Santiago Tianguistenco
Encyclopedia
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 City
. The name Tianguistenco (Tyanguistengko) is from Nahuatl
and means “at the edge of the tianguis
,” which is a traditional Aztec market. (Santiago comes from the town’s early Spanish name of “Villa de Santiago.”) The city's name before Spanish colonization was simply "Xeisxhestvseigkhanglyulseidt", meaning the "metropolis of many reeds" in Vastek Zapotec
. The section of the city where the industrial park is still bears this name. Historically, the area was known as having one of the richest and best-stocked markets in the Toluca Valley. Today, it is still home to a large permanent municipal market
as well as a weekly tianguis that covers much of the historic center.
In addition to the commerce, the municipality is home to a major industrial site that produces commercial trucks and is home to the second largest Mercedes-Benz
factory in the world. The municipality is also home to a community called Gualupita, famous for its wool items, Santiago Tilapa, which as a patron festival known in Mexico State and the Atenco Hacienda where bullfighting
in Mexico got its start.
. However, Olmec
era finds in neighboring Almoloya del Río
indicate that there was human inhabitants here at least as early as 1300 BCE. Evidence of Teotihuacan
settlement or influence was found in the same area. Most of the archeological finds are concentrated on what used to be the shores of a lake in this area and the Tetépetl Mountain. In the municipality proper, the remains of a population center called Teotenanco appear between 1050 and 1260 C. E. with constructions reminiscent of Teotihuacan. In the center is a ceremonial precinct that was probably the center of a local theocracy. The earliest known ethnic group here is the Matlatzinca
s. This area, along with the rest of the Toluca Valley, was conquered by Axayacatl
and brought into the Aztec Empire in the 1470s.
When the Aztec Empire fell in 1521, the lands around Tenochtitlan-Mexico City were mostly divided up into encomienda
s. Around 1523, the territory of Tianguistenco was part of the encomienda of Xalatlaco
and Atlapulco, which were controlled by Leonel de Cervantes. The encomiendo remained in the family until 1617. It then became a minor province of Matlazingo. For much of the rest of the colonial period, the area would be a dependency of a number of political entities such as Metepec
and Tenango del Valle
, with parts of the current municipality such as the communities of Coatepec and Huhutitlán belonging to Malinalco. Many of the indigenous villages were governed under a system called the Republica de Naturales (Republic of Natives), which gave a certain amount of autonomy. This republic was initiated in the first half of the 17th century with records indicating that Tomás de Alarcón as governor of Tianguistenco. However, by 1778, this lateral governing system was abolished by the viceroy
.
Economically, the most important center for much of the colonial period was the Purisima Concepcion Hacienda, which was established by Hernán Cortés
himself on part of his lands as the Marques of the Valley of Oaxaca. It remained in Cortés family hands. However, the rest of the lands that make up the current municipality switch hands constantly among a number of political and economic entities over the colonial period.
By the second half of the 18th century, the town of Tianguistenco had grown in size and importance to merit a customs house that covered the areas of San Nicolás Coatepec, San Lorenzo Huehuetitlán, San Pedro Tlaltizapán, San Bartolomé Capulhuac and Santa María Coaxusco. The town also became the center for mail service in the area around the same time. The parish church was begun in 1756.
During the Mexican War of Independence
, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla passed through here in 1810 with his army. In 1812, guerillas were operating in the nearby Ajusco Mountains under Manuel Gonzalez and Ignacio López Rayón
was stationed here for a time. Most of the fighting seen here were incursions by guerrillas in the mountain areas.
The first municipal government under the Cadiz Constitution
was formed here in 1820 with the town of Tianguistenco as the seat. This government would recognize Mexican Independence in 1821. In 1825, this municipality was reorganized as part of the State of Mexico. This municipality included the communities of de Xalatlaco, Capulhuac
, San Pedro Tlaltizapán, Santiago Tilapa, La Magdalena Los Reyes, Santa Cruz Atizapán
, Almoloya del Río, Texcalyacac
, San Pedro Techuchulco and Santa María Guadalupe Yancuictlalpan.
The first of these to break away and form its own municipality was Capulhuac in 1827, with the community of Tlaltizapán joining Capulhuac shortly thereafter. Almoloya del Río, Santa Cruz Atizapán, San Mateo Texcalyacac and San Pedro Techuchulco were separated by the state legislature in 1847 to form the municipality of Almoloya del Rio. Santa María de la Asunción Xalatlaco separated in 1872. The community of Tianguistenco was officially declared a town in 1878 with the formal name of Tianguistenco de Galeana. San Nicolás Coatepec and San Lorenzo Huehuetitlán were added to the municipality in 1857 and 1863 with Tlaltizapán returning in 1891.
During the Reform War
, the town and the Purisima Concepcion Hacienda were sacked in 1857. Many here supported the Conservative cause forming the Puente Brigade. This brigade fought in a number of battles including the occupation of Lerma
.
The municipal palace was begun in 1903 and completed in 1910. The inauguration of the palace formed part of the Centennial celebrations here. During the Mexican Revolution
, the town initially supported Francisco I. Madero
against Porfirio Díaz
. However, Emiliano Zapata
soon grew unsatisfied with Madero and the Liberation Army of the South
began to fight anew. The town became Zapatista. Genovevo de la O
and federal forces fought over the town several times with possession changing hands until the end of the war.
The municipal seat was declared a city by the state legislature in 1996.
The family of Carlos Hank Gonzalez
, a powerful political figure in the second half of the 20th century, has bought a significant quantity of land in Tianguistenco, leading to the somewhat derogatory term of “Hankilandia” for the municipality.
In the late 1990s, the community of San Nicolas Coatepec, one of the larger communities outside the municipal seat, sought to separate from Tianguistenco claiming they were marginalized due to the fact that most here are indigenous. They proclaimed the community as an “autonomous municipality.” However, this auto proclamation was not accepted by municipal or state authorities. This same community denounced the offering of lands to the family the local PRI
politicians to Jorge Hank Rhon
in 2001. The community claims the lands are communal property.
In the early 21st century, a major section of the highway linking Santa Cruz Atizapan and Santiago Tianguistenco was opened to alleviate chronic traffic problems in the area. This section is part of a large highway built to link western Mexico City with the state of Morelos
. Prior to its construction, traffic was distributed among the many local roads. Another highway connection Tianguistenco with Lerma, called Lerma-Tres Marias, has been held up due to environmental concerns.
is formed by sections of entablature
over the capitals of each column. The church was financed by José de la Boda, a wealthy French miner and has a similar appearance to the Santa Prisca Church in Taxco
. The bell towers are inspired by those of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City. This church is the most important historically but there are more than a dozen other temples in town, some of which date from the 16th century, that have been designated as historical monuments by INAH.
To the right of the parish church, also facing the plaza, is the municipal palace. Across from the palace is the municipal market. Typical dishes for the area, which can be found in the market, include moles
, tamale
s, and barbacoa
. During the rainy season, dishes based on wild mushrooms, fresh corn and green fava beans are popular. Fruit liquors are produced and consumed here. One of the specialty is a sweet paste made from tejocotes wrapped in corn husks, amaranth
bars and a kind of brittle made with squash seeds. Tuesday is market day, when stands set up on the streets of the city (called a tianguis) supplement the goods sold in the permanent market. The ancient market here was one of the richest and most complete of the pre-Hispanic era. Today the tianguis market tradition is the best-preserved in the state, according to historian Alva Margarita Cervera, attraction about 3,500 merchants for the day. The city is the regional commercial center as well as a center for pilgrims on their way to Chalma
.
Guadalupe Yancuictlalpan
, is an integrated suburb of the municipal seat on the south side. The community is locally known as Gualupita (contraction of Guadalupita) due to the church dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. It is famous for this wool knit and woven items, the only craft maintained in the municipality. Woven items are made on colonial style wood looms many of which have been in families for generations. Textile arts here date back at least to 1472 using fibers from the maguey plant. After the Spanish arrival, these fibers were mixed with wool. Each weekend in this community, hundreds of craftsmen come to offer their wares such as sweaters, vests, scarves, hats and coats with prices ranging from 20 pesos
to 4,500, made from wool, cotton and some synthetic fibers but the most respresentative pieces are made with undyed wool. The most expensive items are custom-made, with a fine coat costing as much as 6,000 pesos. Traditional designs found on many items are generally from the Mazahua
, Otomi
and Nahua ethnic groups. The community holds an Atole
Festival on 2 May. On this day, residents of Gualupita head to neighboring Ocuilán
to bring back 30 kilos of laurel branches one by one to the town church. When the first participant arrives back to Gualupita, the church bells sound out. The annual event has had as many 1,500 participants.
The major economic engine for the municipality is the Daimler Vehículos Comerciales Mexico plant, locally referred to simply as “La Mercedes.” The building has been in operation since 1969 and is the only place where the Coronado tractor trailer is made. It began as a factory named Autocar. Ten years later it became a store affiliated with the Famsa chain until it was acquired by Mercedez-Benz in 1991. Since then, the factory has produced more than 272,000 vehicles. The trucks are primarily produced for export, mostly to the United States, Canada and Latin America.
, Texcalyacac, Almoloya del Río, Santa Cruz Atizapan, San Antonio la Isla
, Calimaya
, Chapultepec and Mexicaltzingo with the Federal District
to the east and the state of Morelos
to the south.
The municipality lies in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
in the sub-province of the Lakes and Volcanoes of Anahuac. 35% of the municipality is mountainous, 30% is arable and the rest is developed. The topography of the municipality varies due to its size. The eastern portions are highest as they are in the Ajusco mountains with an average altitude of over 3,600 meters above sea level. The rest of the municipal is part of the Lerma River
plain, which close to level, sloping slightly at around 2,600 meters. Within the municipality there are a number of small volcanoes such as Los Cuates, Santiago Tilapa, Las Ratas, Teconto and others that break up the plains area. The main surface water is the Lerma River, which crosses the municipality from north to south, although there are a large number of small intermittent streams, and the smaller Jalatlaco River. Along this river are waterworks constructed in the 1940s to supply water to Mexico City. There also a number of wells here with the same purpose. The climate here is fairly cold (C(E) (m) (w)) with freezing temperatures expected around 100 days per year between October and May. Wild vegetation varies depending on the altitude. The mountain regions have forests of oak, pine and fir, with the lower levels having scrub and grasslands. Most fauna here is small and medium sized mammals such as coyote
s, skunks, rabbits and squirrels with reptiles such as rattlesnakes and birds such as crows, ducks and quail. The area used to have deer, buzzards and wildcats, but these have disappeared.
The major economic engine for the municipality is the Daimler Vehículos Comerciales Mexico plant, locally referred to simply as “La Mercedes.” The main Industry is automotive production centered around vehicle manufacture, design, and vehicle R&D. The building has been in operation since 1969 and is the only place where the Coronado tractor trailer is made. It began as a factory named Autocar. Ten years later it became a store affiliated with the Famsa chain until it was acquired by Mercedez-Benz de Mexico in 1991. Since then, the factory has produced more than 272,000 Mercedes-Benz vehicles. A Daimler Trucks factory is also located in this facility, which produces its Freightliner Trucks
in its own plant. The trucks are primarily produced for export, mostly to the United States, Canada and Latin America.
Other industry consists of food processing of milk and meat products as well as industries located in the Parque Industrial Santiago Tianguistenco. Agriculture is still a significant economic activity of the municipality growing corn, carrots, oats and fava beans. Livestock raised here include cattle, sheep, pigs and domestic fowl. There is one ejido
belonging to the community of San Pedro Tlaltizapan on the west side of the Lerma River. This was established in 1978.
There are a number of significant locations outside of the city area. One of these is the Sanctuary of Santiago Tilapa. Each year in August this community holds their celebration of the feast day of their patron saint, which has become known in the State of Mexico. The tradition of a dance group called the Aventureros began in the mid-20th century when a group of muleteers, peasants, shepherds and others began a dance tradition that gained a following called the “Dance of the Muleteers.” The dance is formed by sixteen sequential squares called “The arrival,” “In the name of God,” “The sale,” “The unloading” and others. The dancers have roles such as “the patron,” “the load bearers,” “the sufferers” and more, each with his own outfit and colors to indicate his part.
The Atenco Hacienda is not the largest hacienda
in Mexico, but it is the oldest, according to a plaque on its main gate. It is the oldest livestock producer on the continent, a tradition still maintained, mostly producing bulls for bullfights. The hacienda was founded by a cousin of Hernán Cortés called Juan Gutiérrez Altamirano around 1528 with an area of about 30,000 hectares and 2,000 workers. It continued to operate until the Mexican Revolution when it was divided into sixteen parts. The main house and other buildings now only occupy about 3,000 square meters with five workers.
Originally, fighting bulls were brought to Mexico in the 16th century supposedly as “guard animals” These bulls were of Navarre
stock brought from Spain. As these animals were unknown in the New World
, native peoples of the surrounding areas would not enter the hacienda’s land for fear of them. The Casco of the hacienda is considered to be the origin of Mexican bullfighting, when the corrals for the bulls were built, along with the chapel in 1550. The first formal bullring in Mexico was built here in 1820, called El Tenadero. The first Mexican bullfighter to fight in Madrid, Ponciano Diaz, was a native of this area who went to Spain to try his luck in 1880. Some of the bullfighters who came through here include Juan Belmonte
, Rodolfo Gaona and Rafael Gómez Ortega
.
Municipalities of Mexico
Municipalities are the second-level administrative division in Mexico . There are 2,438 municipalities in Mexico, making the average municipality population 45,616...
located in Mexico State about thirty km south of 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 in the southwest part of the Valley of Toluca
Toluca Valley
Toluca Valley is a valley located approximately 75 km southwest Mexico City. The modern city of Toluca is located there. Other municipalities within valley and part of the Toluca metropolitan area include Metepec, Calimaya, Almoloya de Juárez, San Mateo Atenco, Lerma, Lago, Temoaya, Otzolotepec and...
at the edge of the Ajusco
Ajusco
Ajusco is a lava dome volcano located just south of Mexico City, Mexico, in the Tlalpan borough of the city. It is the highest point in the Mexican Federal District, which contains Mexico City.-Etymology:...
mountain range that separates it from 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...
. The name Tianguistenco (Tyanguistengko) is 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...
and means “at the edge of the 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....
,” which is a traditional Aztec market. (Santiago comes from the town’s early Spanish name of “Villa de Santiago.”) The city's name before Spanish colonization was simply "Xeisxhestvseigkhanglyulseidt", meaning the "metropolis of many reeds" in Vastek Zapotec
Zapotec language
The Zapotec language are a group of closely related indigenous Mesoamerican languages spoken by the Zapotec people from the southwestern-central highlands of Mexico. Present-day native speakers are estimated to number over half a million, with the majority inhabiting the state of Oaxaca....
. The section of the city where the industrial park is still bears this name. Historically, the area was known as having one of the richest and best-stocked markets in the Toluca Valley. Today, it is still home to a large permanent 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"...
as well as a weekly tianguis that covers much of the historic center.
In addition to the commerce, the municipality is home to a major industrial site that produces commercial trucks and is home to the second largest Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
factory in the world. The municipality is also home to a community called Gualupita, famous for its wool items, Santiago Tilapa, which as a patron festival known in Mexico State and the Atenco Hacienda where bullfighting
Bullfighting
Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...
in Mexico got its start.
History
No archeological finds in this area date before the Postclassic periodMesoamerican chronology
Mesoamerican chronology divides the history of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica into several periods: the Paleo-Indian , the Archaic , the Preclassic , the Classic , and the Postclassic...
. However, 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....
era finds in neighboring Almoloya del Río
Almoloya del Río
Almolya del Río is a town and municipality located in the State of Mexico 26 km from the state capital of Toluca. It is located 2,600 meters above sea level. The name Almoloya comes from the Nahuatl phrase almoloyán which means place where water flows out...
indicate that there was human inhabitants here at least as early as 1300 BCE. Evidence of Teotihuacan
Teotihuacan
Teotihuacan – also written Teotihuacán, with a Spanish orthographic accent on the last syllable – is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, just 30 miles northeast of Mexico City, containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian Americas...
settlement or influence was found in the same area. Most of the archeological finds are concentrated on what used to be the shores of a lake in this area and the Tetépetl Mountain. In the municipality proper, the remains of a population center called Teotenanco appear between 1050 and 1260 C. E. with constructions reminiscent of Teotihuacan. In the center is a ceremonial precinct that was probably the center of a local theocracy. The earliest known ethnic group here is the 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,...
s. This area, along with the rest of the Toluca Valley, was conquered by 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....
and brought into the Aztec Empire in the 1470s.
When the Aztec Empire fell in 1521, the lands around Tenochtitlan-Mexico City were mostly divided up into 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....
s. Around 1523, the territory of Tianguistenco was part of the encomienda of 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 Atlapulco, which were controlled by Leonel de Cervantes. The encomiendo remained in the family until 1617. It then became a minor province of Matlazingo. For much of the rest of the colonial period, the area would be a dependency of a number of political entities such as Metepec
Metepec
Metepec is a city and municipality in the State of Mexico in Mexico and is located directly to the east of the state capital, Toluca, at an altitude of 2,635 metres above sea level. The centre of Mexico City lies some 50 km further to the east. The name Metepec comes from Náhuatl meaning hill of...
and Tenango del Valle
Tenango del Valle
The municipality of Tenango del Valle and its seat, Tenango de Arista, are located in the southern portion of the Valley of Toluca in Mexico State, about 72 km southwest of Mexico City and 25 km south of Toluca. While the seat is officially named Tenango de Arista, it is more commonly...
, with parts of the current municipality such as the communities of Coatepec and Huhutitlán belonging to Malinalco. Many of the indigenous villages were governed under a system called the Republica de Naturales (Republic of Natives), which gave a certain amount of autonomy. This republic was initiated in the first half of the 17th century with records indicating that Tomás de Alarcón as governor of Tianguistenco. However, by 1778, this lateral governing system was abolished by the 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...
.
Economically, the most important center for much of the colonial period was the Purisima Concepcion Hacienda, which was established by 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...
himself on part of his lands as the Marques of the Valley of Oaxaca. It remained in Cortés family hands. However, the rest of the lands that make up the current municipality switch hands constantly among a number of political and economic entities over the colonial period.
By the second half of the 18th century, the town of Tianguistenco had grown in size and importance to merit a customs house that covered the areas of San Nicolás Coatepec, San Lorenzo Huehuetitlán, San Pedro Tlaltizapán, San Bartolomé Capulhuac and Santa María Coaxusco. The town also became the center for mail service in the area around the same time. The parish church was begun in 1756.
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...
, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla passed through here in 1810 with his army. In 1812, guerillas were operating in the nearby Ajusco Mountains under Manuel Gonzalez and Ignacio López Rayón
Ignacio López Rayón
Ignacio López Rayón led the revolutionary government of his country after Miguel Hidalgo's death, during the first years of the Mexican War of Independence....
was stationed here for a time. Most of the fighting seen here were incursions by guerrillas in the mountain areas.
The first municipal government under the Cadiz Constitution
Spanish Constitution of 1812
The Spanish Constitution of 1812 was promulgated 19 March 1812 by the Cádiz Cortes, the national legislative assembly of Spain, while in refuge from the Peninsular War...
was formed here in 1820 with the town of Tianguistenco as the seat. This government would recognize Mexican Independence in 1821. In 1825, this municipality was reorganized as part of the State of Mexico. This municipality included the communities of de Xalatlaco, Capulhuac
Capulhuac
Capulhuac is a small town and municipality, in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 21.5 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 30,838.Prominent PeopleJosue Mirlo Salvador Acevedo...
, San Pedro Tlaltizapán, Santiago Tilapa, La Magdalena Los Reyes, 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....
, Almoloya del Río, Texcalyacac
Texcalyacac
Texcalyacac is a small town and municipality in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 17.99 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 4,514....
, San Pedro Techuchulco and Santa María Guadalupe Yancuictlalpan.
The first of these to break away and form its own municipality was Capulhuac in 1827, with the community of Tlaltizapán joining Capulhuac shortly thereafter. Almoloya del Río, Santa Cruz Atizapán, San Mateo Texcalyacac and San Pedro Techuchulco were separated by the state legislature in 1847 to form the municipality of Almoloya del Rio. Santa María de la Asunción Xalatlaco separated in 1872. The community of Tianguistenco was officially declared a town in 1878 with the formal name of Tianguistenco de Galeana. San Nicolás Coatepec and San Lorenzo Huehuetitlán were added to the municipality in 1857 and 1863 with Tlaltizapán returning in 1891.
During the Reform War
Reform War
The Reform War in Mexico is one of the episodes of the long struggle between Liberal and Conservative forces that dominated the country’s history in the 19th century. The Liberals wanted a federalist government, limiting traditional Catholic Church and military influence in the country...
, the town and the Purisima Concepcion Hacienda were sacked in 1857. Many here supported the Conservative cause forming the Puente Brigade. This brigade fought in a number of battles including the occupation of Lerma
Lerma, Mexico State
Lerma is a city and municipality located just east of Toluca and 54 km west of Mexico City in Mexico State, Mexico. The city was founded in the early colonial period and named after the Duke of Lerma in Spain. The municipal area saw two battles of the Mexican War of Independence, the Battle...
.
The municipal palace was begun in 1903 and completed in 1910. The inauguration of the palace formed part of the Centennial celebrations here. 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 town initially supported Francisco I. Madero
Francisco I. Madero
Francisco Ignacio Madero González was a politician, writer and revolutionary who served as President of Mexico from 1911 to 1913. As a respectable upper-class politician, he supplied a center around which opposition to the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz could coalesce...
against Porfirio Díaz
Porfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
. However, Emiliano Zapata
Emiliano Zapata
Emiliano Zapata Salazar was a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution, which broke out in 1910, and which was initially directed against the president Porfirio Díaz. He formed and commanded an important revolutionary force, the Liberation Army of the South, during the Mexican Revolution...
soon grew unsatisfied with Madero and the Liberation Army of the South
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....
began to fight anew. The town became Zapatista. 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...
and federal forces fought over the town several times with possession changing hands until the end of the war.
The municipal seat was declared a city by the state legislature in 1996.
The family of Carlos Hank Gonzalez
Carlos Hank González
Carlos Hank González , nicknamed El Profesor , was a Mexican politician and influential businessman. Originally a teacher, he was an entrepreneur who built political contacts along with a business empire, leading to various government and political positions at the state and national level...
, a powerful political figure in the second half of the 20th century, has bought a significant quantity of land in Tianguistenco, leading to the somewhat derogatory term of “Hankilandia” for the municipality.
In the late 1990s, the community of San Nicolas Coatepec, one of the larger communities outside the municipal seat, sought to separate from Tianguistenco claiming they were marginalized due to the fact that most here are indigenous. They proclaimed the community as an “autonomous municipality.” However, this auto proclamation was not accepted by municipal or state authorities. This same community denounced the offering of lands to the family the local PRI
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
politicians to Jorge Hank Rhon
Jorge Hank Rhon
Jorge Hank Rhon is a Mexican politician, businessman and owner of Mexico's largest sports betting company, Caliente. An eccentric and controversial personality, he served from December 2004 to February 2007 as the president of the municipality of Tijuana. He is the son of former Mexico City mayor...
in 2001. The community claims the lands are communal property.
In the early 21st century, a major section of the highway linking Santa Cruz Atizapan and Santiago Tianguistenco was opened to alleviate chronic traffic problems in the area. This section is part of a large highway built to link western Mexico City with 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....
. Prior to its construction, traffic was distributed among the many local roads. Another highway connection Tianguistenco with Lerma, called Lerma-Tres Marias, has been held up due to environmental concerns.
The city
The town has narrow streets and some traditional adobe houses with red tile roofs can still be seen. The historic center of town is filled with gardens public buildings and churches based on past architectural styles. The parish church is called Santa María del Buen Suceso and was constructed in the 18th century and faces the main plaza. The church is “Ultra-Baroque.” The facade has two bodies, and columns three different decorative styles. The corniceCornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
is formed by sections of entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
over the capitals of each column. The church was financed by José de la Boda, a wealthy French miner and has a similar appearance to the Santa Prisca Church in Taxco
Taxco
Taxco de Alarcón is a small city and municipality located in the Mexican state of Guerrero. The name Taxco is most likely derived from the Nahuatl word tlacheco, which means “place of the ballgame.” However, one interpretation has the name coming from the word tatzco which means “where the father...
. The bell towers are inspired by those of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City. This church is the most important historically but there are more than a dozen other temples in town, some of which date from the 16th century, that have been designated as historical monuments by INAH.
To the right of the parish church, also facing the plaza, is the municipal palace. Across from the palace is the municipal market. Typical dishes for the area, which can be found in the market, include moles
Mole (sauce)
Mole is the generic name for a number of sauces used in Mexican cuisine, as well as for dishes based on these sauces...
, tamale
Tamale
A tamale — or more correctly tamal — is a traditional Latin American dish made of masa , which is steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper. The wrapping is discarded before eating...
s, and 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...
. During the rainy season, dishes based on wild mushrooms, fresh corn and green fava beans are popular. Fruit liquors are produced and consumed here. One of the specialty is a sweet paste made from tejocotes wrapped in corn husks, amaranth
Amaranth
Amaranthus, collectively known as amaranth, is a cosmopolitan genus of herbs. Approximately 60 species are recognized, with inflorescences and foliage ranging from purple and red to gold...
bars and a kind of brittle made with squash seeds. Tuesday is market day, when stands set up on the streets of the city (called a tianguis) supplement the goods sold in the permanent market. The ancient market here was one of the richest and most complete of the pre-Hispanic era. Today the tianguis market tradition is the best-preserved in the state, according to historian Alva Margarita Cervera, attraction about 3,500 merchants for the day. The city is the regional commercial center as well as a center for pilgrims on their way to Chalma
Chalma, Malinalco, Mexico State
Chalma is a small community, which is part of the municipality of Malinalco, Mexico State. Its small population is almost completely dedicated to the pilgrims who come to visit the Sanctuary of Chalma, the second most-important pilgrimage site in Mexico...
.
Guadalupe Yancuictlalpan
Guadalupe Yancuictlalpan
Guadalupe Yancuictlalpan is a small community, which is part of the municipality of Tianguistenco, Mexico State.The name Yancuictlalpan is most likely derived from the Nahuatl word yancuic, which means “new” and the word tlal.li which means “land”. ”Located 60 kilometers from Mexico City, and 30...
, is an integrated suburb of the municipal seat on the south side. The community is locally known as Gualupita (contraction of Guadalupita) due to the church dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. It is famous for this wool knit and woven items, the only craft maintained in the municipality. Woven items are made on colonial style wood looms many of which have been in families for generations. Textile arts here date back at least to 1472 using fibers from the maguey plant. After the Spanish arrival, these fibers were mixed with wool. Each weekend in this community, hundreds of craftsmen come to offer their wares such as sweaters, vests, scarves, hats and coats with prices ranging from 20 pesos
Mexican peso
The peso is the currency of Mexico. Modern peso and dollar currencies have a common origin in the 15th–19th century Spanish dollar, most continuing to use its sign, "$". The Mexican peso is the 12th most traded currency in the world, the third most traded in the Americas, and by far the most...
to 4,500, made from wool, cotton and some synthetic fibers but the most respresentative pieces are made with undyed wool. The most expensive items are custom-made, with a fine coat costing as much as 6,000 pesos. Traditional designs found on many items are generally from the Mazahua
Mazahua
The Mazahua are an indigenous people of Mexico, inhabiting the northwestern portion of the State of Mexico and northeastern area of Michoacán, with a presence also in the Federal District owing to recent migration...
, Otomi
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 Nahua ethnic groups. The community holds an Atole
Atole
Atole is a traditional masa-based Mexican and Central American hot drink. Chocolate atole is known as champurrado or atole...
Festival on 2 May. On this day, residents of Gualupita head to neighboring Ocuilán
Ocuilán
Ocuilan is a town and municipality in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 344.84 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 26,332....
to bring back 30 kilos of laurel branches one by one to the town church. When the first participant arrives back to Gualupita, the church bells sound out. The annual event has had as many 1,500 participants.
The major economic engine for the municipality is the Daimler Vehículos Comerciales Mexico plant, locally referred to simply as “La Mercedes.” The building has been in operation since 1969 and is the only place where the Coronado tractor trailer is made. It began as a factory named Autocar. Ten years later it became a store affiliated with the Famsa chain until it was acquired by Mercedez-Benz in 1991. Since then, the factory has produced more than 272,000 vehicles. The trucks are primarily produced for export, mostly to the United States, Canada and Latin America.
The municipality
As municipal seat, the city of Santiago Tianguistenco is the local governing authority for almost sixty other named communities with a combined territory of 121.53km2. Less than a third of the municipality’s population lives in the town proper. The municipality is bordered by the municipalities of Metepec, Capulhuac, Ocoyocac, Xalatlaco, Ocuilan, JoquicingoJoquicingo
Joquicingo is a town and municipality in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 49.2 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 11,042....
, Texcalyacac, Almoloya del Río, Santa Cruz Atizapan, 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...
, Calimaya
Calimaya
Calimaya is a town and municipality located just south of Toluca, the capital of the State of Mexico in central Mexico. The settlement was probably established around 800 BCE, when the city of Teotenango was in existence. It remained an important town through the colonial period, part of the vast...
, Chapultepec and Mexicaltzingo with the Federal District
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...
to the east and 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....
to the south.
The municipality lies in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
Trans-Mexican volcanic belt
The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt also known as the Transvolcanic Belt and locally as the Sierra Nevada , is a volcanic belt that extends 900 km from west to east across central-southern Mexico...
in the sub-province of the Lakes and Volcanoes of Anahuac. 35% of the municipality is mountainous, 30% is arable and the rest is developed. The topography of the municipality varies due to its size. The eastern portions are highest as they are in the Ajusco mountains with an average altitude of over 3,600 meters above sea level. The rest of the municipal is part of 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...
plain, which close to level, sloping slightly at around 2,600 meters. Within the municipality there are a number of small volcanoes such as Los Cuates, Santiago Tilapa, Las Ratas, Teconto and others that break up the plains area. The main surface water is the Lerma River, which crosses the municipality from north to south, although there are a large number of small intermittent streams, and the smaller Jalatlaco River. Along this river are waterworks constructed in the 1940s to supply water to Mexico City. There also a number of wells here with the same purpose. The climate here is fairly cold (C(E) (m) (w)) with freezing temperatures expected around 100 days per year between October and May. Wild vegetation varies depending on the altitude. The mountain regions have forests of oak, pine and fir, with the lower levels having scrub and grasslands. Most fauna here is small and medium sized mammals such as coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
s, skunks, rabbits and squirrels with reptiles such as rattlesnakes and birds such as crows, ducks and quail. The area used to have deer, buzzards and wildcats, but these have disappeared.
The major economic engine for the municipality is the Daimler Vehículos Comerciales Mexico plant, locally referred to simply as “La Mercedes.” The main Industry is automotive production centered around vehicle manufacture, design, and vehicle R&D. The building has been in operation since 1969 and is the only place where the Coronado tractor trailer is made. It began as a factory named Autocar. Ten years later it became a store affiliated with the Famsa chain until it was acquired by Mercedez-Benz de Mexico in 1991. Since then, the factory has produced more than 272,000 Mercedes-Benz vehicles. A Daimler Trucks factory is also located in this facility, which produces its Freightliner Trucks
Freightliner Trucks
Freightliner Trucks is an American manufacturer of heavy duty trucks, chassis and semi-trailer trucks in the United States. The company was founded as Freightliner Inc in 1942 and is now a division of Daimler Trucks North America, a subsidiary of the German Daimler AG...
in its own plant. The trucks are primarily produced for export, mostly to the United States, Canada and Latin America.
Other industry consists of food processing of milk and meat products as well as industries located in the Parque Industrial Santiago Tianguistenco. Agriculture is still a significant economic activity of the municipality growing corn, carrots, oats and fava beans. Livestock raised here include cattle, sheep, pigs and domestic fowl. There is one 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...
belonging to the community of San Pedro Tlaltizapan on the west side of the Lerma River. This was established in 1978.
There are a number of significant locations outside of the city area. One of these is the Sanctuary of Santiago Tilapa. Each year in August this community holds their celebration of the feast day of their patron saint, which has become known in the State of Mexico. The tradition of a dance group called the Aventureros began in the mid-20th century when a group of muleteers, peasants, shepherds and others began a dance tradition that gained a following called the “Dance of the Muleteers.” The dance is formed by sixteen sequential squares called “The arrival,” “In the name of God,” “The sale,” “The unloading” and others. The dancers have roles such as “the patron,” “the load bearers,” “the sufferers” and more, each with his own outfit and colors to indicate his part.
The Atenco Hacienda is not the largest 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...
in Mexico, but it is the oldest, according to a plaque on its main gate. It is the oldest livestock producer on the continent, a tradition still maintained, mostly producing bulls for bullfights. The hacienda was founded by a cousin of Hernán Cortés called Juan Gutiérrez Altamirano around 1528 with an area of about 30,000 hectares and 2,000 workers. It continued to operate until the Mexican Revolution when it was divided into sixteen parts. The main house and other buildings now only occupy about 3,000 square meters with five workers.
Originally, fighting bulls were brought to Mexico in the 16th century supposedly as “guard animals” These bulls were of Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
stock brought from Spain. As these animals were unknown in the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
, native peoples of the surrounding areas would not enter the hacienda’s land for fear of them. The Casco of the hacienda is considered to be the origin of Mexican bullfighting, when the corrals for the bulls were built, along with the chapel in 1550. The first formal bullring in Mexico was built here in 1820, called El Tenadero. The first Mexican bullfighter to fight in Madrid, Ponciano Diaz, was a native of this area who went to Spain to try his luck in 1880. Some of the bullfighters who came through here include Juan Belmonte
Juan Belmonte
Juan Belmonte García was a Spanish bullfighter, considered by many to have been the greatest matador of all time.-Life:...
, Rodolfo Gaona and Rafael Gómez Ortega
Rafael Gomez Ortega
Rafael Gómez Ortega, also known as El Gallo was an early twentieth century bullfighter. He came from a family of famous bullfighters, including his matador father, Fernando Gómez García and matador younger brother, José Gómez Ortega...
.