Toluca
Encyclopedia
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 63 kilometres (39.1 mi) west-southwest of Mexico City
and only about 40 minutes by car to the western edge of the Distrito Federal. According to the 2005 census, the city of Toluca has a population of 467,713, with 747,512 as the total municipal population. The city is the eighth largest in Mexico
in population. The municipality of Toluca, along with twelve other municipalities make up the metropolitan population of 1,610,786 as of 2005, making it the fifth most populous metropolitan area in Mexico and the largest entirely within the State of México.
name for the area when it was renamed by the Aztec
s in 1473. The name has its origin in the word tolocan that comes from the name of the god, Tolo, plus the locative suffix, can, to denote "place of Tolo". It is also referred to in a number of Aztec
codices
as Tolutépetl, meaning hill of the god, Tolo, an allusion to the nearby volcano
. The name Toluca de Lerdo was adopted in 1861 in honor of President Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada
.
, Otomi
, Mazahua
, and Nahua peoples. In the Postclassic period, the valley was ruled by a large powerful capital city whose ruins are located today in the village of Calixtlahuaca
, just north of the city of Toluca. In 1478 the Mexica
emperor Axayacatl
conquered the Toluca Valley. The capital was stripped of its dynasty and power and some lands were distributed to kings and nobles from the Valley of Mexico
.
One of the rivals of Calixtlahuaca was Tollocan, a minor city-state before 1478. When Axayacatl destroyed Calixtlahuaca, he placed the imperial provincial capital in Tollocan. Calixtlahuaca and other towns in the Toluca Valley paid tribute to the Aztec Empire through Tollocan. After the Spanish conquest, the name Tollocan was changed to Toluca. Archaeologists have not yet located a major Postclassic settlement within the modern city. Either the pre-Hispanic city of Tollocan was destroyed and covered over by the expansion of Toluca, or else the remains of Tollocan could lie outside of the modern city. A small Postclassic site was discovered on the hill called Tolochi, which is in the north of the modern city, but the remains seem too insubstantial to have been a major provincial capital. The tree of "Las Manitas Rojas", which literally means "little red hands", was planted before the Spanish Conquest in what is now the monastery of Nuestra Señora del Carmen. This tree is significant because it shows that Toluca was important enough for the Aztecs to create a botanical garden.
, one of Cortes' many sergeants. Toluca’s first governor was Pedro Cortés Coyotzin. The valley of Toluca and what is now the city of Toluca were included in the concession made by King Carlos V
of Spain
to Hernán Cortés
.
In 1524, the evangelization process started in Toluca. The most notable figure of this effort is Fray Andrés Castro, from Burgos
, the old capital of Castile
, by making a great number of improvements to the city and being the first one to learn the native Matlazincan language. The friar was well-loved by the Matlzinca people as he worked to protect them from the injustices of the early colonial period. He is remembered to this day with a plaza that bears his name which includes a sculpture depicting him. A Spanish community was established in 1530, but it was not until 1677 that Toluca was categorized as a town. In 1793, the construction of a road to Mexico City
was started. Although Toluca was recognized as a city as early as 1662, only in 1799, was Toluca officially named a city by the King Carlos IV of Spain on September 12.
stayed in Toluca for a few days on his way to the Battle of Monte de las Cruces
. In 1811, a group of indigenous natives of Mexico was shot and killed by Spanish royalists. In memorial to those who were killed in this incident, the place where this occurred was named "Plaza of the Martires". In 1812, the first city council of Toluca was installed. In 1821, independence
was proclaimed by the local authorities.
After the creation of the State of Mexico in 1825, the state capital moved to different cities several times. until in 1830, Toluca was finally designated as the constitutional capital of the State of Mexico. In 1832, the building of "Los Portales" was started in downtown Toluca. In 1836, because of the centralization of the Mexican federal government, all branches of government were relocated to Mexico City after some were in Toluca for several years.
In 1847, thanks to Ignacio Ramírez, "El Nigromante" or the Institute of Literature opened. In 1851, the "Teatro Principal" was built by González Arratia. Mariano Riva Palacio
was named governor of the state and he started the most important modernization process of the city in the 19th century. In 1881, The Industrial Union was founded, the railroad was opened and the Bank of State of Mexico created the first bills in the country. In 1882, the Teachers College was founded. In 1910, people celebrated a century of Independence, and the Plaza España was inaugurated.
sausage. The nearby town of Lerma
still carries on this tradition. However, since that time, Toluca's economy has expanded far beyond sausage to become one of the most industrialized areas in Mexico. Its geographic position in the center of the country and proximity to Mexico City as well as its well-developed infrastructure, have allowed Toluca to grow into a major industrial zone for the state. Toluca began consolidating in the 1940s, but the most intense industrialization began in the 1950s and continued through most of the 1980s. The growth and industrialization of Toluca is closely tied to the growth and changes in economic activities that have occurred in the Mexico City metropolitan area. Most industrial enterprises are on the small and micro-level but the city has attracted a large number of international corporations. Major products produced include food processing, metals and machinery, paper products, printed matter as well as auto production. The industrial base of the Toluca metropolitan area employs over 33% of the municipality's population and 6% of the entire state's population.
This airport has created 4,500 jobs and has contributed to the increase of commercial activity for the metropolitan area. It has also attracted many airline passengers who live in Mexico City to use the Toluca airport, which represents migration in potential consumers of 2.2 million passengers in 2007 and it is projected that for 2008 up to five millions travelers may utilize the Toluca Airport, which would make it the 4th busiest in the country.
Chrysler's Toluca Car Assembly
has manufactured automobiles since 1968. The 220 acre (0.8903092 km²) complex employs 2300 people. Other companies located here and other of Toluca's industrial parks are BMW
, Mercedes Benz, Coca Cola, Femsa
, Grupo Bimbo
, Nissan, Nestlé
, Pfizer
, Bayer
, Crisa
, Barcel
, Knorr, Trelleborg Automotive, and HSBC
. Mercedes Benz and BMW
have complete manufacturing and R&D facilities in the Toluca industrial park. Mercedes-Benz manufactures the C-Class, E-Class, G-Class, GL-Class, S-Class and CLS-Class and is the only Mercedes facility that offers in-factory-built armored versions of their entire vehicle lineup. BMW manufactures its 5, 7 and X5 series and also offers armored variants.
The Libramiento (bypass) Toluca is a project to directly connect the Toluca-Mexico City highway to the east of the city to the Toluca-Atlacomulco highway the extends north. It will permit easier access to the airport as well as a bypass route for traffic heading from Mexico City to the west and northwest. The libramiento is already complete, but it is not used by many people because of the high tolls.
The highways that connect Toluca with Mexico City and Guadalajara
are being expanded and modernized due to the Circuito Exterior Mexiquense project, which aims to improve major highways leading from Mexico City to the rest of the country. One proposed highway, called Autopista Lerma-Tres Marías y Ramal Tenango, aims to improve transit between Toluca and Cuernavaca, as well as other cities to the south. Currently, almost all major roadways serving Toluca transit in the north. It will allow transit from Toluca to southern and eastern destinations bypassing Mexico City but connecting the city with the Mexico City–Cuernavaca highway. However, the project is opposed by Greenpeace Mexico as well as a number of local groups, primarily due to the possible damage it can cause to the "Gran Bosque del Agua" forest, which contains an important aquifer for the Toluca area. There are also concerns that the highway will extend development into small towns that do not want it.
, the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México
(UAEM). It also is home to major private universities, including campuses of the Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM)
and the Universidad del Valle de México
.
There are currently 574 schools in Toluca, with about 8,320 teachers. The illiteracy rate is 7.33%, which is considered high.
UAEM, the state's public university, has its roots in the Literary Institute, later named the Scientific and Literary Institute, which was founded in 1828. It has been a prestigious institution and educated figures such as José María Heredia, Ignacio Ramírez
, Felipe Sánchez Solís, Ignacio Manuel Altamirano
and Adolfo López Mateos
. The Institute became an autonomous university in 1956. The original building, situated downtown near Benito Juárez street, has been remodeled and houses the dean's offices. The university has installations in various parts of the city, but the "Ciudad Universitaria" (lit. "university city") built around the Cerro (Hill) de Coatepec is the most noticeable, with its bust of López Mateos prominently displayed at the top of the hill.
The center of the town is the Zócalo, also known as Plaza de los Mártires (Plaza of the Martyrs), which includes buildings such as the Palace of the State Government and the Justice Palace (Palacio de Justicia). The square is named after events that took place after the Battle of Tenango Hill during the Mexican War of Independence
. Insurgent commander José Maria Oviedo was faced with the royalist army of Rosendo Porlier, who succeeded in driving the rebels northward to Toluca. Viceroy Venegas ordered reinforcments for Porlier's army and dispersed the insurgents, causing them to lose artillery and supplies. In addition, the royalist forces took over a hundred prisoners and executed them in the main square. The bodies of the prisoners were buried in a mass grave behind what is now the Municipal Palace. A temple was built over the spot after the end of the Revolution. A monument to Father Miguel Hidalgo
, the "father" of the Mexican Revolution is in the center of the square. It was created in Florence
by Rivalta in 1899. The pedestal has reliefs depicting the storming of the Alhóndiga de Granaditas and the Battle of Monte de las Cruces.
The central plaza is surrounded by state and municipal government buildings. The state government palace and the Chamber of Deputies are recent constructions, but the buildings housing the state court and the municipal palace date from the 19th century. The state court building originally was the home of the state government and was designed by Ramón Rodriguez Arangoiti, who also designed the imperial wing of the Chapultepec Castle. The municipal palace was completed in 1873 on land that once belonged to a Franciscan
monastery. The Chamber of Deputies building contains murals done by Leopoldo Flores
, which together are known as Construction: Images and Flight depicting man constructing buildings and himself at the same time. The municipal palace and the Chamber of Deputies are decorated with Neoclassic
façades, but the other government buildings, built in the 1960s are faced with tezontle
in the style of the 18th century palaces in Mexico City.
The Temple of La Merced is one of the most ancient convents still preserved and one of the most important founded by Spaniards. It is a beautiful building of a religious order called mercenarios, and it shows architectural styles from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Its principal facade has 3 naves and was constructed ithe 18th century on the remains of the old Temple of San Francisco. The interior of the temple exhibits neoclassical style with gold-leaf. It features oil paintings from the aforementioned times, such as the "Birth of San Pedro Nolasco", founder of the Mercenarios order. The temple became a hospice for orphans and beggars. Baroque construction style can be seen in the pilasters, niches and the order's shield. Inside, you can see paintings of Felipe Gutierrez
, a Mexican painter who graduated from the San Carlos Academy. It is located in downtown Toluca on Jose Ma. Morelos street.
Los Portales represent the social and commercial life of the city. They are a composed of three sets of arches or portals that extend on the 3 sides of the city block that extends behind the main cathedral. Behind the sets of arches there is walking space that takes you around the stores that are contained within. The western arches follow the perimeter of what was the La Asunción Franciscan monastery. The eastern and southern arches were complted in 1836 by José María González Arratia. The original western arches were built by the Buenaventura Merlín. Each side consists of basket-handle arches, each with a balcony. Each side has its own name. The eastern one, with 37 arches, is called "20 de Noviembre" or "Constitución"; the southern one, with 44 arches, is called "Madero" and the western one, with 35 arches, is called "Reforma". There are four additional arches at the entrance to Avenida Independencia. Near Los Portales are some of the city's oldest businesses, some of which date from the 19th century such as the pharmacy on Calle Santos Degollado, a brass and iron workshop on Avenida Lerdo and a leather workshop on Avenida Juárez.
The Plaza de Fray Andrés de Castro is located next to Los Portales and connected to the older arches by means of a passageway with a transparent roof. It is a semi-enclosed space which was once the sacristy
of the La Asunción Franciscan Monastery. The sacristy was built by Felipe de Ureña and José Rivera and is essentially a reproduction of the Santa María del Puerto hermitage in Madrid
and is one of the few remaining buildings of the old monastery. The square in front was recently remodeled but still contains traditional stores selling garapiña, traditional candies, taco
s and other regional foods. The Municipal Historic Archive is located above the passageway leading to Los Portales.
The Cathedral of Toluca was begun in 1867 by José Francisco de Paula on land originally belongin to the Asunción de Toluca Franciscan monastery. The building was originally designed by Agustín Carrillo. However, in 1870, Ramon Rodriguez Arangoiti redesigned the cathedral, based on his experience with old Roman basilica
s although the present-day building still contains a number of the elements of the original design such as the aisle that runs parallel to the façade serving as a narthex
, allowing access to the central and two side nave
s. The straight central nave is lighted by round arched windows. The outside façade consists of two parts. The first has seven columned areas, as well as niches with the images of Saint John
, Saint Thomas
, Saint Peter
and Saint James. The second part rises above the main doors with three columned areas containing balconies, stained-glass windows and balustrades, terminating in a rectilinear pendiment with an image of the Ascension of the Lord. In this, the cathedral shares design elements with the Cathedral of Mexico City. Above this, there is a clock with sculputures depicting the Fathers of the Greek Orthodox Church
, Saint John Chrisotomus, Saint Basil the Great, Saint Athanasius and Saint Gregory of Nyssa. The cathedral is topped by a dome with a bronze statue of Saint Joseph
, who is the patron saint of the city, holding the infant Jesus
. Overall the cathedral is a mix of styles, represents the various stages in which is was built and remodeled.
The Tercer Orden Temple is located to the side of the main cathedral. Its façade is integrated into the main cathedral's in the popular indigenous Baroque
architecture of the 18th century. It was the seat of the bishopric
until 1978, when it was moved to the main cathedral. The temple contains a number of paintings, including The Three Orders and The Family Tree of Saint Francis
.
The Cosmovitral is located in a stone and ironwork building in the center of Toluca built in 1910 by engineer Manuel Arratia in order to accommodate the "16 de Septiembre" market. It was constructed in Art Nouveau
and Neoclassical
style, with an area of 5,000 square meters. It is now a botanical garden with more than 400 species of plants from all over the world. It also features a series of stained glass windows that are considered the largest in the world. These windows were created and designed by a Mexican artist named Leopoldo Flores
. Cosmovitral was inaugurated in 1980 and completed in 1990. The stained glass ceiling represents the Milky Way
and joins the "Hombre Sol" (Sun Man) with the Galaxy of Andromeda
. It is a monumental piece measuring 3,200 square meters with more than 30 thousand pieces and half a million glass pieces of 28 different colors coming from many different parts of the world such as Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Japan, Canada and the United States. It has a series of scenes that symbolize man's search of the light, the good and the wisdom to elevate his spirit to liberate him from the shadows of evil and the ignorance in an epic tale without beginning or end. At the spring equinox, the solar disc crosses the heart of "El hombre Sol" (the sun man), causing an explosion of light.
The Santa Veracruz Temple is the home of a famous image of "Our Lord of the Holy Cross" also known as a "Black Christ". This image was originally housed in the San Francisco Temple, but the increasing number of worshippers dictated the building of its own sanctuary. Construction began in 1753, but because of friction between the Franciscans and worshippers, it was not completed until 1797. Although the original plans included two towers, only one was built, containing two hexagonal bodies, pairs of columns and balconies with semicircular rails. Both bodies are topped with domes, each bearing a cross. The space that was reserved for the second tower instead has an ornate clock.
There are many small "plazas" with local shopping, mainly for locals and there is the Portales
Toluca is home to many international restaurant chains and retail brands.
in number of museums. Some of them honor important Mexican artists such as José María Velasco Gómez
, Felipe Santiago Gutiérrez, and Luis Nishizawa
, among others.
These museums are the following:
Toluca boasts a high cultural and folkloric diversity which can be appreciated in each one of its traditional festivities such as the typical solemn "silent procession" that takes place every Holy Friday
when the Catholic
congregation from Toluca and its surroundings get together in the centre of the city to express their respect and devotion for Jesus Christ's sacrifice. Easter and Lent
are celebrated in a similar way.
Orchestras based in Toluca have become very famous because of their directors. Currently there are two official orchestras: a State one and a Municipal one. The one from the State is the Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México
. Higher education institutions have marching bands, and in some towns there are wind bands.
The dancing institutions include the Instituto Mexiquense de Cultura, the IMSS
, and DIF
. There are also schools of dance such as the Escuela de Bellas Artes and the UAEM.
There is also a youth marching band of Toluca called "Eagles of Anahuac." This band was formed about 35 years ago and was the first youth marching band in the country.
, a regional sausage made of ground pork and tomato sauce, pumpkin mole
, pipian and other ingredients such as salt, pepper, white wine, almonds, potatoes, vinegar, garlic and chile. In Mexico, the word "chorizo" is used as nickname for anything (anybody) from Toluca. Other popular dishes, which must be mentioned are "tacos de carnitas" (pork tacos) and "tacos de plaza" made of barbacoa, pork, chicharron(fried pork rind), papalo, onion, cilantro, nopales, "cueritos", chili sauce, salt and lime.
The traditional food includes vegetables from the region such as "quelites", "quintoniles", "huazontles", spinach, "verdolagas", carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and so forth.
Toluca has a variety of traditional candies such as "alegrías", "jamoncillos" (a candy bar with flavors such as lemon, pineapple, apple or chocolate), "lemons" (lemons decorated with coconut), "chilacayotes" (pumpkin in syrup), "cocadas" (mainly made with coconut), "palanquetas" (a peanut bar covered with melted sugar).
Traditional drinks include "garapiña" and "mosquito". "Garapiña" is a drink based on fermented pineapple, and "mosquito" is a drink obtained from the infusion of fruit in alcohol. "Mosquito" can be also flavored with sugar, syrup or honey.
Soccer team, the "Diablos Rojos" (Red Devils) of Toluca
. Their home is one of the landmarks of the city, the Estadio Nemesio Díez
(Nemesio Diez Stadium), located between Constituyentes and Morelos avenues downtown. Its nickname is "La Bombonera" (The Bonbon Box).
Famous boxers
often use Toluca as a training center
. These have included Julio César Chávez
and Puerto Rico
's Wilfredo Vazquez
, among others.
program and maintains cultural and economic exchange programs with: Saitama
, Japan
(1979) Brescia
, Italy
Urawa
, Japan
Kozani
, Greece
Fort Worth, Texas
, United States
(1998) Suwon
, South Korea
(1999)* Galveston, Texas
, United States
(2009) Xalapa
, Veracruz
, Mexico (2011)
The municipality of Toluca, which has a geographical extent of 420.14 km² (162.2 sq mi), includes numerous communities other than Toluca de Lerdo, the largest of which are the municipalities of San Pablo Autopan and San José Guadalupe Otzacatipan. The municipality is bordered by the municipalities of Almoloya de Juárez, Temoaya
, Otzolotepec
, Xonacatlán
, Lerma
, San Mateo Atenco
, Metepec
, Calimaya
, Tenango del Valle
, Villa Guerrero and Zinacantepec.
n]] in the state of Nayarit
. The river is about 1180 kilometres (733.2 mi) long; about 60% of it is known as Lerma River and 40% as Santiago River. The Nevado de Toluca
or Xinantécatl is 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) southwest of the city. The god Tolo was supposed to reside in the volcano's crater. Its original indigenous name was Chignahualtecatl which means "Nine Mountains" but later was named Xinantecatl which means "naked man", because the siluette of its crater resumbles a sleeping man, before the Spaniards named it Nevado, meaning "snow-covered". It is a place of increasing sporting activity, such as mountain biking
, climbing
, and high altitude running. It is the only volcano in Mexico that has two lagoons and can be reached by automobile. There have been proposals to turn this mountain into a ski hill because of its accessibility and the low temperatures that exist on the mountain throughout the year, but recent reports on global warming
have raised fears that the snow cap on the mountain will disappear completely within a few decades. The area was converted into the Nevado de Toluca National Park
in January 1936 with about 1517 km² (585.7 sq mi) in area. The park has forest land, especially of pine
s and obeto trees. The prevalent animals are camp rats, teporingos, squirrels, tlacuaches, lizards, snakes, and eagles. On the lower part of this mountain there are picnic tables and BBQ grills. In the higher part of the volcano (inside) there are two lagoons in which visitors can practice scuba-diving and fishing. This volcano is unique in Mexico in that one can enter the crater by car.
Sierra Morelos Park is about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away from the center of Toluca. This is a reforested area with a small artificial lake, a picnic area and playground.
, Toluca features a Subtropical highland climate. The climate is cool and humid with higher humidity and rainfall and occasional hail in the summer. It can also experience freezing temperatures in the winter. The climate is the coolest of any large Mexican city due to its high altitude of 2680 metres (8,793 ft) above sea level. Despite its southerly latitude, on winter nights temperatures can drop well below 0 °C (32 °F) and even in the summer it can cool down to 5 °C (41 °F) or less, while maximum temperatures rarely exceed 25 °C (77 °F) on the hottest days. The climate is prone to extended dry periods particularly in the winter. Precipitation during the winter usually falls as snow in the higher elevation such as El Nevado de Toluca and its surroundings. The rainy season which extends from June until October. Just outside of the heavily-industrialized city, the municipality has forests of oak, pine, fir, cedar, cypress, acacia and other flora that are characteristic of the temperate zone of central Mexico. One advantage this area has over many other in Mexico is its almost near-absence of insects.
Barrio Bordo Nuevo, Barrio de Balbuena (Los Siete Compadres), Barrio de Guadalupe Totoltepec, Barrio de Jesús Fracción Primera, Barrio de Jesús Fracción Segunda, Barrio del Cajón, Barrio la Palma Toltepec, Barrio Santa Cruz, Barrio Santa María, Cacalomacán, Calixtlahuaca, Calzada de los Corredores, Cerrillo Vista Hermosa, Cerro del Perico, Col. Arroyo Vista Hermosa (Barrio el Arroyo), Col. Aviación (Barrio de Jesús Segunda Secc.), Colonia de Pacífico, Colonia del Durazno, Colonia Guadalupe, Colonia Guadalupe (La Loma), Colonia la Cañada, Colonia la Joya, Colonia la Venta, Ejido de Almoloya de Juárez, Ejido de Nova (Barrio del Museo), Ejido de Oxtotitlán (Nova), Ejido de Santiago Tlaxomulco (Zimbrones), Ejido del Cerro del Murciélago, Ejido San Marcos Yachihuacaltepec, Ejido Santa Cruz Atzcapozaltongo, El Arenal, El Cerrillo Piedras Blancas (El Cerrillo), El Depósito, El Dorado, El Mirador, El Refugio, Hacienda Santín (Rancho Santín), Jicaltepec Autopan, Joya de Cacalomacán (Hda. San Antonio Cano), La Constitución, La Loma Cuexcontitlán, La Planada (El Arenal), La Soledad (La Macaria), Las Palmas, Lomas de Vista Hermosa, Ojo de Agua Autopan, Palmillas, Paraje el Cornejal (El Arenal), Pueblo Nuevo, Ranchería San Isidro, Rancho el Rosedal, Rancho las Cañadas, Rancho las Lupitas, Rancho San Bartolo (Rancho Grande), Rancho San José Terán, Rancho San Pablo, San Andrés Cuexcontitlán, San Antonio Buenavista, San Blas Otzacatipan (San Blas), San Blas Totoltepec, San Carlos, San Carlos Autopan, San Cayetano Morelos (San Cayetano), San Diego de los Padres Cuexcontitlán, San Diego de los Padres Otzacatipan, San Diego Linares, San Diego los Padres Cuexcontitlán Secc. 5 A, San Diego los Padres Cuexcontitlán Secc. 5 B, San Felipe Tlalmimilolpan, San Francisco Totoltepec, San Isidro Ejido de Calixtlahuaca, San José Buenavista el Chico, San José Gpe. (San José Gpe. Otzacatipan), San José la Costa, San Juan Tilapa, San Marcos Yachihuacaltepec, San Martín Toltepec, San Mateo Otzacatipan, San Miguel Totoltepec, San Miguel Zacango (Rancho), San Nicolás Tolentino, San Pablo Autopan, San Pedro Totoltepec, Santa Cruz Otzacatipan, Santa Juanita de Santiago Tlacotepec, Santa Martha, Santiago Tlacotepec, , Santiago Tlaxomulco (Tumbaburros), Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada, Tecaxic, Tlachaloya Primera Sección, Tlachaloya Segunda Sección, Xicaltepec Cuexcontitlán (Cuexcontitlán), Xicaltepec Otzacatipan (Ej. San Mateo), Xicaltepec Tepaltitlán (Ej. San Lorenzo)
. The core metropolitan area of Toluca consists of the municipalites of Toluca, Lerma, Metepec, San Mateo Atenco, Ocoyoacac
and Zinacantepec. The economic interdependence of these municipalities are most similar to that of the communities in the Mexico City metropolitan area. There are two "outer spheres" of the metropolitan area. The first consists of the municipalties of Almoloya del Río
, Capulhuac
, Mexicaltzingo, San Antonio la Isla
, Tenango del Valle
and Xonacatlán
. The furthest sphere consists of Santiango Tianguistenco, Santa María Rayón, Santa Cruz Atizapán
and Chapultepec, México
. These spheres are defined not only by geographical distance but also by population growth and rate of urbanization.
States of Mexico
The United Mexican States is a federal republic formed by 32 federal entities .According to the Constitution of 1917, the states of the federation are free and sovereign. Each state has their own congress and constitution, while the Federal District has only limited autonomy with a local Congress...
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 63 kilometres (39.1 mi) west-southwest 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...
and only about 40 minutes by car to the western edge of the Distrito Federal. According to the 2005 census, the city of Toluca has a population of 467,713, with 747,512 as the total municipal population. The city is the eighth largest in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in population. The municipality of Toluca, along with twelve other municipalities make up the metropolitan population of 1,610,786 as of 2005, making it the fifth most populous metropolitan area in Mexico and the largest entirely within the State of México.
The name, Toluca
When Toluca was founded by the Matlazincas, its original name was Nepintahihui (land of corn, tierra del maíz). The current name is based on the NáhuatlNahuatl
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...
name for the area when it was renamed by the 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...
s in 1473. The name has its origin in the word tolocan that comes from the name of the god, Tolo, plus the locative suffix, can, to denote "place of Tolo". It is also referred to in a number of 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...
codices
Codex
A codex is a book in the format used for modern books, with multiple quires or gatherings typically bound together and given a cover.Developed by the Romans from wooden writing tablets, its gradual replacement...
as Tolutépetl, meaning hill of the god, Tolo, an allusion to the nearby volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
. The name Toluca de Lerdo was adopted in 1861 in honor of President Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada
Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada
Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada y Corral was a jurist and Liberal president of Mexico.-Background:...
.
Pre-Columbian era
The Valley of Toluca was known as Matlatzinco valley in ancient times and home to at least four linguistic groups: the MatlatzincaMatlatzinca
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,...
, Otomi
Otomi language
Otomi is an Oto-Manguean language and one of the indigenous languages of Mexico, spoken by approximately 240,000 indigenous Otomi people in the central altiplano region of Mexico. The language is spoken in many different dialects, some of which are not mutually intelligible, therefore it is in...
, 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...
, and Nahua peoples. In the Postclassic period, the valley was ruled by a large powerful capital city whose ruins are located today in the village of Calixtlahuaca
Calixtlahuaca
Calixtlahuaca is a Postclassic period Mesoamerican archaeological site, located near the present-day city of Toluca in the State of Mexico...
, just north of the city of Toluca. In 1478 the Mexica
Mexica
The Mexica were a pre-Columbian people of central Mexico.Mexica may also refer to:*Mexica , a board game designed by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling*Mexica , a 2005 novel by Norman Spinrad...
emperor 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....
conquered the Toluca Valley. The capital was stripped of its dynasty and power and some lands were distributed to kings and nobles from the Valley of Mexico
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...
.
One of the rivals of Calixtlahuaca was Tollocan, a minor city-state before 1478. When Axayacatl destroyed Calixtlahuaca, he placed the imperial provincial capital in Tollocan. Calixtlahuaca and other towns in the Toluca Valley paid tribute to the Aztec Empire through Tollocan. After the Spanish conquest, the name Tollocan was changed to Toluca. Archaeologists have not yet located a major Postclassic settlement within the modern city. Either the pre-Hispanic city of Tollocan was destroyed and covered over by the expansion of Toluca, or else the remains of Tollocan could lie outside of the modern city. A small Postclassic site was discovered on the hill called Tolochi, which is in the north of the modern city, but the remains seem too insubstantial to have been a major provincial capital. The tree of "Las Manitas Rojas", which literally means "little red hands", was planted before the Spanish Conquest in what is now the monastery of Nuestra Señora del Carmen. This tree is significant because it shows that Toluca was important enough for the Aztecs to create a botanical garden.
Colonial period
In 1521, the Spanish conquered the Valley of Toluca. Leading the troops was Gonzalo de SandovalGonzalo de Sandoval
Gonzalo de Sandoval was a Spanish conquistador in New Spain and briefly co-governor of the colony while Hernan Cortés was away from the capital .-Arrival in New Spain:Sandoval was the youngest of the lieutenants of Cortés. They arrived together in New Spain in 1519...
, one of Cortes' many sergeants. Toluca’s first governor was Pedro Cortés Coyotzin. The valley of Toluca and what is now the city of Toluca were included in the concession made by King Carlos V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to 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...
.
In 1524, the evangelization process started in Toluca. The most notable figure of this effort is Fray Andrés Castro, from Burgos
Burgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
, the old capital of Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
, by making a great number of improvements to the city and being the first one to learn the native Matlazincan language. The friar was well-loved by the Matlzinca people as he worked to protect them from the injustices of the early colonial period. He is remembered to this day with a plaza that bears his name which includes a sculpture depicting him. A Spanish community was established in 1530, but it was not until 1677 that Toluca was categorized as a town. In 1793, the construction of a road to 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...
was started. Although Toluca was recognized as a city as early as 1662, only in 1799, was Toluca officially named a city by the King Carlos IV of Spain on September 12.
Independence and post-independence
In 1810, at the beginning of the independence movement, Miguel HidalgoMiguel Hidalgo
Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla y Gallaga Mandarte Villaseñor , more commonly known as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla or simply Miguel Hidalgo, was a Mexican priest and a leader of the Mexican War of Independence.In 1810 Hidalgo led a group of peasants in a revolt against the dominant...
stayed in Toluca for a few days on his way to the Battle of Monte de las Cruces
Battle of Monte de las Cruces
The Battle of Monte de las Cruces was one of the pivotal battles of the early Mexican War of Independence. It was fought between the insurgent troops of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and Ignacio Allende against the royalist troops of General Torcuato Trujillo in the Sierra de las Cruces mountains...
. In 1811, a group of indigenous natives of Mexico was shot and killed by Spanish royalists. In memorial to those who were killed in this incident, the place where this occurred was named "Plaza of the Martires". In 1812, the first city council of Toluca was installed. In 1821, 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...
was proclaimed by the local authorities.
After the creation of the State of Mexico in 1825, the state capital moved to different cities several times. until in 1830, Toluca was finally designated as the constitutional capital of the State of Mexico. In 1832, the building of "Los Portales" was started in downtown Toluca. In 1836, because of the centralization of the Mexican federal government, all branches of government were relocated to Mexico City after some were in Toluca for several years.
In 1847, thanks to Ignacio Ramírez, "El Nigromante" or the Institute of Literature opened. In 1851, the "Teatro Principal" was built by González Arratia. Mariano Riva Palacio
Mariano Riva Palacio
Mariano Riva Palacio was a prominent Mexican politician and lawyer during most of the 19th century.He was born in Mexico City to Esteban de la Riva Palacio and Doña María Dolores Díaz and married and Dolores Guerrero, daughter of Gen. Vicente Guerrero, one of the most prominent leaders of the...
was named governor of the state and he started the most important modernization process of the city in the 19th century. In 1881, The Industrial Union was founded, the railroad was opened and the Bank of State of Mexico created the first bills in the country. In 1882, the Teachers College was founded. In 1910, people celebrated a century of Independence, and the Plaza España was inaugurated.
Economy
In colonial times, Toluca first gained economic importance as a producer of smoked and cured meats, especially chorizoChorizo
Chorizo is a term encompassing several types of pork sausages originating from the Iberian Peninsula.In English, it is usually pronounced , , or , but sometimes ....
sausage. The nearby town of Lerma
Lerma
Lerma is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 90 km southeast of Turin and about 30 km south of Alessandria....
still carries on this tradition. However, since that time, Toluca's economy has expanded far beyond sausage to become one of the most industrialized areas in Mexico. Its geographic position in the center of the country and proximity to Mexico City as well as its well-developed infrastructure, have allowed Toluca to grow into a major industrial zone for the state. Toluca began consolidating in the 1940s, but the most intense industrialization began in the 1950s and continued through most of the 1980s. The growth and industrialization of Toluca is closely tied to the growth and changes in economic activities that have occurred in the Mexico City metropolitan area. Most industrial enterprises are on the small and micro-level but the city has attracted a large number of international corporations. Major products produced include food processing, metals and machinery, paper products, printed matter as well as auto production. The industrial base of the Toluca metropolitan area employs over 33% of the municipality's population and 6% of the entire state's population.
Airport
Toluca is served by Licenciado Adolfo López Mateos International Airport. The airport has a 4,200 meter runway and is located 15 km from Toluca and 60 km from the country’s capital, thus serving as an overflow airport for Mexico City. This airport has started a development initiative of the Federal and State Governments, as well as the private sector, which provided an investment of almost 3,200 million U.S. dollars in the last 2 years.This airport has created 4,500 jobs and has contributed to the increase of commercial activity for the metropolitan area. It has also attracted many airline passengers who live in Mexico City to use the Toluca airport, which represents migration in potential consumers of 2.2 million passengers in 2007 and it is projected that for 2008 up to five millions travelers may utilize the Toluca Airport, which would make it the 4th busiest in the country.
Industrial zone
Toluca is located in the economic center of Mexico. Toluca has become an important economic city because of its industries and infrastructure that produce drinks, food, textiles, cars, electric products and such. Since 1944, many industries have settled in Toluca rather than in other cities. In 1965, the industrial zone of Toluca-Lerma-Tianguistenco, which is located on the north side of Toluca, began to attract industries to the area. The city now has five additional major industrial parks: Corredor Industrial Toluca, Parque Industrial Lerma, Parque Industrial Exportec I., Parque Industrial Exportec II and the Parque Industrial El Coecillo.Chrysler's Toluca Car Assembly
Toluca Car Assembly
Toluca Car Assembly is a Chrysler automobile factory in Toluca, State of Mexico, Mexico. It opened in 1968. Toluca Stamping is located nearby....
has manufactured automobiles since 1968. The 220 acre (0.8903092 km²) complex employs 2300 people. Other companies located here and other of Toluca's industrial parks are BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, Mercedes Benz, Coca Cola, Femsa
FEMSA
FEMSA is the largest beverage company in Mexico and in Latin America and as of September 2011 also the largest independent Coca-Cola bottler in the world. FEMSA originated as the Cuauhtémoc Brewery in 1890, which, through debt management, was restructured as FEMSA in 1988...
, Grupo Bimbo
Grupo Bimbo
Grupo Bimbo is the largest Mexican food company and the largest bakery in the world with brands in Americas, Europe, and China.-History:Grupo Bimbo was established in Mexico in 1945 by Lorenzo Servitje, Jose T. Mata, Jaime Sendra, and Jaime Jorba...
, Nissan, Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
, Pfizer
Pfizer
Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
, Bayer
Bayer
Bayer AG is a chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen , Germany in 1863. It is headquartered in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and well known for its original brand of aspirin.-History:...
, Crisa
CRISA
Computadores, Redes e Ingeniería, S.A. is a Spanish company founded in 1985 to develop and manufacture electronics and software products for aerospace applications.In 2000, CRISA became part of the EADS Astrium group....
, Barcel
Barcel
Barcel is a maker of tortilla, potato chips and other confectionery and snack foods. It is a unit of Grupo Bimbo created in 1950. A different company with the same name, but operating in Chile, was acquired by PepsiCo in 1998.-External links: * *...
, Knorr, Trelleborg Automotive, and HSBC
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
. Mercedes Benz and BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
have complete manufacturing and R&D facilities in the Toluca industrial park. Mercedes-Benz manufactures the C-Class, E-Class, G-Class, GL-Class, S-Class and CLS-Class and is the only Mercedes facility that offers in-factory-built armored versions of their entire vehicle lineup. BMW manufactures its 5, 7 and X5 series and also offers armored variants.
Transportation
Toluca has an infrastructure of highways that connect the city with the main cities of the country as well as its international Airport, and inter-city bus Station.The Libramiento (bypass) Toluca is a project to directly connect the Toluca-Mexico City highway to the east of the city to the Toluca-Atlacomulco highway the extends north. It will permit easier access to the airport as well as a bypass route for traffic heading from Mexico City to the west and northwest. The libramiento is already complete, but it is not used by many people because of the high tolls.
The highways that connect Toluca with Mexico City and Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
are being expanded and modernized due to the Circuito Exterior Mexiquense project, which aims to improve major highways leading from Mexico City to the rest of the country. One proposed highway, called Autopista Lerma-Tres Marías y Ramal Tenango, aims to improve transit between Toluca and Cuernavaca, as well as other cities to the south. Currently, almost all major roadways serving Toluca transit in the north. It will allow transit from Toluca to southern and eastern destinations bypassing Mexico City but connecting the city with the Mexico City–Cuernavaca highway. However, the project is opposed by Greenpeace Mexico as well as a number of local groups, primarily due to the possible damage it can cause to the "Gran Bosque del Agua" forest, which contains an important aquifer for the Toluca area. There are also concerns that the highway will extend development into small towns that do not want it.
Education
Since Toluca is the capital of the state of Mexico, there are several diverse and important educational centers such as the state-funded public universityPublic university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
, the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México
Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México
The Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México is a public university in the State of Mexico, Mexico. It is the largest university institution in the state with over 84,500 students, with its central campus located in the state capital of Toluca...
(UAEM). It also is home to major private universities, including campuses of the Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM)
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education
The Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education commonly shortened as Monterrey Institute of Technology or Monterrey Tech is one of the largest private, nonsectarian and coeducational multi-campus universities in...
and the Universidad del Valle de México
Universidad del Valle de México
The Universidad del Valle de México or UVM is a private Mexican university founded in Mexico City in the year 1960. UVM enrolls students at several campuses throughout Mexico, and it holds accreditations from the Mexican Department of Education, COPAES accrediting board, and FIMPES...
.
There are currently 574 schools in Toluca, with about 8,320 teachers. The illiteracy rate is 7.33%, which is considered high.
UAEM, the state's public university, has its roots in the Literary Institute, later named the Scientific and Literary Institute, which was founded in 1828. It has been a prestigious institution and educated figures such as José María Heredia, Ignacio Ramírez
Ignacio Ramírez
Juan Ignacio Paulino Ramírez Calzada was a Mexican writer, poet, journalist, lawyer, atheist, and political libertarian from San Miguel de Allende who used the pen name, El Nigromante . He defended the rights of Indians...
, Felipe Sánchez Solís, Ignacio Manuel Altamirano
Ignacio Manuel Altamirano
Ignacio Manuel Altamirano Basilio was a Mexican writer, journalist, teacher and politician.Altamirano was born in Tixtla, Guerrero, of pure indigenous Nahua heritage. His father was the mayor of Tixtla, this allowed Ignacio to attend school there...
and Adolfo López Mateos
Adolfo López Mateos
Adolfo López Mateos was a Mexican politician affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party who served as President of Mexico from 1958 to 1964...
. The Institute became an autonomous university in 1956. The original building, situated downtown near Benito Juárez street, has been remodeled and houses the dean's offices. The university has installations in various parts of the city, but the "Ciudad Universitaria" (lit. "university city") built around the Cerro (Hill) de Coatepec is the most noticeable, with its bust of López Mateos prominently displayed at the top of the hill.
City features
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...
. Insurgent commander José Maria Oviedo was faced with the royalist army of Rosendo Porlier, who succeeded in driving the rebels northward to Toluca. Viceroy Venegas ordered reinforcments for Porlier's army and dispersed the insurgents, causing them to lose artillery and supplies. In addition, the royalist forces took over a hundred prisoners and executed them in the main square. The bodies of the prisoners were buried in a mass grave behind what is now the Municipal Palace. A temple was built over the spot after the end of the Revolution. A monument to Father Miguel Hidalgo
Miguel Hidalgo
Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla y Gallaga Mandarte Villaseñor , more commonly known as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla or simply Miguel Hidalgo, was a Mexican priest and a leader of the Mexican War of Independence.In 1810 Hidalgo led a group of peasants in a revolt against the dominant...
, the "father" of the Mexican Revolution is in the center of the square. It was created in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
by Rivalta in 1899. The pedestal has reliefs depicting the storming of the Alhóndiga de Granaditas and the Battle of Monte de las Cruces.
The central plaza is surrounded by state and municipal government buildings. The state government palace and the Chamber of Deputies are recent constructions, but the buildings housing the state court and the municipal palace date from the 19th century. The state court building originally was the home of the state government and was designed by Ramón Rodriguez Arangoiti, who also designed the imperial wing of the Chapultepec Castle. The municipal palace was completed in 1873 on land that once belonged to 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. The Chamber of Deputies building contains murals done by Leopoldo Flores
Leopoldo Flores
Leopoldo Flores was born in Tenancingo, Estado de México in 1934. He is a muralist, sculptor, intellectual.Flores had his start in the Mural-Pancarta Movement. He was consistent in installing monumental artistic paintings on buildings. With a singular creativity in Aratmosfera painting, consisting...
, which together are known as Construction: Images and Flight depicting man constructing buildings and himself at the same time. The municipal palace and the Chamber of Deputies are decorated with Neoclassic
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...
façades, but the other government buildings, built in the 1960s are faced with tezontle
Tezontle
Tezontle is a porous, extrusive, igneous, volcanic rock used extensively in construction in Mexico. It is usually reddish in color.-Uses:Tezontle can be mixed with concrete to form lightweight concrete blocks, or mixed with cement to create stucco finishes. Tezontle is often used as the top...
in the style of the 18th century palaces in Mexico City.
The Temple of La Merced is one of the most ancient convents still preserved and one of the most important founded by Spaniards. It is a beautiful building of a religious order called mercenarios, and it shows architectural styles from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Its principal facade has 3 naves and was constructed ithe 18th century on the remains of the old Temple of San Francisco. The interior of the temple exhibits neoclassical style with gold-leaf. It features oil paintings from the aforementioned times, such as the "Birth of San Pedro Nolasco", founder of the Mercenarios order. The temple became a hospice for orphans and beggars. Baroque construction style can be seen in the pilasters, niches and the order's shield. Inside, you can see paintings of Felipe Gutierrez
Felipe Gutiérrez
Felipe Alejandro Gutiérrez Leiva , is a Chilean footballer. He currently plays as Attacking Midfielder for Universidad Católica in Chile's Primera División....
, a Mexican painter who graduated from the San Carlos Academy. It is located in downtown Toluca on Jose Ma. Morelos street.
Los Portales represent the social and commercial life of the city. They are a composed of three sets of arches or portals that extend on the 3 sides of the city block that extends behind the main cathedral. Behind the sets of arches there is walking space that takes you around the stores that are contained within. The western arches follow the perimeter of what was the La Asunción Franciscan monastery. The eastern and southern arches were complted in 1836 by José María González Arratia. The original western arches were built by the Buenaventura Merlín. Each side consists of basket-handle arches, each with a balcony. Each side has its own name. The eastern one, with 37 arches, is called "20 de Noviembre" or "Constitución"; the southern one, with 44 arches, is called "Madero" and the western one, with 35 arches, is called "Reforma". There are four additional arches at the entrance to Avenida Independencia. Near Los Portales are some of the city's oldest businesses, some of which date from the 19th century such as the pharmacy on Calle Santos Degollado, a brass and iron workshop on Avenida Lerdo and a leather workshop on Avenida Juárez.
The Plaza de Fray Andrés de Castro is located next to Los Portales and connected to the older arches by means of a passageway with a transparent roof. It is a semi-enclosed space which was once the sacristy
Sacristy
A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.The sacristy is usually located inside the church, but in some cases it is an annex or separate building...
of the La Asunción Franciscan Monastery. The sacristy was built by Felipe de Ureña and José Rivera and is essentially a reproduction of the Santa María del Puerto hermitage in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and is one of the few remaining buildings of the old monastery. The square in front was recently remodeled but still contains traditional stores selling garapiña, traditional candies, taco
Taco
A taco is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety...
s and other regional foods. The Municipal Historic Archive is located above the passageway leading to Los Portales.
The Cathedral of Toluca was begun in 1867 by José Francisco de Paula on land originally belongin to the Asunción de Toluca Franciscan monastery. The building was originally designed by Agustín Carrillo. However, in 1870, Ramon Rodriguez Arangoiti redesigned the cathedral, based on his experience with old Roman basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
s although the present-day building still contains a number of the elements of the original design such as the aisle that runs parallel to the façade serving as a narthex
Narthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
, allowing access to the central and two side nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
s. The straight central nave is lighted by round arched windows. The outside façade consists of two parts. The first has seven columned areas, as well as niches with the images of Saint John
John the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
, Saint Thomas
Thomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for questioning Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in . He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman...
, Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
and Saint James. The second part rises above the main doors with three columned areas containing balconies, stained-glass windows and balustrades, terminating in a rectilinear pendiment with an image of the Ascension of the Lord. In this, the cathedral shares design elements with the Cathedral of Mexico City. Above this, there is a clock with sculputures depicting the Fathers of the Greek Orthodox Church
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
, Saint John Chrisotomus, Saint Basil the Great, Saint Athanasius and Saint Gregory of Nyssa. The cathedral is topped by a dome with a bronze statue of Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
, who is the patron saint of the city, holding the infant Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. Overall the cathedral is a mix of styles, represents the various stages in which is was built and remodeled.
The Tercer Orden Temple is located to the side of the main cathedral. Its façade is integrated into the main cathedral's in the popular indigenous Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
architecture of the 18th century. It was the seat of the bishopric
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
until 1978, when it was moved to the main cathedral. The temple contains a number of paintings, including The Three Orders and The Family Tree of Saint Francis
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...
.
The Cosmovitral is located in a stone and ironwork building in the center of Toluca built in 1910 by engineer Manuel Arratia in order to accommodate the "16 de Septiembre" market. It was constructed in Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
and 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...
style, with an area of 5,000 square meters. It is now a botanical garden with more than 400 species of plants from all over the world. It also features a series of stained glass windows that are considered the largest in the world. These windows were created and designed by a Mexican artist named Leopoldo Flores
Leopoldo Flores
Leopoldo Flores was born in Tenancingo, Estado de México in 1934. He is a muralist, sculptor, intellectual.Flores had his start in the Mural-Pancarta Movement. He was consistent in installing monumental artistic paintings on buildings. With a singular creativity in Aratmosfera painting, consisting...
. Cosmovitral was inaugurated in 1980 and completed in 1990. The stained glass ceiling represents the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
and joins the "Hombre Sol" (Sun Man) with the Galaxy of Andromeda
Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Andromeda. It is also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, and is often referred to as the Great Andromeda Nebula in older texts. Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to the...
. It is a monumental piece measuring 3,200 square meters with more than 30 thousand pieces and half a million glass pieces of 28 different colors coming from many different parts of the world such as Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Japan, Canada and the United States. It has a series of scenes that symbolize man's search of the light, the good and the wisdom to elevate his spirit to liberate him from the shadows of evil and the ignorance in an epic tale without beginning or end. At the spring equinox, the solar disc crosses the heart of "El hombre Sol" (the sun man), causing an explosion of light.
The Santa Veracruz Temple is the home of a famous image of "Our Lord of the Holy Cross" also known as a "Black Christ". This image was originally housed in the San Francisco Temple, but the increasing number of worshippers dictated the building of its own sanctuary. Construction began in 1753, but because of friction between the Franciscans and worshippers, it was not completed until 1797. Although the original plans included two towers, only one was built, containing two hexagonal bodies, pairs of columns and balconies with semicircular rails. Both bodies are topped with domes, each bearing a cross. The space that was reserved for the second tower instead has an ornate clock.
Malls
In Toluca there are four principal malls named- Galerias metepecGalerias metepecThe Centro Comercial Galerias Metepec located in Metepec, Mexico State is the main mall for people from Toluca and Metepec. Stores there sell clothes, entertainment, food and housewares....
- Gran Plaza Toluca
- Plaza SenderoPlaza SenderoPlaza Sendero is a chain of shopping malls in Mexico. The shopping malls usually feature full service restaurants, banks, and clothing stores.-Sendero properties:Sendero properties and major anchors....
- Plaza Las Americas
There are many small "plazas" with local shopping, mainly for locals and there is the Portales
Toluca is home to many international restaurant chains and retail brands.
Art and culture
Toluca, being the capital of the State of Mexico, is home of several important museums. It is second only to Mexico CityMexico 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...
in number of museums. Some of them honor important Mexican artists such as José María Velasco Gómez
José María Velasco Gómez
José María Velasco was a Mexican painter of the 19th century who made Mexican geography a symbol of national identity through of his paintings...
, Felipe Santiago Gutiérrez, and Luis Nishizawa
Luis Nishizawa
Luis Nishizawa Flores is a Mexican artist. His father, Kenji Nishizawa is Japanese with origins from Nagano prefecture and his mother, María de Jesús Flores is Mexican....
, among others.
These museums are the following:
- The Museo de Bellas Artes (Museum of Fine Arts) was founded in 1945 by the ex-governor Isidro FabelaIsidro FabelaIsidro Fabela Alfaro was a Mexican judge, politician, professor, writer, publisher, governor of the State of Mexico, and delegate to the now defunct League of Nations...
. It is the oldest museum of Toluca. It displays art by José Juarez, Cristóbal de VillalpandoCristóbal de VillalpandoCristóbal de Villalpando was a Mexican painter. He painted prolifically and produced many Baroque works visible in several Mexican cathedrals, including the cathedrals in Querétaro and Mexico City.. He married María de Mendoza in 1669, and later had four children.-References:...
, Miguel CabreraMiguel Cabrera (painter)Miguel Mateo Maldonado y Cabrera was an indigenous Zapotec painter during the Viceroyalty of New Spain, today's Mexico. During his lifetime, he was recognized as the greatest painter in all of New Spain....
, among others. It is housed in a 18th century building that was once the "Descalced Carmelite Purísima Concepción" convent and built between 1697 and 1711. One of the most valuable pieces is a catafalqueCatafalqueA catafalque is a raised bier, soapbox, or similar platform, often movable, that is used to support the casket, coffin, or body of the deceased during a funeral or memorial service. Following a Roman Catholic Requiem Mass, a catafalque may be used to stand in place of the body at the Absolution of...
dating from the mid 18th century. Since these artifacts were almost always burned by Church authorities, this is an extremely rare piece. - The Museo de Ciencias Naturales (Museum of Natural Sciences) has been located in Matlatzinca Park since 1971. It was found by the ex-governor Carlos Hank GonzálezCarlos Hank GonzálezCarlos 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...
. It presents expositions related to natural sciences. Also it holds Luis Camarena González’s collections of butterflies, insects, mammals and crustaceans. - The Museo de la Estampa (Print Museum) was dedicated in 1987 to graphic art. It displays lithographic, xylographic, chalcographic, serigraphic, offsetOffset printingOffset printing is a commonly used printing technique in which the inked image is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to the printing surface...
and neographic art from Manuel Manilla, José Guadalupe PosadaJosé Guadalupe PosadaJose Guadalupe Posada: was a Mexican cartoonist illustrator and artist whose work has influenced many Latin American artists and cartoonists because of its satirical acuteness and political engagement....
, Carlos Alvarado LangCarlos Alvarado LangCarlos Alvarado Lang was a Mexican printmaker.Alvarado Lang studied printmaking under Emiliano Valadéz at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. In 1929 he followed Emiliano Valadéz on his chair. After the course offer of the ENBA was expanded in 1930, he got the chair of engraving...
, Alfredo Zalce, Rufino TamayoRufino TamayoRufino Tamayo was a Mexican painter of Zapotec heritage, born in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico. Tamayo was active in the mid-20th century in Mexico and New York, painting figurative abstraction with surrealist influences....
, etc. It has seven display rooms and an embossing workshop. - The Museo de la Acuarela (Watercolor Museum) was founded in 1993 and is one of the few museums in the world dedicated to watercolors. It has rooms dedicated to Mexican artists like Pastor Velázquez, Vicente Mendiola, Edgardo CoghlanEdgardo CoghlanEdgardo Coghlan was a talented artist born in Los Mochis, Sinaloa in 1928 to an Irish father and Mexican mother. He first studied at the Academia Nacional de Artes Plasticas in Mexico City and later under the direction of Jose Bardasano....
, Ignacio Barrios and Ángel Mauro. It also has a Estado de México room with pieces which have won national prizes. It is located in a house that has always been known as "El Gallito" (Little Rooster), a name which appears in the crest of the main façade. - The Museo de la Numismática (Numismatics Museum) was founded in 1987 by the state government in order to show Mexico's history through coins from the pre-Hispanic period up to the present day. It is one of a kind in Latin AmericaLatin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. The collection of bills is very important because of its antiquity. - The Museo José María VelascoJosé María Velasco GómezJosé María Velasco was a Mexican painter of the 19th century who made Mexican geography a symbol of national identity through of his paintings...
(José María Velasco Museum) was founded in honor of one of the most famous landscape artists of the 19th century. It holds about 40 pieces from the artist as well as drawings and oil paintings. It has a library and a central patio where cultural events take place. The building was once occupied by Father Miguel Hidalgo before he fought in the Battle of Monte de las Cruces. Works on permanent display include: "The Volcanoes Seen from the OcotlánOcotlánOcotlán is a city and municipality in Jalisco, Mexico. Its industry includes furniture production.-Toponymy:The toponym Ocotlán means: "near the pines" or "place of the ocote ". Ocote is from the Náhuatl ocōtl, Pinus montezumae, a species of pine, .-History:Ocotlán was founded in 1530. Two main...
Valley," "The Valley of Mexico from Molino del Rey" and "Self-Portrait". - The Museo Felipe Santiago Gutiérrez (Felipe Santiago Gutiérrez Museum) also has a room of Mexican paintings from the 19th century. It has a collection of 225 oil paintings, watercolors and drawings which reflects Gutiérrez’s evolution as an artist.
- The Museo-Taller Luis NishizawaLuis NishizawaLuis Nishizawa Flores is a Mexican artist. His father, Kenji Nishizawa is Japanese with origins from Nagano prefecture and his mother, María de Jesús Flores is Mexican....
(Luis Nishizawa Workshop-Museum) was founded in honor of the artist in 1992. It has 7 halls and a library specializing in art and an information center. It is located in the old El Cóporo neighborhood, housed in one of Toluca's oldest mansions which is mentioned in numerous 17th century documents. - The Centro Cultural MexiquenseCentro Cultural MexiquenseCentro Cultural Mexiquense is a cultural center located on the western edge of the city of Toluca in central Mexico. The center is run by the State of Mexico government through an agency called the Instituto Mexiquense de Cultura , the largest and most important of this agency, receiving about...
contains three museums. The Museo de Arte Moderno (Museum of Modern Art) holds a great collection of Mexican paintings of the 20th and 21st centuries. The pieces come from other museums like Bellas Artes as well as from artist and institutional donations. Some of the artists represented are Gilberto Navarro, José Luis CuevasJose Luis CuevasJosé Luis Cuevas is a modernist painter and sculptor from Mexico. Born in 1934, Cuevas derived most of his training outside of the academies. He is considered to be one of the artists from the 1950s in the Rupture Generation that was departing from the politicized and stylized mural school of...
, SiqueirosSiqueirosSiqueiros is a Spanish surname and might refer to:People* Alejandro Siqueiros , Mexican freestyle swimmer* David Alfaro Siqueiros , Mexican painter...
, Leopoldo FloresLeopoldo FloresLeopoldo Flores was born in Tenancingo, Estado de México in 1934. He is a muralist, sculptor, intellectual.Flores had his start in the Mural-Pancarta Movement. He was consistent in installing monumental artistic paintings on buildings. With a singular creativity in Aratmosfera painting, consisting...
, etc. The Museo de Culturas Populares (Museum of Popular Cultures) displays a large collection of crafts, including items make of wood, bones, glass, seeds, as well as textiles, traditional toys and regional candy and other foods. The Museo de Antropología e Historia (Museum of Antropology and History) has more than 1000 pieces on display, with an introductory room, five archeological rooms, seven ethnographic rooms and one historical room. Its theme is Mexico's place in the evolution of the hemisphere's history and geography, as well as the geopolitical and strategic importance of the State of Mexico. Some of the finest Aztec stone sculptures are on display, including an important image of the god EhecatlEhecatlEhecatl is a pre-Columbian deity associated with the wind, who features in Aztec mythology and the mythologies of other cultures from the central Mexico region of Mesoamerica. He is most usually interpreted as the aspect of the Feathered Serpent deity as a god of wind, and is therefore also known...
. - The Museo de Sitio (Site Museum) at CalixtlahuacaCalixtlahuacaCalixtlahuaca is a Postclassic period Mesoamerican archaeological site, located near the present-day city of Toluca in the State of Mexico...
is located just north of the modern city of Toluca in its municipality. This small museum has some of the finds excavated at the site in the 1930s. It has a circular form in imitation of the famous circular temple of Calixtlahuaca.
- The CASART or Casa de Artesanias (House of Handcrafts) is located on Avenida Tollocan near the highway leading to Mexico City. This large outlet run by the government specialized in crafts produced in the Toluca Valley area. Items include sweaters from Gualupita, rebozos (shawls) from Tenancingo, rugs from TemoayaTemoayaTemoaya is a town and municipality in Mexico State, Mexico, It is located from Toluca and from Mexico City. It is known for its large ethnic Otomi population, the Centro Ceremonial Otomí and its tradition of making Persian style rugs using Mexican designs....
, pottery from MetepecMetepecMetepec 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...
, TemascalcingoTemascalcingoTemascalcingo de José Maria Velasco is a town and seat of the municipality of Temascalcingo in the State of Mexico, Mexico. It is located in the northeast of the state. The temazcal was very common in Temascalcingo. The name Temascalcingo has its roots in Nahuatl. It means place of the little...
and Valle de BravoValle de BravoValle de Bravo is a town and municipality located in Mexico State, Mexico. It is located on the shore of Lake Avándaro, approximately 156 km southwest of Mexico City and west of Toluca on highways 15, 134 or 1...
, as well as wooden items from Santa María Rayón. - The Museo Modelo de Ciencias e Industria (Modelo Museum of Science and IndustryModelo Museum of Science and IndustryModelo Museum of Science and Industry , is located in Toluca, capital city of Estado de Mexico. MUMCI’s main goal is fostering people’s interest in industry and related sciences...
) is a science museum of Grupo ModeloGrupo ModeloGrupo Modelo is a large brewery in Mexico, It has 63% of the Mexican beer market, and exports beer to the United Kingdom, United States and Canada . Its export brands include Corona, Modelo, and Pacífico...
, a leading company in the brewing industry.
Toluca boasts a high cultural and folkloric diversity which can be appreciated in each one of its traditional festivities such as the typical solemn "silent procession" that takes place every Holy Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
when the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
congregation from Toluca and its surroundings get together in the centre of the city to express their respect and devotion for Jesus Christ's sacrifice. Easter and Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
are celebrated in a similar way.
Orchestras based in Toluca have become very famous because of their directors. Currently there are two official orchestras: a State one and a Municipal one. The one from the State is the Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México
Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México
The Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México is the Symphony Orchestra of the State of Mexico. It was founded in 1971 and is based in Toluca, Mexico State, Mexico; its home hall is Sala Felipe Villanueva.- History :...
. Higher education institutions have marching bands, and in some towns there are wind bands.
The dancing institutions include the Instituto Mexiquense de Cultura, the IMSS
Mexican Social Security Institute
The Mexican Social Security Institute is a governmental organization that attends to public health, pensions and social security in Mexico operating under Secretaría de Salud .-History:...
, and DIF
Desarrollo Integral de la Familia
The National System for Integral Family Development is a Mexican public institution of social assistance that focuses on strengthening and developing the welfare of the Mexican families...
. There are also schools of dance such as the Escuela de Bellas Artes and the UAEM.
There is also a youth marching band of Toluca called "Eagles of Anahuac." This band was formed about 35 years ago and was the first youth marching band in the country.
Food and drink
Mexican food mixes European and native elements. In Toluca the most famous dish is chorizoChorizo
Chorizo is a term encompassing several types of pork sausages originating from the Iberian Peninsula.In English, it is usually pronounced , , or , but sometimes ....
, a regional sausage made of ground pork and tomato sauce, pumpkin mole
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...
, pipian and other ingredients such as salt, pepper, white wine, almonds, potatoes, vinegar, garlic and chile. In Mexico, the word "chorizo" is used as nickname for anything (anybody) from Toluca. Other popular dishes, which must be mentioned are "tacos de carnitas" (pork tacos) and "tacos de plaza" made of barbacoa, pork, chicharron(fried pork rind), papalo, onion, cilantro, nopales, "cueritos", chili sauce, salt and lime.
The traditional food includes vegetables from the region such as "quelites", "quintoniles", "huazontles", spinach, "verdolagas", carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and so forth.
Toluca has a variety of traditional candies such as "alegrías", "jamoncillos" (a candy bar with flavors such as lemon, pineapple, apple or chocolate), "lemons" (lemons decorated with coconut), "chilacayotes" (pumpkin in syrup), "cocadas" (mainly made with coconut), "palanquetas" (a peanut bar covered with melted sugar).
Traditional drinks include "garapiña" and "mosquito". "Garapiña" is a drink based on fermented pineapple, and "mosquito" is a drink obtained from the infusion of fruit in alcohol. "Mosquito" can be also flavored with sugar, syrup or honey.
Sport
Toluca is also home of a popular Mexican First DivisionPrimera División de México
The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
Soccer team, the "Diablos Rojos" (Red Devils) of Toluca
Club Toluca
Deportivo Toluca Fútbol Club is a Mexican professional football club. Toluca's stadium Nemesio Diez Riega is located in Toluca, State of Mexico in Mexico. Toluca plays in the Primera División de México and has been champion ten times...
. Their home is one of the landmarks of the city, the Estadio Nemesio Díez
Estadio Nemesio Díez
The Estadio Nemesio Díez, nicknamed La Bombonera, is one of the oldest football stadiums in Mexico. Opened on August 18, 1954, with a capacity of 27,000 seats, it is located in the city of Toluca, Mexico, near Mexico City. It is the home of Deportivo Toluca Fútbol Club. Because of its location this...
(Nemesio Diez Stadium), located between Constituyentes and Morelos avenues downtown. Its nickname is "La Bombonera" (The Bonbon Box).
Famous boxers
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
often use Toluca as a training center
Boxing training
Boxing training is the training method that boxers use in order to get more fit for their sport. This training method is often cited by medical doctors, boxing trainers, and writers as one of the most spartan forms of sports training.- Training :...
. These have included Julio César Chávez
Julio César Chávez
Julio César Chávez is a retired Mexican professional boxer.He is a six-time world champion in three weight divisions, and for several years he was considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world...
and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
's Wilfredo Vazquez
Wilfredo Vázquez
Wilfredo Vázquez is a retired Puerto Rican professional boxer. He is a former World Champion at three different weights, Bantamweight, Super bantamweight and Featherweight.-Early life and amateur career:...
, among others.
Sister cities
Toluca is a part of the Sister Cities InternationalTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
program and maintains cultural and economic exchange programs with: Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(1979) Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Urawa
Urawa, Saitama
was a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, until it merged into the city of Saitama together with two other cities, Omiya and Yono, on May 1, 2001. In 2003, the former area of Urawa became Urawa-ku, Midori-ku, Minami-ku, and Sakura-ku, which are wards of the city of Saitama...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Kozani
Kozani
Kozani is a city in northern Greece, capital of Kozani regional unit and of West Macedonia region. It is located in the western part of Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmonas river valley...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(1998) Suwon
Suwon
Suwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A major city of over a million inhabitants, Suwon lies approximately south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety"....
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
(1999)* Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(2009) Xalapa
Xalapa
Xalapa-Enríquez, commonly Xalapa or Jalapa, is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the year 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the municipality of which it serves as municipal seat reported a population of...
, Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
, Mexico (2011)
Geography
Temoaya
Temoaya is a town and municipality in Mexico State, Mexico, It is located from Toluca and from Mexico City. It is known for its large ethnic Otomi population, the Centro Ceremonial Otomí and its tradition of making Persian style rugs using Mexican designs....
, Otzolotepec
Otzolotepec
Otzolotepec is a town and municipality in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 127.95 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 67,611.-References:...
, Xonacatlán
Xonacatlán
Xonacatlán is a town and municipality in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 32.87 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 45,274.-Etymology:...
, Lerma
Lerma
Lerma is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 90 km southeast of Turin and about 30 km south of Alessandria....
, San Mateo Atenco
San Mateo Atenco
San Mateo Atenco is a city and a municipality located in the State of México in Mexico. It lies west of the Federal District near the municipality of Metepec, in the central part of the state of México, and is part of the Toluca urban area bordering the city to the east. Atenco is derived from the...
, 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, Villa Guerrero and Zinacantepec.
n]] in the state of Nayarit
Nayarit
Nayarit officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its capital city is Tepic.It is located in Western Mexico...
. The river is about 1180 kilometres (733.2 mi) long; about 60% of it is known as Lerma River and 40% as Santiago River. The Nevado de Toluca
Nevado de Toluca
Nevado de Toluca is a large stratovolcano in central Mexico, located about west of Mexico City near the city of Toluca. It is generally cited as the fourth highest of Mexico's peaks, after Pico de Orizaba, Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, although by some measurements, Sierra Negra is slightly...
or Xinantécatl is 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) southwest of the city. The god Tolo was supposed to reside in the volcano's crater. Its original indigenous name was Chignahualtecatl which means "Nine Mountains" but later was named Xinantecatl which means "naked man", because the siluette of its crater resumbles a sleeping man, before the Spaniards named it Nevado, meaning "snow-covered". It is a place of increasing sporting activity, such as mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, climbing
Climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...
, and high altitude running. It is the only volcano in Mexico that has two lagoons and can be reached by automobile. There have been proposals to turn this mountain into a ski hill because of its accessibility and the low temperatures that exist on the mountain throughout the year, but recent reports on global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
have raised fears that the snow cap on the mountain will disappear completely within a few decades. The area was converted into the Nevado de Toluca National Park
Nevado de Toluca National Park
The Nevado de Toluca National Park is located southwest of the city of Toluca, Mexico State. It was decreed a park in 1936, primarily to protect the Nevado de Toluca volcano, which forms nearly the park’s entire surface and is the fourth highest peak in Mexico. It is 45 km from Toluca and 135...
in January 1936 with about 1517 km² (585.7 sq mi) in area. The park has forest land, especially of pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
s and obeto trees. The prevalent animals are camp rats, teporingos, squirrels, tlacuaches, lizards, snakes, and eagles. On the lower part of this mountain there are picnic tables and BBQ grills. In the higher part of the volcano (inside) there are two lagoons in which visitors can practice scuba-diving and fishing. This volcano is unique in Mexico in that one can enter the crater by car.
Sierra Morelos Park is about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away from the center of Toluca. This is a reforested area with a small artificial lake, a picnic area and playground.
Economy
Outside of the metropolitan area, the economy is still based on agriculture and livestock, with some income from tourism. Only a little over four percent of the total municipal population engages in agriculture raising corn, wheat, beans, potatoes, peas, fava beans and oats on a little over half of the municipality's territory. Livestock raising is a greater source of income with 10,286 sites producing cattle, pigs, sheep and domestic fowl. Tourism is based on the Nevado de Toluca volcano and the archeological zone of Calixtlahuaca. Despite being little known internationally, they manage to represent about 50% of the state's tourism income.Climate
Under the Koppen climate classificationKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
, Toluca features a Subtropical highland climate. The climate is cool and humid with higher humidity and rainfall and occasional hail in the summer. It can also experience freezing temperatures in the winter. The climate is the coolest of any large Mexican city due to its high altitude of 2680 metres (8,793 ft) above sea level. Despite its southerly latitude, on winter nights temperatures can drop well below 0 °C (32 °F) and even in the summer it can cool down to 5 °C (41 °F) or less, while maximum temperatures rarely exceed 25 °C (77 °F) on the hottest days. The climate is prone to extended dry periods particularly in the winter. Precipitation during the winter usually falls as snow in the higher elevation such as El Nevado de Toluca and its surroundings. The rainy season which extends from June until October. Just outside of the heavily-industrialized city, the municipality has forests of oak, pine, fir, cedar, cypress, acacia and other flora that are characteristic of the temperate zone of central Mexico. One advantage this area has over many other in Mexico is its almost near-absence of insects.
List of communities in the municipality
As municipal seat of the municipality of Toluca, the city as governmental jurisdiction over the following communities:Barrio Bordo Nuevo, Barrio de Balbuena (Los Siete Compadres), Barrio de Guadalupe Totoltepec, Barrio de Jesús Fracción Primera, Barrio de Jesús Fracción Segunda, Barrio del Cajón, Barrio la Palma Toltepec, Barrio Santa Cruz, Barrio Santa María, Cacalomacán, Calixtlahuaca, Calzada de los Corredores, Cerrillo Vista Hermosa, Cerro del Perico, Col. Arroyo Vista Hermosa (Barrio el Arroyo), Col. Aviación (Barrio de Jesús Segunda Secc.), Colonia de Pacífico, Colonia del Durazno, Colonia Guadalupe, Colonia Guadalupe (La Loma), Colonia la Cañada, Colonia la Joya, Colonia la Venta, Ejido de Almoloya de Juárez, Ejido de Nova (Barrio del Museo), Ejido de Oxtotitlán (Nova), Ejido de Santiago Tlaxomulco (Zimbrones), Ejido del Cerro del Murciélago, Ejido San Marcos Yachihuacaltepec, Ejido Santa Cruz Atzcapozaltongo, El Arenal, El Cerrillo Piedras Blancas (El Cerrillo), El Depósito, El Dorado, El Mirador, El Refugio, Hacienda Santín (Rancho Santín), Jicaltepec Autopan, Joya de Cacalomacán (Hda. San Antonio Cano), La Constitución, La Loma Cuexcontitlán, La Planada (El Arenal), La Soledad (La Macaria), Las Palmas, Lomas de Vista Hermosa, Ojo de Agua Autopan, Palmillas, Paraje el Cornejal (El Arenal), Pueblo Nuevo, Ranchería San Isidro, Rancho el Rosedal, Rancho las Cañadas, Rancho las Lupitas, Rancho San Bartolo (Rancho Grande), Rancho San José Terán, Rancho San Pablo, San Andrés Cuexcontitlán, San Antonio Buenavista, San Blas Otzacatipan (San Blas), San Blas Totoltepec, San Carlos, San Carlos Autopan, San Cayetano Morelos (San Cayetano), San Diego de los Padres Cuexcontitlán, San Diego de los Padres Otzacatipan, San Diego Linares, San Diego los Padres Cuexcontitlán Secc. 5 A, San Diego los Padres Cuexcontitlán Secc. 5 B, San Felipe Tlalmimilolpan, San Francisco Totoltepec, San Isidro Ejido de Calixtlahuaca, San José Buenavista el Chico, San José Gpe. (San José Gpe. Otzacatipan), San José la Costa, San Juan Tilapa, San Marcos Yachihuacaltepec, San Martín Toltepec, San Mateo Otzacatipan, San Miguel Totoltepec, San Miguel Zacango (Rancho), San Nicolás Tolentino, San Pablo Autopan, San Pedro Totoltepec, Santa Cruz Otzacatipan, Santa Juanita de Santiago Tlacotepec, Santa Martha, Santiago Tlacotepec, , Santiago Tlaxomulco (Tumbaburros), Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada, Tecaxic, Tlachaloya Primera Sección, Tlachaloya Segunda Sección, Xicaltepec Cuexcontitlán (Cuexcontitlán), Xicaltepec Otzacatipan (Ej. San Mateo), Xicaltepec Tepaltitlán (Ej. San Lorenzo)
The metropolitan area
Toluca is the economic engine of Toluca Valley, which includes 30 municipalities. However, not all of these municipalities have the same relationship with Toluca. Technically, Toluca lies in the southern part of the valley and its economic influence is most strongly felt in the southern and central parts of the valley. The northern parts of the valley have closer ties to AtlacomulcoAtlacomulco
Atlacomulco is a city and municipality located in the northwest of the State of Mexico in central Mexico, 63 km from the state capital of Toluca. The name is derived from the Nahuatl phrase "atlacomulli" which means "where there are wells." The city, with a population of 20,477 is...
. The core metropolitan area of Toluca consists of the municipalites of Toluca, Lerma, Metepec, San Mateo Atenco, Ocoyoacac
Ocoyoacac
Ocoyoacac is a town and municipality in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 134.71 km². It is one of the 17 municipalities that border Mexico City...
and Zinacantepec. The economic interdependence of these municipalities are most similar to that of the communities in the Mexico City metropolitan area. There are two "outer spheres" of the metropolitan area. The first consists of the municipalties of 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...
, 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...
, Mexicaltzingo, 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...
, 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...
and Xonacatlán
Xonacatlán
Xonacatlán is a town and municipality in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 32.87 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 45,274.-Etymology:...
. The furthest sphere consists of Santiango Tianguistenco, Santa María Rayón, 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....
and Chapultepec, México
Chapultepec, Mexico
Chapultepec is a small town and municipality, in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 10.45 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 12,120....
. These spheres are defined not only by geographical distance but also by population growth and rate of urbanization.
External links
- Ayuntamiento de Toluca Official website