Malinalco, Mexico State
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Malinalco | |
| — Seat and Municipality — | |
| Country |  Mexico |
|---|---|
| State | Mexico State |
| Municipality | Malinalco |
| Municipal Seat | Malinalco |
| Founded | |
| Government | |
| - Municipal President | |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| Postal code | |
Malinalco is a town and municipality located in the southwestern part of Mexico State, Mexico. Malinalco is to the south of Mexico State, more or less 65 kilometers from the city of Toluca. [1], about 70 km away from Toluca. This town serves as a municipality seat and is famous for its cultural traditions also for its natural wonders and the archeological site. Malinalco came from the Nahuatl Malinalli (lugar donde se adora la flor del zacate). Malinalco was founded officially in the 12th century for Malinalxochitl who was an ambitious witch, sister of Huitzilopochtli, who was the most important god of the Mexicas. Once she was retired in Malinalco and there she founded her own empire.[2]
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[edit] The town
In the pre-Conquest era and well into the modern era, Malinalco lay on the main route from Tenochtitlan (present-day Mexico City), the principal city of the Mexica, to Acapulco. Tribute goods were transported along this route on the backs of tamemes (bearers) from populations subjugated by the Mexica to Tenochtitlán.[2]
[edit] Attractions
The town's main historical attraction is an archaeological site in top of Cerro de los Idolos. Cerro de los Idolos is located west of the town. This site was constructed around the year 1502 by the Mexica emperor Ahuizotl. In this archeological site there are a couple of buildings. Cuauhtinchan or House of the Tiger and Jaguar Warriors is the name for the main temple. This temple is carved into the rock of the mountain and there is only five of this type of monolithic temples in the world. In this site, warriors were initiated into the Eagle and Jaguar warrior classes.
- The Dr. Luis Mario Schneider Museum of the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico. It has an interesting ethnobotanical exhibit. Many of the other artifacts recovered from archaeological sites are grouped by discoverer, which does not give a good sense of their place or function in the archaeological record.[2]
- Monastary of the Divino Salvador de Malinalco- Malinalco has been an important religious place from pre-Hispanic times and has continued as such to the present day. In 1533 Servants of the Dulce Nombre de Jesús founded the house of Malinalco. In 1540, following a council meeting that took place in San Agustin de México, it was agreed that the monastery would be built in Malinalco due to its pre- Hispanic importance, which made it a suitable location for the building of an important regional institution. That is how in 1543 this Augustinian monastary was founded and from where the evangelization of the entire region began. The convent inculdes a large atrium and a rectangular temple to the rear of which is monastery vegetable garden. An open chapel can be seen on the façade of the convent, which is sometimes use as a “porteria”. Malinalco hieroglyphics and the shield of the Augustinian order can be found in the cornice of the chapel as mute witnesses to the meeting of two cultures. The façade of the chapel was probably completely covered in fresco paintings. They are the biggest fresco paintings in all of Latin America.[2]
Malinalco has an efficient infrastructure such as a variety of hotels, small stores, beautiful restaurants and a wonderful downtown. An important part of Malinalco is its colonial streets where you can take a tour and admired typical colonial houses proper of the town. Recently in downtown many artist had installed a couple of ambulant stores of artisanal products that are really popular.
[edit] Distance to nearby cities
| City | Distance (Kmts) | Distance (hrs) |
|---|---|---|
| Toluca | 70 | 0:42 |
| DF | 139.8 | 1:40 |
| Guerrero | 220.42 | 2:26 |
| Hidalgo | 253.9 | 2:35 |
| Michoacan | 296.32 | 2:48 |
| Morelos | 110.54 | 1:29 |
| Puebla | 237.16 | 2:50 |
| Queretaro | 260 | 2:46 |
| Tlaxcala | 259.44 | 2:53 |
[edit] The municipality
The municipality of Malinalco covers a total surface area of 186.28 km², in the year 2000 census, reported a population of 21,712.[1][2]
The municipality is also home to the town of Chalma, a place of Roman Catholic pilgrimage. Chalma is the second most-visited Catholic temple in the whole nation.[2]
To the north it limits with Joquicingo which serves as a municipality, to the northeast with Ocuilán, also a municipality, to the northwest with Tenancingo, also a municipality, and to the south with the state of Morelos.
[edit] Economy
The main economic activities in Malinalco depended on the location of the town, in the north are ranching in center “fish sales” and commerce in general and in the south agriculture.[2]
[edit] Social organization
[edit] Language
Malinalco is a town habitated by mestizos where people speak and teach the Spanish language. The survival of some native languages is almost non-existent. Although there are some words that we use nowadays that come from the natives.
[edit] Divisions
The municipality is divided into small towns:
- San Sebastián
- San Nicolás
- Jesús María
- La Ladrillera
- La Loma
- El Puentecito
- Puente Caporal
- Jalmolonga
- Amate Amarillo
- Palmar de Guadalupe
- Pachuquilla
- Monte Grande
- El Zapote
[edit] Education
The educational system has made incredible advances during the last 10 years.
The last count done in 1998 there were 69 educational institutes in Malinalco. Among those institutions were taken all the educational levels: kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, and special education.
[edit] Sports
Soccer is the most practiced sport in the entire municipality. There is a sport complex named "Arturo Orihuela" administrated by the municipal government. Inside this sport complex we can find a soccer stadium, three basketball courts, a volleyball court and an indoor soccer field.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ a b INEGI. Mapa digital de México. Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. (Spanish)
- ^ a b c d e f g Estado de Mexico. Estado de Mexico, Malinalco. Secretary of Tourism of the State of Mexico. Retrieved on 2002-02-03. (Spanish)
- ^ Monografia de Malinalco
- García Payón, José (1947) Los monumentos arqueológicos de Malinalco. Revista Mexicana de Estudios Antropológicas 8(1):5-63.
- Hernández Rivero, José (2004) Ideología y práctica militar mexica: el cuauhcalli de Malinalco. 2nd ed. Private Publication, Mexico City.
- Noguez, Xavier (2006) El templo monolítico de Malinalco, Estado de México. Arqueología Mexicana 78:68-73.
- Smith, Michael E. (2008) Aztec City-State Capitals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville (in press).
- Townsend, Richard F. (1982) Malinalco and the Lords of Tenochtitlan. In The Art and Iconography of Late Post-Classic Central Mexico, edited by Elizabeth H. Boone, pp. 111-140. Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, DC.
[edit] External links
- Magic Malinalco
- malinalco.net
- The Corner Project of Malinalco
- Lugares de México - Malinalco in Spanish
