Tepechitlán
Encyclopedia
The municipality of Tepechitlán is located in the southwestern portion of the Mexican
state of Zacatecas
. It is located between 21º33'49" and 21º44'00" latitude north and 103º09'07" and 103º32'01" longitude west with an average altitude of approximately 1700 meters above sea level. The municipality covers an area of 584 square kilometers.
To the north, it is bordered by the municipality of Tlaltenango de Sánchez Román
, to the south by the municipality of Teúl de González Ortega
, to the east by the municipalities of Jalpa
and Apozol, to the west by the municipalities of Atolinga
and Florencia de Benito Juárez
as well as the state of Jalisco
.
word "tepezil" which refers to fertility, thus the name means fertile land. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish to the area, the town and its surrounding areas were inhabited by Amerindians of the Caxcan
ethnic group. The town's first mention in Spanish documents appears in 1537. The town and its inhabitants were originally put under the trusteeship or "encomienda
" of Pedro de Bobadilla. The trusteeship was then transferred to his mestizo
son Francisco de Bobadilla and eventually was extinguished, as were many other similar trusteeships in the area due to ongoing uprisings of the local indigenous groups and the Chichimeca War
.
In the early 17th century, the town was under the jurisdiccion of neighboring Tlaltenango
and was primarily inhabited by indigenous people, though a few Spanish families had begun to settle in the area with the end of the Chichimeca War.
Tepechitlán was officially recognized as a municipality in 1857.
Mateo Correa Magallanes
who was canonized by Pope John Paul II
was born in Tepechitlán in 1866.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
state of 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....
. It is located between 21º33'49" and 21º44'00" latitude north and 103º09'07" and 103º32'01" longitude west with an average altitude of approximately 1700 meters above sea level. The municipality covers an area of 584 square kilometers.
To the north, it is bordered by the municipality of Tlaltenango de Sánchez Román
Tlaltenango de Sánchez Román
The municipality of Tlaltenango de Sánchez Román is located in the southwestern portion of the Mexican state of Zacatecas. The average elevation of the municipality is 1,723 meters above sea level and the municipality covers an area of...
, to the south by the municipality of Teúl de González Ortega
Teúl de González Ortega
Teúl de González Ortega is a municipality in the south of the state of Zacatecas, Mexico-History:Prior to Spanish conquest and colonization of El Teúl, the town and its surrounding valleys were primarily inhabited by Caxcan peoples...
, to the east by the municipalities of Jalpa
Jalpa
Jalpa may refer to:*Jalpa, Palpa, Nepal*Jalpa, Zacatecas, Mexico*Lamborghini Jalpa, a sports car* Jalpa, a small town & Railway station in Jharkand , India...
and Apozol, to the west by the municipalities of Atolinga
Atolinga
Atolinga is the seat of Atolinga Municipality in the Mexican state of Zacatecas, located in its southwestern portion.The coordinates of the municipal seat of Atolinga are 21° 44’ 15” north and 103° 28’ 30” west...
and Florencia de Benito Juárez
Florencia de Benito Juárez
Florencia de Benito Juárez, is a municipality located in the southern extreme of the state of Zacatecas on the edge of the Canyon of Tlaltenango. To the north, the municipality is bordered by the municipality of Atolinga and the state of Jalisco...
as well as the state of Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
.
History
The name of the municipality of Tepechitlán derives from the CaxcanCaxcan
The Caxcan were a partly nomadic indigenous people of Mexico. Under their leader, Francisco Tenamaztle, the Caxcan were allied with the Zacatecos against the Spaniards during the Mixtón Rebellion. During the rebellion, they were described as "the heart and the center of the Indian Rebellion". They...
word "tepezil" which refers to fertility, thus the name means fertile land. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish to the area, the town and its surrounding areas were inhabited by Amerindians of the Caxcan
Caxcan
The Caxcan were a partly nomadic indigenous people of Mexico. Under their leader, Francisco Tenamaztle, the Caxcan were allied with the Zacatecos against the Spaniards during the Mixtón Rebellion. During the rebellion, they were described as "the heart and the center of the Indian Rebellion". They...
ethnic group. The town's first mention in Spanish documents appears in 1537. The town and its inhabitants were originally put under the trusteeship or "encomienda
Encomienda
The encomienda was a system that was employed mainly by the Spanish crown during the colonization of the Americas to regulate Native American labor....
" of Pedro de Bobadilla. The trusteeship was then transferred to his mestizo
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
son Francisco de Bobadilla and eventually was extinguished, as were many other similar trusteeships in the area due to ongoing uprisings of the local indigenous groups and the Chichimeca War
Chichimeca War
The Chichimeca War was a military conflict waged between Spanish colonizers and their Indian allies against a confederation of Chichimeca Indians. It was the longest and most expensive conflict between Spaniards and the indigenous peoples of New Spain in the history of the colony.The Chichimeca...
.
In the early 17th century, the town was under the jurisdiccion of neighboring Tlaltenango
Tlaltenango
Tlaltenango, Mexican toponym, may mean:*Tlaltenango de Sánchez Román, Zacatecas*Tlaltenango, Puebla*Tlaltenango, Morelos...
and was primarily inhabited by indigenous people, though a few Spanish families had begun to settle in the area with the end of the Chichimeca War.
Tepechitlán was officially recognized as a municipality in 1857.
Mateo Correa Magallanes
Mateo Correa Magallanes
Saint Mateo Correa Magallanes was born on 23 July 1866 at Tepechitlán, Zacatecas, Mexico. He was a Knight of Columbus, of Council 2140. He attended the seminary at Zacatecas on a scholarship, in 1881. He was ordained as priest in 1893 at the age of 27...
who was canonized by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
was born in Tepechitlán in 1866.
Sources
- Enciclopedia de los Municipios de Zacatecas, State of Zacatecas http://www.zacatecas.gob.mx/Municipios/MapaMunicipios.html
- Insituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática http://www.inegi.gob.mx