Amecameca
Encyclopedia
Amecameca is a town and municipality located in the eastern panhandle of Mexico State between Mexico City
and the Iztaccíhuatl
and Popocatépetl
volcanos of the Sierra Nevada mountain range
. It is located on federal highway 115 which leads to Cuautla
, which is called the Volcano Route (Ruta de los Volcanes). This area is popular with weekend visitors from Mexico City, Puebla
and Morelos
to enjoy the scenery of the mountains, eat local foods, visit the Sanctuary of the Señor del Sacromonte, the Panoaya Hacienda and other attractions. However, when Popocatépetl is active, tourism here drops dramatically. The area receives a large number of visitors during the annual Carnival/Festival del Señor del Sacromonte, which extends over the week containing Ash Wednesday and is considered to be one of the most important festivals in Mexico State.
The name Amecameca comes from Nahuatl
. It has been interpreted to mean “place where the papers signal or mark,” or “paper used ceremoniously.” The paper is called amatl
, which is a bark paper used to dress images of gods and is still made as a craft. “de Juárez” was added to the name in 1887 by the government of the state of Mexico in honor of Benito Juárez.
tribe called the Totolimpanecas arrived around 1268 and populated the areas now known as Itztlacozauhcan, Tlayllotlacan Amaquemecan. Later arrivals occupied areas known as Tzacualtitlan Tenanco Amaquemecan and Atlauhtlan Tzacualtitlan Amaquemecan. These groups had their own small dominions. In 1336, another dominion called Tlaylloltlacan Teohuacan was formed. All these communities were collectively known as the Amaquemecans. Religious practices in this area were mostly performed in urban temples and shrines located on mountaintops and caves. In 1465, the Aztec
s conquered this area, along with the rest of the Valley of Chalco, replacing local leaders with military governors and transforming the area into a tributary province with neighboring Tlalmanalco
as capital.
Hernán Cortés
arrived here in 1519 and noted that the houses here were well built with about 20,000 inhabitants. In 1521, the leaders here were Quetzalmazatzin and his brother Tecuanxayacatzin due to the help they gave Cortés in conquering Tenochtitlan. Soon thereafter, they were poisoned. After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, Franciscans were in charge of evangelizing the area. In 1525, Martín de Valencia set fire to the local priests’ houses on the Amaqueme Mountain (Sacromonte), and in 1527 construction of the Franciscan monastery began. The cult to the Santo Entierro (Holy Burial) or Señor del Sacromonte was begun to replace an earlier pagan cult at this site. The La Asuncion Church was begun in 1547, along with a number of other places of worship. Construction was finished in 1564. The tower was not built until the mid 17th century. From the 1540s to the end of the century, there was much civil strife among the native population. Some indigenous rule was restored but it would end for good by the 17th century.
The raising of European foodstuffs such as wheat and sheep began early with commercial agriculture becoming the basis of the economy by 1550. The area also became an important pass linking Mexico City with points east with many travelers and merchants passing through. By 1599, Amecameca has become the head of a district with thirteen dependencies with an area of about 128km2.
A major earthquake occurred here in 1704 which destroyed many houses as well as the roof of the La Asuncion Church. It was repaired from 1712 to 1719.
The area remained a farming area, mostly with family plots through the rest of the colonial period. During the Mexican War of Independence, there was restlessness here among the population, but no major incidents. In 1812, a number of natives from here fought in the war under Leonardo Bravo in other places. The municipality was mostly likely founded in 1824 along with the founding of Mexico State. U.S. troops passed through here during the Mexican-American War. In 1833, Amecameca was part of the state of Mexico in the eastern prefecture. In 1861, the settlement gained official town status from the state due to its historical and economic importance. The municipal palace was built in 1899.
In the last 19th and early 20th century, Amecameca was the scene of several industrialization projects including a beer brewery, wheat mills and workshops producing saddles and metal objects. There was some minting of copper, silver and gold as well. In 1871, Father Fortino Hipolito Vera y Talona founded a number of business and cultural enterprises such as the first polytechnic school and a press which printed both religious and cultural articles. Until the Mexican Revolution
, most of the arable land in the area was owned by large haciendas such as the Tomacoco, Coapexco and Panoaya. In 1910, Francisco I. Madero
was in Amecameca. From a railroad car, he gave a speech against Porfirio Díaz
. From 1911 on, the military revolt against the Diaz government was mostly carried out here by Zapatistas
, which gained recruits from Amecameca and by 1917, the area was a Zapatista stronghold. The area was important to rebels as it provided materials such as paper, wood, alcohol, charcoal and foodstuffs. After the war, agricultural lands here were redistributed in 1925.
In 1919, there was a major eruption of the Popocatépetl volcano, killing seventeen people in the municipality.
In the 1950s, much of the city was renovated including the main plaza, market and Hidalgo Street. The road to the Sanctuary of Sacromonte was improved and stairs added to climb the hill. Since then, the town of Amecameca has grown into a small city. However, there is not enough employment here and many commute to Mexico City to work.
The state proclaimed the town a cultural heritage of Mexico State in 1980 and was designated the "Capital del Alpinismo Nacional" in 1992.(Capital of Mexican Alpinism).
In the 2000s, Grupo Walmart
in Mexico began to construct a supermarket (Bodega Aurrerá) in the old section of Amecameca but INAH suspended construction. The reason for the suspension was that it would cover nearly a city block and damage older buildings protected by the federal agency.
, rabbit and other foods in a traditional tianguis
or municipal market
. It is also a local pilgrimage site to the sanctuary of the Señor del Sacromonte.
The traditional entrance to the historic center of the town is a colonial era arch, which was built in 1731 and located on the southeast corner of the main plaza next to the municipal palace. It contains a medallion with an image of Christ as the “Humilladero” (humbled), which colonial travelers worshipped. The arch is made of sandstone in Baroque style
with geometric fretwork. At the very top is a small column on which used to sit a statue of San Sebastian de Aparcicio. In the 1970s, a bus hit the arch and toppled the statue, which was never replaced.
The main plaza has a 1950s era kiosk
and contains two small stores in its base selling regional candies. The upper portion has a jukebox
. The plaza also contains monuments to Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and Benito Juárez as well as a ring from a Mesoamerican ball court of the 13th century. The pavement of the plaza was replaced in 1999 from paving stone to patterned concrete. In 2003, a hemicycle dedicated to Benito Juárez was added. While it is considered to be a park, the plaza is often filled with stands on market days and during festivals, but most cultural events take place at the esplanade of the municipal palace. The green areas of the plaza contain sculptures of lions made of iron, but unlike real lions, these are shown with nopal
plants, with a boa constrictor and other poses and were donated by the former owners of the Hacienda of Chapingo. For this reason the plaza is also called the Jardin de Leones (Lion Garden).
Facing the plaza on the east side is the Parish of the Asunción, which was originally a Dominican
monastery, founded in 1553. The main portal is made of pink stone and still in good condition. This architectural style is very austere. On the facade of La Asuncion there is only sculpture of the Virgin Mary with the faces of angels at her feet and a window cornice, which has decorations in the form of raindrops. Inside, the main altar is Neoclassical
. One of the side altars is Baroque with Biblical images surrounded by Solomonic column
s. The sacristy
has two altars, another Baroque one with Solomonic columns and one dedicated to the Señor del Sacromonte. The most noteworthy painting here is “The Angel of the Annuniciation” done by Echave Orio
. The two story cloister is one of the most primitive in the Americas and has four segmental arches resting on octagonal columns on each side. There are two other important chapels in the town; the Chapel of San Juan and the Chapel of the Virgen del Rosario which have functioned as points of reference for travelers since they were built. They were built for the common people of adobe
and wood.
Also near the main plaza is the municipal market, which is a traditional place to enjoy local culinary specialties. It contains central Mexican staples such carnitas and barbacoa, but the local signature dish is rabbit. Rabbit is a signature dish of the region. It is prepared as mixote, in moles
, wrapped in corn husks and steamed, or simply covered in chili pepper and roasted. Like in other parts of Mexico, atole
is popular here but there is a variation seasoned with chili pepper and epazote
. The municipal market offers dishes and products made from local nuts such a walnuts such as chiles en nogada
, chicken in a nut sauce, mixiotes with rabbit and nuts as well as a walnut liquor. In front of this market is a crafts market which sells clay items, photographs of the volcanos,, local breads and turnovers filled with apple or pineapple. The market also sells a liquor from walnuts year round but it is especially during the annual Walnut Festival, which takes place in August. This permanent market is supplemented by the tianguis, or traditional outdoor market, held each Sunday. On this day, traders and craftsmen come from as far as Puebla to sell. The town has one pulqueria or pulque
bar which serves the beverage straight or flavored. Common flavors such as strawberry, mango
, guava
and nut are available, but the owner also has original recipes for flavors such as tomato, celery, carrot and others which the owner says are “secret.” .
The state university of UAEM (Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Mexico) has a local campus here.
A major charity is the Cottolengo Mexicano, which is a project of the Obra Don Orione religious foundation. This group was founded in Italy in 1905 and has expanded to over thirty countries to offer charity, education and evangelization. The group established itself here and in Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl
in the mid 1990s. The Cottolengo serves homeless children and those who are disabled.
was worshiped here with dances and ceremonies from 23 April to 12 May. These days were known as “Toxcatl” or “dry things” as these days usually were the end of the dry season just before the rainy season. An image of the deity was located in a cave at the top of the hill. Today, the hill contains the Sanctuary of the Señor del Sacromonte and a chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe.
After the Conquest, the Spanish destroyed the temples and shrines here and build Christian churches and shrines on top of them. The churches located on this hill are a result of that tradition. The first Franciscan evangelist here, Martin de Valencia had the pagan idol replaced with an image of a Black Christ within the cave in the 1540s. Since 1584, this image has been the object of much veneration in this area, especially during the week of Ash Wednesday
, which is the closest Christian celebration to the old one for Tezcatlipoca. Hence the worship of this figure is a syncretism which can be best seen during the week of Ash Wednesday when many clad in Aztec dress dance and perform ancient rituals in front of the parish church below and the sanctuary church on the hill.
The Sanctuary of the Señor del Sacromonte is as important as the parish church that is located in the town center below. The Sanctuary was built among the ruins of the teocallis and amoxcallis that there here. The church is considered to be one of the most important in the state. The main focus of the church sanctuary is the glass coffin containing the Señor, which is also called the Santo Entierro (Holy Burial) . The image of the Señor is made with “pasta de cana” or pasted corn stalks. The altar on which it rests is made of wood and gilded with capricious forms.
The old chapel of the Virgin of Guadalupe is situation at the very top of the Sacromonte. It has a smooth facade with three arches and a triangular pediment. Inside there are no altarpieces. The atrium
area is an old untended graveyard.
The main celebrations of the town are Carnival
and the Feast of the Señor del Sacromonte, which overlap each other. Carnival begins on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday with the traditional accompaniments such as food, amusement rides, local dances such as Los Doce Pares de Francia, Moros y Cristianos and Los Arrieros. However, most of these end on the following Monday, rather than on Tuesday. On Tuesday night, the Señor del Sacromonte is taken from his sanctuary in procession to the parish of La Asuncion in the center of Amecameca. He remains there until Easter Sunday. One last vestige of Carnival takes place on Ash Wednesday, when the Dance of the Chinelos is performed. People costumed in large turbans, robes and bearded masks, perform just after midday. After that point, the celebrations for the rest of the week are focused on the Señor del Sacromonte with masses, pilgrimages and a dance called the Azteca-Chichimeca which dates back to the Conquest. The best-known group to perform this dances under the banner of the Señor del Sacromonte and visits many local and national religious festivities in places like Chalma, the Basilica of Guadalupe and others. Pilgrimages are made to both the La Asunción Church and to the Sanctuary on the hill above. Tradition states that first time visitors to the Sanctuary place a crown of flowers on their heads.
, but today less than 200 speakers remain.
The municipality is situated on the foothills of the Sierra Nevada between the Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl and in the Moctezuma-Panuco River. The Sierra Nevada is the most important geographical feature of the region and forms the eastern border of the municipality. These volcanoes are responsible for the compositions of the soils here as well as the source of most of the municipality’s fresh water. The average altitude in these mountains is 4,000 meters above sea level with the highest elevations at the Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl volcanos. Although near the active volcano, Amecameca is considered to be at a lower risk than other communities in the area because of the shape of Popocatépetl’s cone and the large ravines that are found in this area. The latter offers protection against lava flows and runoff from melting snow. However, the area remains part of the evacuation zone in the event of a major eruption. There is a lookout station on Sacromonte hill which is used by civil defense when the volcano is more active. The area has an eruption warning system of three colors, red , yellow and green which depend of the status of Popocatepetl. Green means that the volcano is quiet, yellow that there is activity and caution is advised and red indicates a current or imminent eruption. When the status turns to yellow, tourism to the area plummets to about half normal.
Fully within the municipality, the most important elevation is the Sacromonte. The main river here is the Alcalican, which forms from the snowmelt of Iztaccihualt. Its name means “in the house of water.”Most of the other streams and springs of the municipality are fed by the Sierra Nevada mountains The climate is considered to be temperate and somewhat wet (cb(w2)) with most rains coming between May and October. Temperatures generally vary between 2C and 24C although temperatures of -8C and 34C are not uncommon.
This area, especially in the rainy season, has an abundance of wild edible plants, especially mushrooms. Undeveloped areas in the lower mountains areas are mostly covered by forests of pine, oak and cypress, with trees reaching over 30 meters in height. However, deforestation
is an issue both for the loss of trees and the remaining forests’ ability to resist fires and plagues, with about twenty percent of forested area lost in last decades of the 20th century. Grazing cattle often inhibits reforestation. Higher up, the forests are dominated by fir trees with some pines and cedars. At the highest elevations near the tree line, only one species of pine is found called Pinus hartwagii. Above the tree line are alpine meadows. Small mammals, especially rabbits are common here as a number of reptiles and a variety of birds. The area used to have larger species such as white-tailed deer
but these have been hunted to extinction.
Most of the municipality now is dedicated to agriculture and livestock. The main crop is corn along with other grains such as alfalfa
, wheat and oats. There are a significant number of orchards here producing walnuts, pears, apples, capulin
s and other fruit. The municipality is the major producer of walnuts in Mexico. Livestock raised here includes pigs, cattle, sheep and domestic fowl. One important agricultural activity here is the production and conservation of traditional varieties of corn. Like other communities in the area, there are three main varieties of corn planted where as well as a number of minor varieties. These are planted mostly as a trial or because of their special characteristics, not to compete with the three main varieties. In local markets, these farmers are able to sell these local varieties as well as exchange seed to maintain genetic variety.
There is some industry here, which employs about a third of the workforce. The main ones are Los Molinos de la Covadonga, La Harinera Amecameca, Hilos Cadena which produced milled products and thread. In addition there are small workshops which produce saddle
s, ironwork and machine pieces. Most commerce occurs in the municipal seat, mostly with the sale of staple foods and other basic necessities. Market days are Monday, Wednesday and Sunday when the town is covered in portable stalls in a tradition called the “tianguis.” In addition, there are several hotels and other businesses that cater to tourists. This sector of the economy employ about 45% of the municipality’s population.
Outside of the town proper, there are a number of other tourist attractions in the municipality. There is one registered archeological site in the municipality called the “Piedra del Conejo” (Rabbit Stone) or “Monumental solsticial de Tomacoco” (Solstice monument of Tomacoco ). One of the major attractions is the Panoaya Hacienda. The main hacienda building houses the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Museum. Sor Juana come to live at Panoaya in 1651 when she was three years old to live with her mother and grandfather. She learned to read and write and stayed until she was sent to live in Mexico City in 1663. The hacienda lay in ruins for the last century or so until it was rehabilitated in 1999 at a cost of more than 10 million pesos. A building next to this one is the International Museum of Volcanos which exhibits of Mexico two most famous volcanoes and others in the world. The hacienda’s main building now serves as the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Museum, run by INAH. Much of the rest of the hacienda land is leased to a recreational park which is best known for its petting zoo which contains tame deer.
Another major attraction is the Bosque de Arboles de Navidad (Christmas Tree Forest) , one of the few places in Mexico where one can go and cut his/her own tree. The Bosque plants trees such as the “vikingo mexiquense” and the “vikingo canadiense” coming here has become a tradition for many families in the Mexico City area. It is a business that was conceived forty years ago as a way to help preserve the forest here as well as benefit economically. Visitors come to spend a day in the area and can cut trees only from designated locations. Picnicking is permitted with the requirement that no garbage is left behind. The Christmas tree area covers 120 hectares, and cut trees are left to regrow instead of being killed. The park also hosts food stalls and a Christmas market, selling about 30,000 trees per year and employing 50 permanent and 250 seasonal workers.The money earned from the enterprise helps to preserve more wild areas of the mountains here. This work has earned a Premio Nacional de Ecología (National Ecology Prize). The only problem the forest experiences is that the enterprise is so popular that the roads leading to the area are jammed with traffic.
Lessor known attractions include the Eco Parque San Pedro, the Temazcal Park and the Agua Viva monastery. The Eco Parque San Pedro (San Pedro Ecological Park) is located between the Amecameca and Nexpayantla rivers just outside the municipal seat in the community of San Pedro Nexapa. It stands at 2870 meters above sea level, very close to the Puebla state line and has a cold, wet climate. The park is between the Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanos near the Cortés Pass
. The park was created as a way to manage and preserve the natural resources of the area. It is a recreational area for sports such as hiking and also contains the second largest labyrinth of its type in the world created with over 38,000 cedar trees over an extension of 10,000m2. There is also a “zoo” of sculpted plants made to form animals using plants native to the area. The Temazcal Park is a natural area with dirt and stone paths. It contains a varieity of pine trees and medicinal plants and is home to white tailed deer, foxes and other wildlife. Activities available here are hiking, mountain biking, camping and other nature sports. The Agua Viva (Living Water) monastery is a Dominican institution located at the foothills of Iztaccíhuatl. There are still monks here that offer mass. The Cortés Pass is located 30 minutes from the town, which is a space between the two volcanos and from where Cortés had his first view of the Valley of Mexico
.
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 the Iztaccíhuatl
Iztaccíhuatl
Iztaccíhuatl , is the third highest mountain in Mexico, after the Pico de Orizaba, , and Popocatépetl, . Its name is Nahuatl for "White woman"....
and Popocatépetl
Popocatépetl
Popocatépetl also known as "Popochowa" by the local population is an active volcano and, at , the second highest peak in Mexico after the Pico de Orizaba...
volcanos of the Sierra Nevada mountain range
Trans-Mexican volcanic belt
The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt also known as the Transvolcanic Belt and locally as the Sierra Nevada , is a volcanic belt that extends 900 km from west to east across central-southern Mexico...
. It is located on federal highway 115 which leads to Cuautla
Cuautla, Morelos
Cuautla , officially La heroica e histórica Cuautla de Morelos, or H. H. Cuautla de Morelos, is a city and municipality in the Mexican state of Morelos. In the 2005 census the city population was 145,482 and the municipality population was 160,285. The municipality covers 153.651 km²...
, which is called the Volcano Route (Ruta de los Volcanes). This area is popular with weekend visitors from Mexico City, 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....
and Morelos
Morelos
Morelos officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Morelos is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 33 municipalities and its capital city is Cuernavaca....
to enjoy the scenery of the mountains, eat local foods, visit the Sanctuary of the Señor del Sacromonte, the Panoaya Hacienda and other attractions. However, when Popocatépetl is active, tourism here drops dramatically. The area receives a large number of visitors during the annual Carnival/Festival del Señor del Sacromonte, which extends over the week containing Ash Wednesday and is considered to be one of the most important festivals in Mexico State.
The name Amecameca comes from Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
. It has been interpreted to mean “place where the papers signal or mark,” or “paper used ceremoniously.” The paper is called amatl
Amatl
Amate is a form of paper that has been manufactured in Mexico since the pre Hispanic times. Amate paper was extensively produced and used for both communication, records and ritual during the Aztec Empire; however, after the Spanish conquest, its production was mostly banned and replaced by...
, which is a bark paper used to dress images of gods and is still made as a craft. “de Juárez” was added to the name in 1887 by the government of the state of Mexico in honor of Benito Juárez.
History
Settled human habitation in this area began early mostly in dispersed small villages. The ChichimecaChichimeca
Chichimeca was the name that the Nahua peoples of Mexico generically applied to a wide range of semi-nomadic peoples who inhabited the north of modern-day Mexico and southwestern United States, and carried the same sense as the European term "barbarian"...
tribe called the Totolimpanecas arrived around 1268 and populated the areas now known as Itztlacozauhcan, Tlayllotlacan Amaquemecan. Later arrivals occupied areas known as Tzacualtitlan Tenanco Amaquemecan and Atlauhtlan Tzacualtitlan Amaquemecan. These groups had their own small dominions. In 1336, another dominion called Tlaylloltlacan Teohuacan was formed. All these communities were collectively known as the Amaquemecans. Religious practices in this area were mostly performed in urban temples and shrines located on mountaintops and caves. In 1465, 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 conquered this area, along with the rest of the Valley of Chalco, replacing local leaders with military governors and transforming the area into a tributary province with neighboring Tlalmanalco
Tlalmanalco
Tlalmanalco is a town and municipality located in the far south-eastern part of the State of Mexico. The name is from the Nahuatl language, meaning “flat area.” The municipality’s seal shows flat land, with a pyramid on it, representing its pre-Hispanic history, surrounded by small mountains, which...
as capital.
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...
arrived here in 1519 and noted that the houses here were well built with about 20,000 inhabitants. In 1521, the leaders here were Quetzalmazatzin and his brother Tecuanxayacatzin due to the help they gave Cortés in conquering Tenochtitlan. Soon thereafter, they were poisoned. After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, Franciscans were in charge of evangelizing the area. In 1525, Martín de Valencia set fire to the local priests’ houses on the Amaqueme Mountain (Sacromonte), and in 1527 construction of the Franciscan monastery began. The cult to the Santo Entierro (Holy Burial) or Señor del Sacromonte was begun to replace an earlier pagan cult at this site. The La Asuncion Church was begun in 1547, along with a number of other places of worship. Construction was finished in 1564. The tower was not built until the mid 17th century. From the 1540s to the end of the century, there was much civil strife among the native population. Some indigenous rule was restored but it would end for good by the 17th century.
The raising of European foodstuffs such as wheat and sheep began early with commercial agriculture becoming the basis of the economy by 1550. The area also became an important pass linking Mexico City with points east with many travelers and merchants passing through. By 1599, Amecameca has become the head of a district with thirteen dependencies with an area of about 128km2.
A major earthquake occurred here in 1704 which destroyed many houses as well as the roof of the La Asuncion Church. It was repaired from 1712 to 1719.
The area remained a farming area, mostly with family plots through the rest of the colonial period. During the Mexican War of Independence, there was restlessness here among the population, but no major incidents. In 1812, a number of natives from here fought in the war under Leonardo Bravo in other places. The municipality was mostly likely founded in 1824 along with the founding of Mexico State. U.S. troops passed through here during the Mexican-American War. In 1833, Amecameca was part of the state of Mexico in the eastern prefecture. In 1861, the settlement gained official town status from the state due to its historical and economic importance. The municipal palace was built in 1899.
In the last 19th and early 20th century, Amecameca was the scene of several industrialization projects including a beer brewery, wheat mills and workshops producing saddles and metal objects. There was some minting of copper, silver and gold as well. In 1871, Father Fortino Hipolito Vera y Talona founded a number of business and cultural enterprises such as the first polytechnic school and a press which printed both religious and cultural articles. Until the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
, most of the arable land in the area was owned by large haciendas such as the Tomacoco, Coapexco and Panoaya. In 1910, Francisco I. Madero
Francisco I. Madero
Francisco Ignacio Madero González was a politician, writer and revolutionary who served as President of Mexico from 1911 to 1913. As a respectable upper-class politician, he supplied a center around which opposition to the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz could coalesce...
was in Amecameca. From a railroad car, he gave a speech against Porfirio Díaz
Porfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
. From 1911 on, the military revolt against the Diaz government was mostly carried out here by Zapatistas
Liberation Army of the South
The Liberation Army of the South was an armed group formed and led by Emiliano Zapata that took part in the Mexican Revolution. The force was commonly known as the Zapatistas....
, which gained recruits from Amecameca and by 1917, the area was a Zapatista stronghold. The area was important to rebels as it provided materials such as paper, wood, alcohol, charcoal and foodstuffs. After the war, agricultural lands here were redistributed in 1925.
In 1919, there was a major eruption of the Popocatépetl volcano, killing seventeen people in the municipality.
In the 1950s, much of the city was renovated including the main plaza, market and Hidalgo Street. The road to the Sanctuary of Sacromonte was improved and stairs added to climb the hill. Since then, the town of Amecameca has grown into a small city. However, there is not enough employment here and many commute to Mexico City to work.
The state proclaimed the town a cultural heritage of Mexico State in 1980 and was designated the "Capital del Alpinismo Nacional" in 1992.(Capital of Mexican Alpinism).
In the 2000s, Grupo Walmart
Walmex
Wal-Mart de Mexico , is a Mexican public corporation, which is 31% owned by the American retail multinational corporation Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. It has been traded in the Mexican Stock Exchange since 1977 ....
in Mexico began to construct a supermarket (Bodega Aurrerá) in the old section of Amecameca but INAH suspended construction. The reason for the suspension was that it would cover nearly a city block and damage older buildings protected by the federal agency.
The town
The area is a traditional weekend getaway for Mexico City, Puebla state and Morelos state residents. Tourists come here to enjoy the scenery, eat barbacoaBarbacoa
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...
, rabbit and other foods in a traditional 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 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"...
. It is also a local pilgrimage site to the sanctuary of the Señor del Sacromonte.
The traditional entrance to the historic center of the town is a colonial era arch, which was built in 1731 and located on the southeast corner of the main plaza next to the municipal palace. It contains a medallion with an image of Christ as the “Humilladero” (humbled), which colonial travelers worshipped. The arch is made of sandstone in Baroque style
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
with geometric fretwork. At the very top is a small column on which used to sit a statue of San Sebastian de Aparcicio. In the 1970s, a bus hit the arch and toppled the statue, which was never replaced.
The main plaza has a 1950s era kiosk
Kiosk
Kiosk is a small, separated garden pavilion open on some or all sides. Kiosks were common in Persia, India, Pakistan, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward...
and contains two small stores in its base selling regional candies. The upper portion has a jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
. The plaza also contains monuments to Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and Benito Juárez as well as a ring from a Mesoamerican ball court of the 13th century. The pavement of the plaza was replaced in 1999 from paving stone to patterned concrete. In 2003, a hemicycle dedicated to Benito Juárez was added. While it is considered to be a park, the plaza is often filled with stands on market days and during festivals, but most cultural events take place at the esplanade of the municipal palace. The green areas of the plaza contain sculptures of lions made of iron, but unlike real lions, these are shown with nopal
Nopal
Nopales are a vegetable made from the young cladode segments of prickly pear, carefully peeled to remove the spines. These fleshy pads are flat and about hand-sized. They can be purple or green...
plants, with a boa constrictor and other poses and were donated by the former owners of the Hacienda of Chapingo. For this reason the plaza is also called the Jardin de Leones (Lion Garden).
Facing the plaza on the east side is the Parish of the Asunción, which was originally a Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
monastery, founded in 1553. The main portal is made of pink stone and still in good condition. This architectural style is very austere. On the facade of La Asuncion there is only sculpture of the Virgin Mary with the faces of angels at her feet and a window cornice, which has decorations in the form of raindrops. Inside, the main altar is Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
. One of the side altars is Baroque with Biblical images surrounded by Solomonic column
Solomonic column
The Solomonic column, also called Barley-sugar column, is a helical column, characterized by a spiraling twisting shaft like a corkscrew...
s. 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...
has two altars, another Baroque one with Solomonic columns and one dedicated to the Señor del Sacromonte. The most noteworthy painting here is “The Angel of the Annuniciation” done by Echave Orio
Baltasar de Echave
Baltasar de Echave y Orio was a Spanish painter...
. The two story cloister is one of the most primitive in the Americas and has four segmental arches resting on octagonal columns on each side. There are two other important chapels in the town; the Chapel of San Juan and the Chapel of the Virgen del Rosario which have functioned as points of reference for travelers since they were built. They were built for the common people of adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
and wood.
Also near the main plaza is the municipal market, which is a traditional place to enjoy local culinary specialties. It contains central Mexican staples such carnitas and barbacoa, but the local signature dish is rabbit. Rabbit is a signature dish of the region. It is prepared as mixote, in moles
Mole (sauce)
Mole is the generic name for a number of sauces used in Mexican cuisine, as well as for dishes based on these sauces...
, wrapped in corn husks and steamed, or simply covered in chili pepper and roasted. Like in other parts of Mexico, atole
Atole
Atole is a traditional masa-based Mexican and Central American hot drink. Chocolate atole is known as champurrado or atole...
is popular here but there is a variation seasoned with chili pepper and epazote
Epazote
Epazote, wormseed, Jesuit's tea, Mexican tea, Paico or Herba Sancti Mariæ is an herb native to Central America, South America, and southern Mexico....
. The municipal market offers dishes and products made from local nuts such a walnuts such as chiles en nogada
Chiles en nogada
Chiles en nogada is a dish from Mexican cuisine. The name comes from the Spanish word for the walnut tree, nogal. It consists of poblano chiles filled with picadillo topped with a walnut-based cream sauce, called nogada, and pomegranate seeds, giving it the three colors of the Mexican flag: green...
, chicken in a nut sauce, mixiotes with rabbit and nuts as well as a walnut liquor. In front of this market is a crafts market which sells clay items, photographs of the volcanos,, local breads and turnovers filled with apple or pineapple. The market also sells a liquor from walnuts year round but it is especially during the annual Walnut Festival, which takes place in August. This permanent market is supplemented by the tianguis, or traditional outdoor market, held each Sunday. On this day, traders and craftsmen come from as far as Puebla to sell. The town has one pulqueria or pulque
Pulque
Pulque, or octli, is a milk-colored, somewhat viscous alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant, and is a traditional native beverage of Mexico. The drink’s history extends far back into the Mesoamerican period, when it was considered sacred, and its use was limited to...
bar which serves the beverage straight or flavored. Common flavors such as strawberry, mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
, guava
Guava
Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...
and nut are available, but the owner also has original recipes for flavors such as tomato, celery, carrot and others which the owner says are “secret.” .
The state university of UAEM (Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Mexico) has a local campus here.
A major charity is the Cottolengo Mexicano, which is a project of the Obra Don Orione religious foundation. This group was founded in Italy in 1905 and has expanded to over thirty countries to offer charity, education and evangelization. The group established itself here and in Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl
Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl
Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, or more commonly Ciudad Neza, is a city and municipality of Mexico State adjacent to the northeast corner of Mexico's Federal District: it is thus part of the Mexico City Metropolitan Area. It was named after Nezahualcoyotl, the Acolhua poet and king of nearby Texcoco, and...
in the mid 1990s. The Cottolengo serves homeless children and those who are disabled.
Carnival and Señor del Sacromonte
Just southwest of the parish church is a hill called Sacromonte, which overlooks the town and provides clear views of the Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl volcanos. (There is a lookout tower here used when Popocatépetl is more active. This hill has been considered sacred since the pre-Hispanic period, when a god named TezcatlipocaTezcatlipoca
Tezcatlipoca was a central deity in Aztec religion. One of the four sons of Ometeotl, he is associated with a wide range of concepts, including the night sky, the night winds, hurricanes, the north, the earth, obsidian, enmity, discord, rulership, divination, temptation, jaguars, sorcery, beauty,...
was worshiped here with dances and ceremonies from 23 April to 12 May. These days were known as “Toxcatl” or “dry things” as these days usually were the end of the dry season just before the rainy season. An image of the deity was located in a cave at the top of the hill. Today, the hill contains the Sanctuary of the Señor del Sacromonte and a chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe.
After the Conquest, the Spanish destroyed the temples and shrines here and build Christian churches and shrines on top of them. The churches located on this hill are a result of that tradition. The first Franciscan evangelist here, Martin de Valencia had the pagan idol replaced with an image of a Black Christ within the cave in the 1540s. Since 1584, this image has been the object of much veneration in this area, especially during the week of Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter...
, which is the closest Christian celebration to the old one for Tezcatlipoca. Hence the worship of this figure is a syncretism which can be best seen during the week of Ash Wednesday when many clad in Aztec dress dance and perform ancient rituals in front of the parish church below and the sanctuary church on the hill.
The Sanctuary of the Señor del Sacromonte is as important as the parish church that is located in the town center below. The Sanctuary was built among the ruins of the teocallis and amoxcallis that there here. The church is considered to be one of the most important in the state. The main focus of the church sanctuary is the glass coffin containing the Señor, which is also called the Santo Entierro (Holy Burial) . The image of the Señor is made with “pasta de cana” or pasted corn stalks. The altar on which it rests is made of wood and gilded with capricious forms.
The old chapel of the Virgin of Guadalupe is situation at the very top of the Sacromonte. It has a smooth facade with three arches and a triangular pediment. Inside there are no altarpieces. The atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
area is an old untended graveyard.
The main celebrations of the town are Carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
and the Feast of the Señor del Sacromonte, which overlap each other. Carnival begins on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday with the traditional accompaniments such as food, amusement rides, local dances such as Los Doce Pares de Francia, Moros y Cristianos and Los Arrieros. However, most of these end on the following Monday, rather than on Tuesday. On Tuesday night, the Señor del Sacromonte is taken from his sanctuary in procession to the parish of La Asuncion in the center of Amecameca. He remains there until Easter Sunday. One last vestige of Carnival takes place on Ash Wednesday, when the Dance of the Chinelos is performed. People costumed in large turbans, robes and bearded masks, perform just after midday. After that point, the celebrations for the rest of the week are focused on the Señor del Sacromonte with masses, pilgrimages and a dance called the Azteca-Chichimeca which dates back to the Conquest. The best-known group to perform this dances under the banner of the Señor del Sacromonte and visits many local and national religious festivities in places like Chalma, the Basilica of Guadalupe and others. Pilgrimages are made to both the La Asunción Church and to the Sanctuary on the hill above. Tradition states that first time visitors to the Sanctuary place a crown of flowers on their heads.
The municipality
As municipal seat, the town of Amecameca is the local governing authority for more than 130 other named communities, which over an area of 181.72km2. The municipality borders the municipalities of Tlalmanalco, Atlautla, Ozumba, Ayapango and Juchitepec with the state of Puebla to the east. 181.72km2. About 65% of the municipality’s population lives in the town proper. At the end of the 19th century, about 85% of the population spoke 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...
, but today less than 200 speakers remain.
The municipality is situated on the foothills of the Sierra Nevada between the Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl and in the Moctezuma-Panuco River. The Sierra Nevada is the most important geographical feature of the region and forms the eastern border of the municipality. These volcanoes are responsible for the compositions of the soils here as well as the source of most of the municipality’s fresh water. The average altitude in these mountains is 4,000 meters above sea level with the highest elevations at the Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl volcanos. Although near the active volcano, Amecameca is considered to be at a lower risk than other communities in the area because of the shape of Popocatépetl’s cone and the large ravines that are found in this area. The latter offers protection against lava flows and runoff from melting snow. However, the area remains part of the evacuation zone in the event of a major eruption. There is a lookout station on Sacromonte hill which is used by civil defense when the volcano is more active. The area has an eruption warning system of three colors, red , yellow and green which depend of the status of Popocatepetl. Green means that the volcano is quiet, yellow that there is activity and caution is advised and red indicates a current or imminent eruption. When the status turns to yellow, tourism to the area plummets to about half normal.
Fully within the municipality, the most important elevation is the Sacromonte. The main river here is the Alcalican, which forms from the snowmelt of Iztaccihualt. Its name means “in the house of water.”Most of the other streams and springs of the municipality are fed by the Sierra Nevada mountains The climate is considered to be temperate and somewhat wet (cb(w2)) with most rains coming between May and October. Temperatures generally vary between 2C and 24C although temperatures of -8C and 34C are not uncommon.
This area, especially in the rainy season, has an abundance of wild edible plants, especially mushrooms. Undeveloped areas in the lower mountains areas are mostly covered by forests of pine, oak and cypress, with trees reaching over 30 meters in height. However, deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
is an issue both for the loss of trees and the remaining forests’ ability to resist fires and plagues, with about twenty percent of forested area lost in last decades of the 20th century. Grazing cattle often inhibits reforestation. Higher up, the forests are dominated by fir trees with some pines and cedars. At the highest elevations near the tree line, only one species of pine is found called Pinus hartwagii. Above the tree line are alpine meadows. Small mammals, especially rabbits are common here as a number of reptiles and a variety of birds. The area used to have larger species such as white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
but these have been hunted to extinction.
Most of the municipality now is dedicated to agriculture and livestock. The main crop is corn along with other grains such as alfalfa
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...
, wheat and oats. There are a significant number of orchards here producing walnuts, pears, apples, capulin
Capulin
Prunus salicifolia , known as Capulin, is a species of cherry. It is similar to the Jamaica cherry. The capulin is often called the capuli, capoli, capulin, or capolin in both Mexico and Colombia...
s and other fruit. The municipality is the major producer of walnuts in Mexico. Livestock raised here includes pigs, cattle, sheep and domestic fowl. One important agricultural activity here is the production and conservation of traditional varieties of corn. Like other communities in the area, there are three main varieties of corn planted where as well as a number of minor varieties. These are planted mostly as a trial or because of their special characteristics, not to compete with the three main varieties. In local markets, these farmers are able to sell these local varieties as well as exchange seed to maintain genetic variety.
There is some industry here, which employs about a third of the workforce. The main ones are Los Molinos de la Covadonga, La Harinera Amecameca, Hilos Cadena which produced milled products and thread. In addition there are small workshops which produce saddle
Saddle
A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse, but specialized saddles have been created for camels and other creatures...
s, ironwork and machine pieces. Most commerce occurs in the municipal seat, mostly with the sale of staple foods and other basic necessities. Market days are Monday, Wednesday and Sunday when the town is covered in portable stalls in a tradition called the “tianguis.” In addition, there are several hotels and other businesses that cater to tourists. This sector of the economy employ about 45% of the municipality’s population.
Outside of the town proper, there are a number of other tourist attractions in the municipality. There is one registered archeological site in the municipality called the “Piedra del Conejo” (Rabbit Stone) or “Monumental solsticial de Tomacoco” (Solstice monument of Tomacoco ). One of the major attractions is the Panoaya Hacienda. The main hacienda building houses the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Museum. Sor Juana come to live at Panoaya in 1651 when she was three years old to live with her mother and grandfather. She learned to read and write and stayed until she was sent to live in Mexico City in 1663. The hacienda lay in ruins for the last century or so until it was rehabilitated in 1999 at a cost of more than 10 million pesos. A building next to this one is the International Museum of Volcanos which exhibits of Mexico two most famous volcanoes and others in the world. The hacienda’s main building now serves as the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Museum, run by INAH. Much of the rest of the hacienda land is leased to a recreational park which is best known for its petting zoo which contains tame deer.
Another major attraction is the Bosque de Arboles de Navidad (Christmas Tree Forest) , one of the few places in Mexico where one can go and cut his/her own tree. The Bosque plants trees such as the “vikingo mexiquense” and the “vikingo canadiense” coming here has become a tradition for many families in the Mexico City area. It is a business that was conceived forty years ago as a way to help preserve the forest here as well as benefit economically. Visitors come to spend a day in the area and can cut trees only from designated locations. Picnicking is permitted with the requirement that no garbage is left behind. The Christmas tree area covers 120 hectares, and cut trees are left to regrow instead of being killed. The park also hosts food stalls and a Christmas market, selling about 30,000 trees per year and employing 50 permanent and 250 seasonal workers.The money earned from the enterprise helps to preserve more wild areas of the mountains here. This work has earned a Premio Nacional de Ecología (National Ecology Prize). The only problem the forest experiences is that the enterprise is so popular that the roads leading to the area are jammed with traffic.
Lessor known attractions include the Eco Parque San Pedro, the Temazcal Park and the Agua Viva monastery. The Eco Parque San Pedro (San Pedro Ecological Park) is located between the Amecameca and Nexpayantla rivers just outside the municipal seat in the community of San Pedro Nexapa. It stands at 2870 meters above sea level, very close to the Puebla state line and has a cold, wet climate. The park is between the Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanos near the Cortés Pass
Paso de Cortés
The Paso de Cortés is the mountain pass or saddle between the Popocatépetl and Ixtaccíhuatl volcanoes in central México. It thus forms part of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, and is a place where the normally southeast-tending continental divide heads north for over 10 miles. The altitude of the...
. The park was created as a way to manage and preserve the natural resources of the area. It is a recreational area for sports such as hiking and also contains the second largest labyrinth of its type in the world created with over 38,000 cedar trees over an extension of 10,000m2. There is also a “zoo” of sculpted plants made to form animals using plants native to the area. The Temazcal Park is a natural area with dirt and stone paths. It contains a varieity of pine trees and medicinal plants and is home to white tailed deer, foxes and other wildlife. Activities available here are hiking, mountain biking, camping and other nature sports. The Agua Viva (Living Water) monastery is a Dominican institution located at the foothills of Iztaccíhuatl. There are still monks here that offer mass. The Cortés Pass is located 30 minutes from the town, which is a space between the two volcanos and from where Cortés had his first view of 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...
.