Сакуальпан-де-Амильпас: История и описание города в штате Морелос

Town in Morelos, Mexico
other similarly named places

Zacualpan de Amilpas is a town in the Mexican state of Morelos. The town serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality, with which it shares a name. To the north is the municipality of Tetela del Volcán, to the south is the municipality of Temoac, to the east is the State of Puebla, and to the west are the municipalities of Ocuituco and Yecapixtla. The municipality reported 9,370 inhabitants in the year 2015 census. It is from Cuernavaca and from Mexico City. Its Sister City is Pharr, Texas. Tlacotepec is the assistant municipal seat. It is north of Zacualpan. It has 5,087 inhabitants or 60% of the population of the municipality. Other communities are very small: Barrio de San Juan, Barrio de San Pedro, Barrio de San Nicolás, Colonia Guadalupe Victoria, Colonia San Andrés, Colonia Emiliano Zapata, Colonia Mariano Escobedo, and Colonia Panteón.

Researchers point to the Olmecs as the indigenous group who arrived in Zacualpan de Amilpas, considered the first inhabitants in the pre Classic period between the years 1000 and 900 BCE. The second group to arrive were the Toltecs. Shortly after that, groups of Chichimecas and Chalcas arrived, founding new communities in Totolapan, Tepoztlán, Tlayacapan, and Zacualpan.

The Plan de Amilpas (Amilpas Plain) including Zacualpan was conquered by Captain Gonzalo de Sandoval on March 14, 1521. Francisco de Solis obtained several villages, including Zacualpan de Amilpas, Huazulco, Temoac, and He planted orchards, cultivated wheat, and corn, and had beehives. In 1543 New Spain was organized into four provinces: Michoacán, México, Coatzacoalcos, and Las Mixtecas; the present territory of Morelos was part of the Mexico province. The spiritual conquest of Zacualpan de Amilpas began in 1533 with the arrival of the provincial vicar, Fray Francisco de la Cruz, who ordered Jorge de Ávila and Jerónimo de San Esteban to evangelize the region. In 1535 the two monks began construction of a church and a convent to honor the Immaculate Conception of Mary next to the Amatzinac Canyon. The building was designed by Fray Juan de la Cruz, one of the best architects of the order of the Augustinian order. The church is small and rectangular. an octagonal apse, towering arches, and columns with a square section that supports the roof. The side Chapel of the Rosary dates from the 18th century and is covered by an octagonal dome. The main façade has a semi circular arch framed by a pair of square pilasters, with molded capital. Above the pilasters is a frieze and cornice molding in Renaissance architecture style. Higher up, there is a small rectangular window and a late 19th century clock and the west side. The belltower, located in the northwestern corner, is rectangular. On the southwest there are three different sized semicircular arches forming an open chapel. The monastery and cloister is austere and simple. The central courtyard has walls, arches, buttresses, and cornices of quarry stonework, such as in Jantetelco and Oaxtepec. The atrium was built on a higher level than that of the street, indicating that the complex is located on the pre Hispanic foundation. The fence is at the level of the atrium, but from the street, it is quite high. The haciendas of San Nicolás in Zacualpan, Cuentepec, Chicomocelo were established in the 16th century. In 1646 the province of México became the Real Audiencia; Cuautla became an alcaldia (mayoralty) belonging to the Intendencia of Puebla. On December 17, 1937, the walls of the ex convent in Zacualpan de Amilpas and elsewhere were cracked during an earthquake, convincing people that steps were needed to preserve historical monuments. A law was passed on June 9, 1939, that declared colonial convents national monuments and providing for their preservation. Differences between Zacualpan and surrounding communities led to the establishment of Temoac as a municipality on March 17, 1977. Roberto Adrian Cazares Gonzalez of Por Morelos al Frente (Morelos First coalition) was elected Presidente Municipal (mayor) on July 1, 2018. When the federal Pueblos Magicos program was canceled in 2019, the state of Morelos established its own program to promote tourism, called Pueblos Encantados ("Charmed Towns"). Zacualpan de Amilpas was the first town in Morelos to become a part of this program. During the COVID 19 pandemic in Mexico, as of May 10, there were 812 infections and 106 deaths in the state of Morelos but none in Zacualpan. Zacualpan was the only municipality in the state without reported cases. On July 2, Zacualpan reported one infection but no deaths from the virus; the reopening of the state was pushed back until at least June 13. Zacualpan reported 12 cases, ten recuperations, and one death from the virus as of August 31. Twenty six cases were reported on December 27, 2020.

Zacualpan de Amilpas is in the foothills of the Popocatépetl Volcano; among the hills, there are deep, boxy ravines. The soils are a volcanic eruptive type. There are several streams including Amatzinac River, which has its source in the vicinity of the Popocatepetl volcano. Five streams are located in Tlacotepec. There is a small dam on the Amatzinac in the town of Zacualpan. and bougainvillea. Animals include raccoon, Coati (similar to a raccoon), skunk, armadillo, hare, rabbit, coyote, wildcat, weasel, opossum, and bats, flag bird, chachalaca (a rather noisy bird), copetona magpie, buzzard, aura, raven, owl, and songbirds.

Zacualpan de Amilpas is primarily an agricultural area. The major crops are sorghum, beans, and corn. There are orchards with guava, papaya, and peaches. Cattle, pork, sheep, horses, and fowl are raised on ranches. Commerce and services are less important. The volcanic rocks in the area are mined.