Villa de Etla
Encyclopedia
Villa de Etla is a town and municipality
located in the Mexican state
of Oaxaca
. It is located in the far northwestern part of the Central Valley of Oaxaca, about seventeen km from the capital
. The town is centered on the church and former monastery of San Pedro y San Pablo, and as municipal seat functions as the local government for six other communities. Most of the town’s history has been lost due to the lack of records, but oral tradition states that it was founded sometime in the 15th century. Today, the town is noted for its weekly Wednesday market, where one can find traditional merchandise such a local variety of white cheese
, tamale
s, frames for donkeys and goat barbacoa
prepared in a earthen oven.
. This arched construction was one of the first built in the area and was used during the colonial period to provide water to the town from the surrounding mountains. It is now known when the aqueduct was built but it was probably completed by the end of the 16th century. The church is one of a series of churches and monasteries which were established by the Dominicans
between the city of Oaxaca
and the Puebla
border in the 16th century. Today this path is the main highway to the city of Puebla and the church is grouped with those from Yanhuitlán
, Teposcolula
and Coixtlahuaca
. There is one other significant church in the town but it is unknown when it was constructed.
The other two important constructions are next to this complex, the municipal market
, behind which is the municipal palace, or government office. The municipal market is the center of most of the municipality’s commerce, with efforts to build larger commercial stores opposed by many residents. The market is the center for the weekly tianguis
or open-air market held on Wednesdays. The Wednesday market is part of an informal system of weekly markets that occur in most of the larger communities of the Central Valleys region. This market is best known for its locally produced variety of white cheese, but it also offers a number of kinds of traditional merchandise such as sheepskins, frames for packing donkeys, the green glazed pottery of Atzompa
and tamale
s. Another specialty is goat barbacoa
cooked in earthen ovens.
The main festival for the municipality is in the seat in honor of Saints Peter
and Paul. This event begins with processions along the main streets to announce the start, just before the actual feast day. Then on the day before, a very large frame loaded with fireworks, called a castillo (castle) along with smaller bull figures called toritos are set alight. On the main day, there are masses and other religious observances ending with a large public dance.
Lent is an important time in the state of Oaxaca, with many communities developing various types of celebration over these forty days. As Villa de Etla already experiences warm weather by this time, flavored drinks sold by street vendors are popular during the processions, masses
and other events held during this time. Some typical flavors served include horchata
, hibiscus
tea, drinks made from coconuts, a fermented corn drink called tejate
and one made from a sweet squash from the area called chilacayota. These are often offered to participants in the various events.
The Viernes de Cuaresma attracts a large number of visitors from around the area. It is marked by a large fair, with about forty amusement rides for children, and musical events. There are over 100 stands selling food and other commodities. The event begins with a music band wandering the streets of the town at 9 pm followed by the setting off of fireworks fastened to a large wooden frame called a castillo (castle). The following day is dedicated to the Christ image called the Señor de las Peñas with more music and fireworks. It ends on Sunday with dancing to popular music. Hundreds from Oaxaca and as far as Puebla, Chiapas
and Mexico City
come to honor the Señor de las Peñas to keep promises and to ask for favors. The fifth Friday of Lent is dedicated to this image. The festivities are arranged by a committee which is selected each year under Usos y Costumbres.
The fourth Friday of Lent
, three weeks before Good Friday
, is the La Samaritana celebration. Large ceramic pots are placed and decorated. Some are decorated with bricks but most have imitations, and then arches of palm fronds with bougainvillea
flowers are then placed. The tradition is derived from a passage in the Bible in which a Samaritan offers water from a well to Jesus.
Palm Sunday
celebrations begin a day before when elaborate figures made of palm fronds are made to be blessed at mass the following day. The figures vary in size and complexity and are often decorated with crosses, pins and flowers. Those who do not make their own palm arrangements buy them from stands located in and around the main church. These are then kept for the remainder of the year to protect the home. During mass, eight young men are chosen to read different Biblical passages related to the Passion of Christ. They are dressed in white tunics, with wreaths on their head to represent Christ. Afterwards, it is traditional to go to the municipal market next door to buy provisions for that day’s supper. This includes a bread called “pan Amarillo" cheese, honey, ice cream, tamales, tasajo, tlayuda
s, tortillas, fruits and flowers.
At these and other events, the most common music is produced by wind instruments and the most common dance is the jarabe, especially at weddings. The most commons foods include mole
(especially amarillo, verde, and coloradito), regional sweets, tlayudas, barbacoa and fava beans, accompanying by tepache
, mezcal
and beer.
. The municipality is located in the Central Valleys region of the state about seventeen km from the capital of Oaxaca. The municipal government consists of a municipal president, an officer called a “síndico” and four secretaries called “regidors” (for taxes, education, public works and agencies/neighborhoods). These and other officials are elected under Mexico’s usos y costumbres system.
As of 2005, only 621 people out of a population of 7,637 spoke an indigenous language. Most are Catholic but about a sixth belong to another or no faith.
As of 2005, there were a total of 1691 homes almost all of which were owned by their occupants. Of these homes, 61% have running water, 95% are in areas with public lighting and 49% have public drainage. Federal Highway 190 passes through the municipality connecting it to the city of Oaxaca and Mexico City.
About seventy percent of the municipality’s population is dedicated wholly or in part to agriculture, with the primary livestock being cattle. However, only eight percent are dedicated to it full time. About thirty six percent work in industry, mining and construction. The main handcraft is basketry. About fifteen percent are dedicated to commerce, most of which is related to the sale of dairy products such as milk and cheese. Other commerce focuses on local needs, with the municipal market and the weekly market having a primary role. The total percentage dedicated to commerce, tourism and services is 53%.
The municipality has several preschools, primary schools along with center for study at the high school level. Villa de Etla is the head of the twenty eight schools of Scholastic Zone Number 5. Preschools include Ignacio José Allende, Jaime Torres Bodet, Leona Vicario, Niños Heroes de Chapultepec, Ovidio Decroly, Porfirio Díaz and Prodei Modulo 2. Primary schools include Basilio e Zarate, Cuauhtémoc, Iep 13 General de Division Ignacio Mejia, José María Morelos, Juan de la Barrera, Margarita Maza de Juarez, Ricardo Flores Magon and Valentin Gomez Farias. Secondary education is provided at Escuela Secundaria Technica 84. Special education schools include Centro de Atencion Multipe 26 and Unidad de Servicios de Apoyo a la Educación Regular No. 19. High school level instruction is found at the Centro de Estudios de Bachillerato 6/12. All schools and other centers of instruction are public.
The Basilio E. Zárate School celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2007. It is the largest and oldest primary school in the area, with a number of students receiving awards in the arts and academics. The school began with classes held at private homes and in makeshift constructions. The current building was eventually financed with support from local, state and federal governments. Maintenance is paid for by students’ parents. There are currently about 500 students from the first to sixth grades with a number receiving special educations services from the Unidad de Servicios Educativos Especiales del Instituto Estatal de Educación Pública de Oaxaca. It also has a social worker, a psychologist and a speech therapist. It recently installed a multimedia room.
In addition to the monastery complex in the main town, an excavated archeological site is another of the municipality’s monuments. The archeological zone was first occupied during the Monte Albán
IIIA phase and grew during IIIB to about 2,500 people. From 700 to 450 BCE, it dominated the local area, becoming the most important site of the Valley of Etla. It was abandoned between 650–800 CE, or Monte Albán IV.
Almost all of the vegetation in the municipality is secondary with decorative species such as geraniums, bougainvillea; trees such as laurel and eucalyptus, and various edible and medicinal herbs. Wildlife mostly consists of bird species such as doves and hummingbirds, various insects, along with some aquatic species such as frogs, fish and crab and reptiles such as lizards, small turtles and snakes. Mammals are all domesticated species.
. “Villa” is from Spanish and means “town” and “Etla” comes from Nahuatl meaning in “land of beans.” The Zapotec name for the area is Loohvana, which refers to the land’s fertility.
Most of the history of this town has been lost due to the lack of records. Oral tradition states that the settlement was founded sometime in the 15th century.
The decisive Battle of La Carbonera
was fought on October 18, 1866 near to Etla during the war caused by the French intervention in Mexico
.
The last few years of the municipality has been marked by political instability. This has negatively impacted public works such as the repaving of roads, electrification and a non functioning water treatment plant, with delays as long as 15 years. In 2008, Federal Highway 190 and the main entrance to town were blocked by those protesting the lack of potable water for three months in 2008. The protesters claimed they had running water irregularly only about once a week and sometimes not even that. In 2010, a group of over a hundred residents took over the municipal palace to force the state government to reinstitute Alma Delia Ramos as municipal president. A previous first takeover ended peacefully but without the desired results of the protestors. The latest protests and blockades have centered on the government of Danial Ramírez Ramírez from April to May 2011. This municipal president has been accused of nepotism
, putting family and friends on municipal payrolls for no work. He has also been accused of threatening the homes and lives of those who oppose him. Protestors have principally called for and received state-led investigations into the matter, in order to avoid escalation. There have been various incidents over these two months from the blocking of Federal Highway 190, to the blocking of all six main entrances to the town to the takeover of the municipal palace. However, there have been other demands by protestors such as the stop to the construction of a “Súper Precio” commercial center which they say would negatively affect about 300 local merchants.
Municipalities of Mexico
Municipalities are the second-level administrative division in Mexico . There are 2,438 municipalities in Mexico, making the average municipality population 45,616...
located in the Mexican state
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...
of Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
. It is located in the far northwestern part of the Central Valley of Oaxaca, about seventeen km from the capital
Oaxaca, Oaxaca
The city and municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name . It is located in the Centro District in the Central Valleys region of the state, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at the base of the Cerro del Fortín...
. The town is centered on the church and former monastery of San Pedro y San Pablo, and as municipal seat functions as the local government for six other communities. Most of the town’s history has been lost due to the lack of records, but oral tradition states that it was founded sometime in the 15th century. Today, the town is noted for its weekly Wednesday market, where one can find traditional merchandise such a local variety of white cheese
Cheeses of Mexico
Cheeses in Mexico have a history that begins with the Spanish conquest, as dairy products were unknown in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The Spanish brought dairy animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats as well as cheese making techniques. Over the colonial period, cheese making was modified to suit...
, tamale
Tamale
A tamale — or more correctly tamal — is a traditional Latin American dish made of masa , which is steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper. The wrapping is discarded before eating...
s, frames for donkeys and goat barbacoa
Barbacoa
Barbacoa is a form of cooking meat that originated in the Caribbean with the Taíno people, from which the term "barbecue" derives. In contemporary Mexico it generally refers to meats or a whole sheep slow-cooked over an open fire, or more traditionally, in a hole dug in the ground covered with...
prepared in a earthen oven.
The town
The town of Villa de Etla is centered on the church and former monastery of San Pedro y San Pablo, with the layout of the original streets of the town marked off from it. The complex was completed in 1636 and consists of three parts, the church, the former monastery and the cloister, all constructed from green sandstone. The main portal of the church has a simple arch over which is the choir window. Over this is a pediment which contains a clock. Behind the monastery area, there are the remains of an aqueductAqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
. This arched construction was one of the first built in the area and was used during the colonial period to provide water to the town from the surrounding mountains. It is now known when the aqueduct was built but it was probably completed by the end of the 16th century. The church is one of a series of churches and monasteries which were established by the Dominicans
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
between the city of Oaxaca
Oaxaca, Oaxaca
The city and municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name . It is located in the Centro District in the Central Valleys region of the state, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at the base of the Cerro del Fortín...
and the Puebla
Puebla
Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
border in the 16th century. Today this path is the main highway to the city of Puebla and the church is grouped with those from Yanhuitlán
Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán
Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán is a village and municipality in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, located northeast of Oaxaca city.It is part of the Nochixtlán District in the southeast of the Mixteca Region.It is 2,140 meters above sea level...
, Teposcolula
San Juan Teposcolula
San Juan Teposcolula is a town and municipality in the State of Oaxaca, Mexico, often known simply as Tesposcolula. The name Teposcolula means “next to the twist in copper”.It is part of the Teposcolula District in the center of the Mixteca Region.-The town:...
and Coixtlahuaca
San Juan Bautista Coixtlahuaca
San Juan Bautista Coixtlahuaca is a small town and municipality located in the Mixteca Region of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico, and the center of the Coixtlahuaca district. The name, “Coixtlahuaca” means ‘plain of snakes’ in the Nahuatl language.-Town:...
. There is one other significant church in the town but it is unknown when it was constructed.
The other two important constructions are next to this complex, the municipal market
Traditional fixed markets in Mexico
Traditional fixed markets in Mexico go by a variety of names such as "mercados públicos" , "mercados municipales" or even more often simply "mercados"...
, behind which is the municipal palace, or government office. The municipal market is the center of most of the municipality’s commerce, with efforts to build larger commercial stores opposed by many residents. The market is the center for the weekly tianguis
Tianguis
A tianguis is an open air market or bazaar that is traditionally held on certain market days in a town or city neighborhood in Mexico and Central America. This bazaar tradition has its roots well into the pre-Hispanic period and continues in many cases essentially unchanged into the present day....
or open-air market held on Wednesdays. The Wednesday market is part of an informal system of weekly markets that occur in most of the larger communities of the Central Valleys region. This market is best known for its locally produced variety of white cheese, but it also offers a number of kinds of traditional merchandise such as sheepskins, frames for packing donkeys, the green glazed pottery of Atzompa
Green glazed pottery of Atzompa
Green glazed pottery of Atzompa is a style of glazed pottery, which originates in the Oaxaca, Mexico town of Santa María Atzompa. Almost all of the pottery made here is of a jade-green color, due to the lead monoxide glaze which has been traditionally applied to it.-Introduction:Atzompa’s pottery...
and tamale
Tamale
A tamale — or more correctly tamal — is a traditional Latin American dish made of masa , which is steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper. The wrapping is discarded before eating...
s. Another specialty is goat barbacoa
Barbacoa
Barbacoa is a form of cooking meat that originated in the Caribbean with the Taíno people, from which the term "barbecue" derives. In contemporary Mexico it generally refers to meats or a whole sheep slow-cooked over an open fire, or more traditionally, in a hole dug in the ground covered with...
cooked in earthen ovens.
The main festival for the municipality is in the seat in honor of Saints 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 Paul. This event begins with processions along the main streets to announce the start, just before the actual feast day. Then on the day before, a very large frame loaded with fireworks, called a castillo (castle) along with smaller bull figures called toritos are set alight. On the main day, there are masses and other religious observances ending with a large public dance.
Lent is an important time in the state of Oaxaca, with many communities developing various types of celebration over these forty days. As Villa de Etla already experiences warm weather by this time, flavored drinks sold by street vendors are popular during the processions, masses
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
and other events held during this time. Some typical flavors served include horchata
Horchata
Horchata or orxata is the name of several kinds of traditional beverage, made of ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley, or tigernuts .-Etymology:...
, hibiscus
Hibiscus
Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world...
tea, drinks made from coconuts, a fermented corn drink called tejate
Tejate
Tejate is a maize and cacao beverage traditionally made in Oaxaca, Mexico, originating from pre-Hispanic times. It remains very popular among the indigenous Mixtec and Zapotec peoples, especially in rural areas. It's also very popular for anyone who lives in Oaxaca and the surrounding regions...
and one made from a sweet squash from the area called chilacayota. These are often offered to participants in the various events.
The Viernes de Cuaresma attracts a large number of visitors from around the area. It is marked by a large fair, with about forty amusement rides for children, and musical events. There are over 100 stands selling food and other commodities. The event begins with a music band wandering the streets of the town at 9 pm followed by the setting off of fireworks fastened to a large wooden frame called a castillo (castle). The following day is dedicated to the Christ image called the Señor de las Peñas with more music and fireworks. It ends on Sunday with dancing to popular music. Hundreds from Oaxaca and as far as Puebla, Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
and 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...
come to honor the Señor de las Peñas to keep promises and to ask for favors. The fifth Friday of Lent is dedicated to this image. The festivities are arranged by a committee which is selected each year under Usos y Costumbres.
The fourth Friday of 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...
, three weeks before Good 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...
, is the La Samaritana celebration. Large ceramic pots are placed and decorated. Some are decorated with bricks but most have imitations, and then arches of palm fronds with bougainvillea
Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea is a genus of flowering plants native to South America from Brazil west to Peru and south to southern Argentina . Different authors accept between four and 18 species in the genus...
flowers are then placed. The tradition is derived from a passage in the Bible in which a Samaritan offers water from a well to Jesus.
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four Canonical Gospels. ....
celebrations begin a day before when elaborate figures made of palm fronds are made to be blessed at mass the following day. The figures vary in size and complexity and are often decorated with crosses, pins and flowers. Those who do not make their own palm arrangements buy them from stands located in and around the main church. These are then kept for the remainder of the year to protect the home. During mass, eight young men are chosen to read different Biblical passages related to the Passion of Christ. They are dressed in white tunics, with wreaths on their head to represent Christ. Afterwards, it is traditional to go to the municipal market next door to buy provisions for that day’s supper. This includes a bread called “pan Amarillo" cheese, honey, ice cream, tamales, tasajo, tlayuda
Tlayuda
Tlayuda, sometimes erroneously spelled Clayuda , is a handmade dish part of the traditional Mexican cuisine, consisting of a large and thin crunchy partially fried or toasted tortilla covered with a spread of refried beans, asiento , lettuce or cabbage, avocado, meat , Oaxaca cheese, and salsa.They...
s, tortillas, fruits and flowers.
At these and other events, the most common music is produced by wind instruments and the most common dance is the jarabe, especially at weddings. The most commons foods include 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...
(especially amarillo, verde, and coloradito), regional sweets, tlayudas, barbacoa and fava beans, accompanying by tepache
Tepache
The tepache is a drink made out of the flesh and rind of the pineapple, sweetened with brown sugar and cinnamon and sometimes beer. Tepache does not have a high quantity of alcohol, since it is left to ferment for only about three days. The alcohol comes mostly from the addition of a small amount...
, mezcal
Mezcal
Mezcal, or mescal, is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the maguey plant native to Mexico. The word mezcal comes from Nahuatl metl and ixcalli which mean 'oven cooked agave.'...
and beer.
The municipality
As municipal seat, the town of Villa de Etla is the local government for six other communities, but most people live in the town proper. These communities together occupy a territory of 17.85km2 and are bordered by the municipalities of municipalities of Asunción Etla, Santo Domingo Etla, San Miguel Etla and Reyes EtlaReyes Etla
Reyes Etla is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 24.24 km².It is part of the Etla District in the Valles Centrales region.As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 3252....
. The municipality is located in the Central Valleys region of the state about seventeen km from the capital of Oaxaca. The municipal government consists of a municipal president, an officer called a “síndico” and four secretaries called “regidors” (for taxes, education, public works and agencies/neighborhoods). These and other officials are elected under Mexico’s usos y costumbres system.
As of 2005, only 621 people out of a population of 7,637 spoke an indigenous language. Most are Catholic but about a sixth belong to another or no faith.
As of 2005, there were a total of 1691 homes almost all of which were owned by their occupants. Of these homes, 61% have running water, 95% are in areas with public lighting and 49% have public drainage. Federal Highway 190 passes through the municipality connecting it to the city of Oaxaca and Mexico City.
About seventy percent of the municipality’s population is dedicated wholly or in part to agriculture, with the primary livestock being cattle. However, only eight percent are dedicated to it full time. About thirty six percent work in industry, mining and construction. The main handcraft is basketry. About fifteen percent are dedicated to commerce, most of which is related to the sale of dairy products such as milk and cheese. Other commerce focuses on local needs, with the municipal market and the weekly market having a primary role. The total percentage dedicated to commerce, tourism and services is 53%.
The municipality has several preschools, primary schools along with center for study at the high school level. Villa de Etla is the head of the twenty eight schools of Scholastic Zone Number 5. Preschools include Ignacio José Allende, Jaime Torres Bodet, Leona Vicario, Niños Heroes de Chapultepec, Ovidio Decroly, Porfirio Díaz and Prodei Modulo 2. Primary schools include Basilio e Zarate, Cuauhtémoc, Iep 13 General de Division Ignacio Mejia, José María Morelos, Juan de la Barrera, Margarita Maza de Juarez, Ricardo Flores Magon and Valentin Gomez Farias. Secondary education is provided at Escuela Secundaria Technica 84. Special education schools include Centro de Atencion Multipe 26 and Unidad de Servicios de Apoyo a la Educación Regular No. 19. High school level instruction is found at the Centro de Estudios de Bachillerato 6/12. All schools and other centers of instruction are public.
The Basilio E. Zárate School celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2007. It is the largest and oldest primary school in the area, with a number of students receiving awards in the arts and academics. The school began with classes held at private homes and in makeshift constructions. The current building was eventually financed with support from local, state and federal governments. Maintenance is paid for by students’ parents. There are currently about 500 students from the first to sixth grades with a number receiving special educations services from the Unidad de Servicios Educativos Especiales del Instituto Estatal de Educación Pública de Oaxaca. It also has a social worker, a psychologist and a speech therapist. It recently installed a multimedia room.
In addition to the monastery complex in the main town, an excavated archeological site is another of the municipality’s monuments. The archeological zone was first occupied during the Monte Albán
Monte Albán
Monte Albán is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site in the Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán Municipality in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca...
IIIA phase and grew during IIIB to about 2,500 people. From 700 to 450 BCE, it dominated the local area, becoming the most important site of the Valley of Etla. It was abandoned between 650–800 CE, or Monte Albán IV.
Environment
The municipality is located in the Valley of Etla, which is a sub-valley located in the far northwest of the Valley of Oaxaca. The municipality lies on a valley floor so its terrain is relatively flat with no significant elevations other than small hills. Almost all of the land in the area is used for agriculture or human habitation. The major rivers are the Asunción which flows through the community of Nativitas Etla and the Salinas River when crosses through Santo Domingo Barrio Alto and Santo Domingo Bajo Etla. It has a temperate climate.Almost all of the vegetation in the municipality is secondary with decorative species such as geraniums, bougainvillea; trees such as laurel and eucalyptus, and various edible and medicinal herbs. Wildlife mostly consists of bird species such as doves and hummingbirds, various insects, along with some aquatic species such as frogs, fish and crab and reptiles such as lizards, small turtles and snakes. Mammals are all domesticated species.
History
The name means “town of the land of beans” mixing Spanish and NahuatlNahuatl
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...
. “Villa” is from Spanish and means “town” and “Etla” comes from Nahuatl meaning in “land of beans.” The Zapotec name for the area is Loohvana, which refers to the land’s fertility.
Most of the history of this town has been lost due to the lack of records. Oral tradition states that the settlement was founded sometime in the 15th century.
The decisive Battle of La Carbonera
Battle of La Carbonera
The Battle of La Carbonera was fought on 18 October 1866 during the French intervention in Mexico.-Background:Having triumphed over the Imperial forces in the Battle of Miahuatlán, the Republican General Porfirio Díaz besieged the city of Oaxaca, defended by the conservative General Carlos...
was fought on October 18, 1866 near to Etla during the war caused by the French intervention in Mexico
French intervention in Mexico
The French intervention in Mexico , also known as The Maximilian Affair, War of the French Intervention, and The Franco-Mexican War, was an invasion of Mexico by an expeditionary force sent by the Second French Empire, supported in the beginning by the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Spain...
.
The last few years of the municipality has been marked by political instability. This has negatively impacted public works such as the repaving of roads, electrification and a non functioning water treatment plant, with delays as long as 15 years. In 2008, Federal Highway 190 and the main entrance to town were blocked by those protesting the lack of potable water for three months in 2008. The protesters claimed they had running water irregularly only about once a week and sometimes not even that. In 2010, a group of over a hundred residents took over the municipal palace to force the state government to reinstitute Alma Delia Ramos as municipal president. A previous first takeover ended peacefully but without the desired results of the protestors. The latest protests and blockades have centered on the government of Danial Ramírez Ramírez from April to May 2011. This municipal president has been accused of nepotism
Nepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
, putting family and friends on municipal payrolls for no work. He has also been accused of threatening the homes and lives of those who oppose him. Protestors have principally called for and received state-led investigations into the matter, in order to avoid escalation. There have been various incidents over these two months from the blocking of Federal Highway 190, to the blocking of all six main entrances to the town to the takeover of the municipal palace. However, there have been other demands by protestors such as the stop to the construction of a “Súper Precio” commercial center which they say would negatively affect about 300 local merchants.
External links
- Entry for Villa de Etla in the Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México: Estado de Oaxaca (in Spanish)