Mexican state of Morelos. In the 2005 census the city population was 145,482 and the municipality population was 160,285. The municipality covers 153.651 km²...
highway. The main feature of this area is the Parish of the Immaculate Conception (Inmaculada Concepción) which began as a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monastery in the 16th century. The entrance to the cloister area contains murals related to the early evangelization efforts of this order. They include scenes such as 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...
greeting the first Franciscan missionaries in Mexico, the martyrdom of some of the first young converts to Christianity and even a scene where the monks are flogging Cortés. The church itself inside has suffered the theft of a number of its antique pieces. The name Ozumba comes from 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...
meaning “over the streams of water”. “de Alzate” was added to the formal name in honor of the scientist José Antonio Alzate y Ramirez Santillana who was born here.
History
The first human inhabitants were hunter-gatherers of various ethnicities. Later, the presence of the Olmecs helped to form the first sedentary agrarian societies. After this, the Nahua eventually became the dominant ethnicity. Most of these Nahuas were of the Xochimilca and ChichimecaChichimeca
Chichimeca was the name that the Nahua peoples of Mexico generically applied to a wide range of semi-nomadic peoples who inhabited the north of modern-day Mexico and southwestern United States, and carried the same sense as the European term "barbarian"...
tribes. By the 16th century, the area was firmly under the control of the Aztec Empire as a tributary province.
After arriving to the Valley of Mexico, the first Spanish crossed through here on their way to Tenochtitlan. The peoples here allied themselves with the Spanish in 1521 against the Aztecs, an alliance which allowed the people here to suffer less modification of their lifestyles than in other parts of early New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
. However, this area remained a tributary province with tribute going to the Spanish instead of the Aztecs. The area was divided into encomenderos, but the natives maintained much of their communal farmland despite efforts by hacienda owners to confiscate them.
During the colonial period, the main town in this area was Chimalhuacan, generally called Chimalhuacan-Chalco. The village of Ozumba was founded in 1525 by Francisco Atlanlzincuilzin, who was its first leader. Evangelization was done by the Franciscans at the end of the 16th century, when the monastery was most likely established here. The earliest parts of the building date from this time. The first formal church parish was established here in 1606, according to the first records of baptism, which dates from 1621. In this book, which extends to 1650, the baptisms of the indigenous are recorded in Nahuatl and those of the Europeans in Spanish.
Ozumba was under the religious jurisdiction of Tlalmanalco
Tlalmanalco
Tlalmanalco is a town and municipality located in the far south-eastern part of the State of Mexico. The name is from the Nahuatl language, meaning “flat area.” The municipality’s seal shows flat land, with a pyramid on it, representing its pre-Hispanic history, surrounded by small mountains, which...
. The bishops and other administrators eventually ceased being monks, with these duties handed over to regular clergy. From 1773 to 1813, a large number of priests were assigned to the parish, which only two staying long term.
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...
, Morelos’
José María Morelos
José María Teclo Morelos y Pavón was a Mexican Roman Catholic priest and revolutionary rebel leader who led the Mexican War of Independence movement, assuming its leadership after the execution of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in 1811...
success in Cuautla forced viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
Felix Calleja to retreat to Ozumba with more than 200 wounded. After Independence and the erection of the State of Mexico, Ozumba became a municipality in 1825, when the area had about 4,000 inhabitants. “de Alzarte” was added to the official name in 1879.
From 1860 to 1870, the area was plagued by a bandit group known as Los Plateados. The first train arrived in 1882, connecting Ozumba with the outside world, especially Cuautla and Mexico City. This contact resulted in the replacement of Nahuatl with Spanish as the dominant language.
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...
, Ozumba was on the border of lands controlled by the government and those controlled by the rebels, leading to significant violence here, including the derailment of the train by Zapatista troops. Ozumba remained mostly in government hands, but the Zapatistas
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....
attacked frequently, capturing it for brief periods on two occasions. The violence ended in 1917, and the town has been mostly quiet since. The original municipal palace was demolished in the 1950s and replaced with the current one. The municipal market
Traditional fixed markets in Mexico
Traditional fixed markets in Mexico go by a variety of names such as "mercados públicos" , "mercados municipales" or even more often simply "mercados"...
was constructed in the 1970s.
Violence returned to the town when gunmen, presumably from “La Familia Michoacana” drug cartel, shot up municipal president Luis Alfredo Galicia Arrieta’s house in the town in the middle of the night in December 2009.
The town
The town of Ozumba is located on Mexican Federal Highway 115Mexican Federal Highway 115
Mexican Federal Highway 115 is a Federal Highway of Mexico....
south of Amecameca
Amecameca
Amecameca is a town and municipality located in the eastern panhandle of Mexico State between Mexico City and the Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl volcanos of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It is located on federal highway 115 which leads to Cuautla, which is called the Volcano Route...
. It is part of the “Volcano Route” (a tourism promotion of the State of Mexico) which includes the municipalities of Chalco, Tlalmanalco, Amecameca and Nepantla. The town and municipality experience ash and small quakes from the Popocatépetl
Popocatépetl
Popocatépetl also known as "Popochowa" by the local population is an active volcano and, at , the second highest peak in Mexico after the Pico de Orizaba...
volcano from time to time. For this reason, it is one of the 20 communities near the active volcano subject to emergency evacuation procedures in the event of an eruption. These procedures affect 60,000 people in fourteen municipalities in Mexico State alone. The town has narrow streets whose layout dates back to the colonial era. The main plaza is a simple layout with an open area for concerts and other events and a kiosk of simple design. It is surrounded by stands offering street food such as tacos and quesadillas. However the most of the town’s activity focuses on the Nuestra Senora de la Inmaculada Concepcion Church with its large atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
. Many come here to rest, and children are allowed to play in the area as well as to see the murals painted in the side entrance.
The Church of Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Conception began as a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monastery established in the 16th century. Only the side entrance and columns of the church date from 16th century. The rest, including the church, dates from the 17th century to the early 18th century. This latter construction was due to the dilapidated condition of the original church, which was rebuilt, starting in 1696. The tower was constructed in 1717 by architects Juan Perez and Juan Ventura. Baptismal records indicate that this monastery church became the parish church of the area in the 17th century.
The facade has undergone some changes since it was first built. Today, it consists of three bodies crowned by a crest. In the first two bodies there are images between the columns. The third body is decorated with a stone image of the Virgin Mary. The crest contains in image of God, the Father looking down on those entering the church with hands spread in blessing. The tower contains stone and plaster decorative elements.
The two main features are the main altarpieces and the high choir on the right hand side. This is one of the few of its kind remaining in Mexico and its is completely made of intricately carved wood.
The main altarpiece completely covers the wall behind the main altar. The center part of the cut out and replaced by a Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
one. Its restoration to a more original appearance is relatively recent and based on research by the INAH to determine what it probably looked like. In the center of the altarpiece is an image of the Immaculate Conception, surrounded by images of the saints associated with the life of the Virgin Mary as well as Franciscan friars such as Anthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua or Anthony of Lisbon, O.F.M., was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. Though he died in Padua, Italy, he was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, which is where he was raised...
, Diego de Acala Obispo, Francis of Assisi
Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
and Bernardino of Siena
Bernardino of Siena
Saint Bernardino of Siena, O.F.M., was an Italian priest, Franciscan missionary, and is a Catholic saint.-Early life:...
and others such as Saint Dominic
Saint Dominic
Saint Dominic , also known as Dominic of Osma, often called Dominic de Guzmán and Domingo Félix de Guzmán was the founder of the Friars Preachers, popularly called the Dominicans or Order of Preachers , a Catholic religious order...
and Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
. Two sculptures are missing… those of Saint Cecilia
Saint Cecilia
Saint Cecilia is the patroness of musicians and Church music because as she was dying she sang to God. It is also written that as the musicians played at her wedding she "sang in her heart to the Lord". St. Cecilia was an only child. Her feast day is celebrated in the Roman Catholic, Anglican,...
and King David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
due to theft. Although extremely ornate, this piece is considered to be part of the “sober” Baroque tradition
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
. The entire altarpiece is gilded and the main feature is the repeating Solomonic Baroque columns
Solomonic column
The Solomonic column, also called Barley-sugar column, is a helical column, characterized by a spiraling twisting shaft like a corkscrew...
.
Other colonial altarpieces in various styles line the nave and stand in the side chapels, some with paintings by well known Mexican artists such as Juan Correa
Juan Correa
Juan Correa was a Mexican painter of mixed Moorish or African, Indian and Spanish heritage. His years of greatest activity were from 1671 to 1716. He painted many religious-themed, Baroque paintings for cathedrals in Mexico. Correa was José de Ibarra's teacher...
and the Arellano family. The altarpiece of the Passion of Christ was begun in 1741. Its sculpting was finished in 1746 and was gilded between 1749 and 1753. It was originally dedicated to Jesus the Nazarene until the 19th century. This sculpture was then moved to the second body. There used to be seven archangels here but only two remain.
The Chapel of the Third Order has a more traditional altarpiece, with two bodies approachable from three sides. It contains niches, some of which are now empty. These contained images such as those of San Hugo and the Immaculate Conception. The altarpiece was done by a sculptor named Domingo and contains two of his paintings. At the top are paintings done by someone named Arellano. Some aspects of the altars are modern such as the statue of Thérèse de Lisieux
Thérèse de Lisieux
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux , or Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, born Marie-Françoise-Thérèse Martin, was a French Carmelite nun...
. Originally, there was a statue of Anthony of Padua here.
Unfortunately, this church, along with a number of others in the area, has suffered the theft of artwork. This have included statues of saints, altar items and paintings such as “The Transit of the Virgin” which was stolen in the 1990s.
The monastery area is to the right of the church. The main entrance is a “portería” or an arched, colonnaded entry. Inside this portería are murals depicting scenes from the early evangelization efforts by the Franciscans in Mexico. It has been theorized that this portería originally served as the monastery’s chapel and where evangelization efforts were concentrated. This would explain the six major scenes which are depicted on the walls. These murals are all that is left of the monastery’s original decoration from the 16th century. The murals were retouched in the mid 19th century. They are one of the earliest examples of Rubens motif in the New World and contain one of the very few depictions of Peter of Ghent.
On the left hand side is a depiction of Hernán Cortés greeting the arrival of the first twelve Franciscan monks to arrive to Tenochtitlan-Mexico City. These friars had walked barefoot from Veracruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
on the Gulf coast, 250 to the east. Cortés greets them on the causeway leading into the city as the head of a retinue of conquistadors and high ranking 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...
nobles. The Aztecs show surprise when Cortés and the other Spaniards bow to the monks.
To the right of the main door is a depicted of the “Niños Mártires” or child martyrs of Tlaxcala
Tlaxcala
Tlaxcala officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tlaxcala is one of the 31 states which along with the Federal District comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 60 municipalities and its capital city is Tlaxcala....
. According to the story, in 1527, Axotecatl, one of the four lords of Tlaxcala, sent his sons to be educated by the Franciscans. Then the boys returned, they had converted to Christianity and began to smash native idols and scolding their father for his polygamy and drinking. The lord beat one son, who the Spaniards named Cristobal, and then burned him to death. The other two boys fled but continued to preach until they met a martyr’s fate. This scene not only shows martyrdom but also shows how the Franciscans invested in childhood education and even suggests that they may have loved the boys more than their own parents.
To the far right is a relative rare scene of Cortés being flagellated, which depicts a story from Texcoco. According to the story, an Indian missed mass and was punished by public flogging, prompting an angry response from the native community. To pacify the situation, Cortés arranged with the friars to arrive late to Mass and to receive the flogging in front of the natives. The idea was to show that the punishment was impartial. However, the Franciscans also viewed Cortés flogging as voluntary and as a sign of his piety. The depiction has two messages, one of the special relationship between the Church and the Spaniards as well as the acceptance of public punishment.
Above the doorframe is an image of Francis of Assisi holding three globes that support an image of Mary Immaculate as María de Ágreda
Maria de Agreda
María Fernández Coronel y Arana, Abbess of Ágreda or, known in religion as Sor María de Jesús de Ágreda , also known as the Lady in Blue and the Blue Nun, was born, and died, in Ágreda, a town located in the province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain...
writes the Mystical city of God and Duns Scotus
Duns Scotus
Blessed John Duns Scotus, O.F.M. was one of the more important theologians and philosophers of the High Middle Ages. He was nicknamed Doctor Subtilis for his penetrating and subtle manner of thought....
writes a defense of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
. This image would appear in later monasteries such as the Mission Landa in the Sierra Gorda
Sierra Gorda
The Sierra Gorda is an ecological region centered on the northern third of the state of Querétaro and extending into the neighboring states of Guanajuato, Hidalgo and San Luis Potosí...
of Querétaro
Querétaro
Querétaro officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Querétaro de Arteaga is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities and its capital city is Santiago de Querétaro....
, at a college in Zacatecas
Zacatecas
Zacatecas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas....
and another college in Mexico City.
Although most are (semi) abandoned and not restored for tourists, the town has a number of other architectural and historic sites. The abandoned train station is on the Mexico City-Cuautla section of the Ferrocarril Interocianico (Inter-Ocean Railway) which connected Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
with Veracruz. The station was built in 1895. Casa de Cultura José A. Alzate has temporary art and other exhibits as well as classes in dance, painting, music, theater and other arts. It is named after Jose Antonio de Alzate y Ramirez Santillana, who was baptized here in 1737. He was a scientist with influence in the social, political and economic fields during the intellectual movement of Mexico in the 18th century. The scientist’s childhood home is also located here. Colonial era constructions include the Juan Rulfo house, the Casa de la Nueva York and the Chapel of San Francisco, one of the oldest churches in the municipality. Rodolfo Ortega house is representative of the architectural style of the municipality.
The municipal market is located on the main road in front of the church. It is a typical rural market of Mexico State selling basic necessities such as foods, seed, grain and even cattle. Particularly during the rainy season, this market, as well as many others in the area, also offers up to 90 species of edible wild mushrooms. These are most often sold by older women in areas just outside of the market building. The value of mushrooms in this region of Mexico helps to maintain traditional ethnobiological
Ethnobiology
]Ethnobiology is the scientific study of dynamic relationships between peoples, biota, and environments, from the distant past to the immediate present....
knowledge. The most common prepared food items sold in the food stalls are barbacoa
Barbacoa
Barbacoa is a form of cooking meat that originated in the Caribbean with the Taíno people, from which the term "barbecue" derives. In contemporary Mexico it generally refers to meats or a whole sheep slow-cooked over an open fire, or more traditionally, in a hole dug in the ground covered with...
and moronga
Moronga
Moronga, rellena, or morcilla is a sausage made of pig's blood. It is found in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Central America and Mexican cuisine. Spices, herbs , onions and chile peppers are added and then boiled in the pig's intestines for several hours. It is served in a sauce, either "chile rojo" or "chile...
, a type of blood sausage prepared in various ways.
Principal festivities here is the Feast of the Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepcion on 8 December , the anniversary of the municipality on 23 June and the Festival of the Gremios on 15 August. On feast days, traditional dances include Los Concheros, Los Moros y Cristianos and Las Marotas.
There is one institution of higher education located here called the Universidad Alzate de Ozumba. http://www.unicoalzate.com.mx/
The municipality
As municipal seat, the town of Ozumba is the governing authority for thirteen other named communities. Together the municipality has a total population of 24,055 (2005) over 65% of which lives in the town proper. The municipality covers a territory of 48.92km2. It is bordered by AyapangoAyapango
Ayapango is a small town and municipality located in the southeast portion of the State of Mexico, southeast of Mexico City. Despite the fact that this municipality is distinctly rural, it falls within the Mexico City Metropolitan Area...
, Amecameca, Atlautla
Atlautla
Atlautla is a town and municipality, in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 134.9 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 24,110....
, Tepetlixpa
Tepetlixpa
Tepetlixpa is a village and municipality in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 46.68 km². The municipality is home to Nepantla de Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, formerly known as San Miguel Nepantla, the hometown of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz.As of 2000, the municipality had a...
and Juchitepec
Juchitepec
Juchitepec is a town and municipality in Mexico State in central Mexico. Juchitepec means “Hill of the Flowers” in Nahuatl. The municipality covers an area of 149.56 km². It has one major community outside of the seat called San Matias Cuijingo...
as well as to the south by the state of Morelos
Morelos
Morelos officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Morelos is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 33 municipalities and its capital city is Cuernavaca....
.
The most important geographical feature of the area is the Popocatepetl volcano although it lies outside of the municipality proper. Much of the land here was tempered by past lava flows. The town is surrounded by many ravines and the municipality’s territory is very rugged. The ravines are formed by small streams, whose water flows and swirls into spirals. This is what gives the area its name. Most ravines align northeast to southwest. The highest elevation is the Xoyacan Mountain which separates it from Amecameca and Ayapango. Another major elevation is the Chimal or Huilotepec Mountain which also forms part of its border, separating it from Tepetlixpa. The Cuautepec Mountain separates the municipality from the state of Morelos. Between the town of Ozumba and Chimalhuacan there is a small elevation which is locally known as the Cerrito (small mountain) and it is one of the few elevations in the center of the municipality. The only natural surface water is found in ravines and springs. The most notable ravines are called the Tlapunatlaco, the San Bartolo, and the San Francisco. The north and central parts of the municipality have a temperate climate (C(w2) (w) b(i)g), while the lower southern part has a somewhat warmer climate (A) C(w2) (w) a(i´)). Most of the wild vegetation here is pine and oak forest, which has been heavily exploited by man. Fauna includes armadillo
Armadillo
Armadillos are New World placental mammals, known for having a leathery armor shell. Dasypodidae is the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one"...
, cacomixtle), rabbits, bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
s, bats, skunks, hummingbirds, doves, butterflies, scorpions and spiders.
Sixty five percent of the land here is used for agriculture with most of the rest being developed. Some of the main crops are produced in family orchards and include walnuts, capulin
Capulin
Prunus salicifolia , known as Capulin, is a species of cherry. It is similar to the Jamaica cherry. The capulin is often called the capuli, capoli, capulin, or capolin in both Mexico and Colombia...
s, avocado
Avocado
The avocado is a tree native to Central Mexico, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel...
s, Mexican hawthorn
Mexican Hawthorn
Crataegus pubescens may refer to:* Crataegus pubescens C.Presl. a Sicilian hawthorn, sometimes considered to be a synonym of Crataegus orientalis* Crataegus pubescens Steud. an illegitimate name for Crataegus mexicana...
s, peaches, apricots, apples, and others. A number of commercial flowers and medicinal plants are also grown here. Agriculture is still the most important economic activity, with some livestock and some logging done at the foothills of the Popocatepetl volcano. The only industry is small workshops which produce farm implements, saddles, fireworks and boots .Despite agriculture’s importance, just under half the municipality’s population is engaged in commerce.
The municipality has two main attractions, a variety of natural areas and parks and its architectural heritage consisting of early colonial churches and monasteries completed before the end of the 17th century. The community of San Mateo Tecalco has both. The largest park Parque Olla and there are year-round fresh water springs at Pozas de Santa Maria. It also has one of the oldest churches in the municipality.
Just south of the municipal seat is the community of San Vicent Chimalhuacan, which is often called Chimalhuacan-Chalco or just simply Chimal. Natural attractions here include the Parque El Salto with its small waterfall, gardens and caves located just west of the Dominican monastery. This area is popular with local tourists despite the lack of facilities. Another natural area is the Parque La Herradura, which is a forested area in the foothills of the Popocatepetl volcano. The most important architectural attraction here is the former Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
monastery which dates from the 16th century. It has a wide church with thick buttresses. The main entrance is sculpted in sandstone containing the coats of arms of Castilla
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
and of the Dominican order. The complex overall is a mix of Moorish and Plateresque
Plateresque
Plateresque, meaning "in the manner of a silversmith" , was an artistic movement, especially architectural, traditionally held to be exclusive to Spain and its territories, which appeared between the late Gothic and early Renaissance in the late 15th century, and spread over the next two centuries...
styles. A plaque states that Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was baptized here in 1651 although she was really baptized in 1648. The baptismal font dates from 1542. This church has been converted into a cultural center due to the annual celebrations held here to commemorate the birth of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. The parish church for the community is the Church of San Vicente Ferrer which was once the richest church in the municipality. Today it has a small archeological museum containing carved stone, ceramics, clay figures, utensils and more from the pre-Hispanic era. The Arco de los Conejos and Los Guardias are colonial era monuments marking the entrance to San Vicente Chimalhuacan.
There are a number of other attractions in the more rural areas of the municipality. The Pozas del Alvaresco and the Pozas de Atzinco are natural springs which emit water during the rainy season. The Hacienda de Actopan is located just east of the town and is available to rent for functions. The Hacienda de Actempan is located east of the town and is semi abandoned. The Puente de los Aztecs is a pre-Hispanic era bridge located in a rural area of the municipality.