Tenancingo, State of Mexico
[1] The main elevation overlooking the town is the Cerro de las Tres Marías, topped by a giant white statue of Christ the King (Cristo Rey), built in 1985, designed by Hector Morret and visible from just about anywhere in the valley below.[5][6] The plaza contains a traditional kiosk as well as a notable marble statue of Miguel Hidalgo, which was sculpted here but was in the Jardín de los Martires in Toluca for many years before its return.[11] Attractions in the municipality (outside the seat) include the Tecomatlán Parish, the chapels located in the communities of San Simonito, Zepayautla, Acatzingo and Teola and the former haciendas of Tenería, Monte de Pozo and Santa Ana.[4] However, the major cultural landmark for the area is the Desierto del Carmen monastery and National Park, located twelve km south of the town of Tenancingo.[12][13] The monastery was built in the late 18th century and consecrated in 1801 as a new home for the monks of the Desierto de los Leones, when they decided that they needed to be further away from the expanding Mexico City.[12] The monastery complex has a number of living facilities and storage units as well as former hermitages dedicated to John the Baptist, Saint Joseph and Mary Magdalene.[13] The surrounding forest has hiking trails and picnic areas as well as three lookout points: Balcon del Diablo, San Elias and Peña Colorada.[2][14] Major local celebrations include Lunes de Carnaval (when residents elect an "Ugly King") and a procession of silence and passion play during Holy Week.[15] Other important dates include Epiphany, the Feria de Jarro on Ash Wednesday and the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (July 16).These are popular dates for weddings and confirmation and feature native folk dance, religious services, fireworks, traveling amusement rides as well as local food specialties.Prices for rebozos generally run between 400 and 4,000 pesos each, depending on the quality of the thread, the tightness and complexity of the weave and the intricateness of the woven fringes.Wildlife includes squirrels, armadillos, cacomixtle, rabbits, coyotes, bats, opossums, various lizards and other reptiles and various bird species.[15] The pre-Hispanic town was located about 5 km (3.1 mi) south of the modern one, today called Acatzingo de la Piedra.With the rise of the Aztecs, the lord of Tenancingo allied himself with Axayacatl to help subdue Malinalco, Calpulli Coapipitzoatepec (Xochiaca), allowing it to remain independent.[5][6][15] After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, the area became part of an encomienda given to Juan Salcedo, with the family controlling the lands for several generations.The native population was relocated to an area now called Barrio de Salitre and were obligated to build a hermitage here dedicated to Our Lady of Refuge.In 1561 priest Alfonso Martinez de Zayas took over evangelization efforts and also took control over large extensions of land in order to plant wheat.[15][23] From 1565 to 1577 various Spaniards such as Angel Villafaña, Catalina de Ablornez and Francisco Bullon were granted lands here and by 1600 the Tenancingo region was divided into areas controlled by the towns of Tenancigo, Tepetzingo, Exlahutzingo, Talcoquiapan, Cultepec, Teculoyan, Icotlan, Chichualhucan and Tlaxomulco.[2][15] In 1812, the area was the scene of a battle of the Mexican War of Independence which pitted José María Morelos y Pavón against Royalist general Rosendo Porlier.[15] In the latter 19th century there was construction and other improvements with the Calvario Temple consecrated in 1863, the Capilla de Jesus in 1866 and the municipal palace and Alameda Park in 1878.Both resulted in the hindrance of economic development although the three main haciendas (including Teneria, then owned by prominent politician José Ives Limantour) were broken up and the land redistributed.[6][23] At the start of the Cristero War, the churches were closed by the government but not the Carmelite monastery, which had already been abandoned when the last hermit, Friar Pedro de Santa Maria died in 1915.[2] Reaction included attacks by a band of Cristeros under Benjamin Mendoza, which blocked the Tenancingo-San José Chalmita road and killing a number of people.[15] Local newspapers of various types were established in the municipality starting in 1937 and a radio station, XEQ, went on the air in 1942, with the song "Tenancingo" by Manuel Rentaria Polanco.In 1981, flower producers in Santa Ana Ixtlahuatzingo destroyed five rainwater-capturing tanks as part of ongoing socio-political disputes, igniting a conflict between it and the seat of the municipality.
Tenancingo, TlaxcalaMexicoState of MexicoMunicipal seatTime zonemunicipalitiesToluca Valleyrebozoscut flowersnational parktianguisMiguel HidalgoTolucaMexico CityOur Lady of the RosaryPassion of the ChristTenango del ValleJoquicingoZumpahuacánMalinalcoVilla GuerrerosyndicDesierto de los LeonesUniversidad Autónoma del Estado de MéxicoHoly WeekOur Lady of Mount CarmelchayotespipianchilacayotesgladiolasPueblaOaxacaMorelosMichoacánGuanajuatoGuadalajaraFONARTNevado de TolucaPopocatepetlarmadilloscacomixtleopossumspalapasNahuatlAztec glyphpetroglyphsPurépechaMatlatzincaAxayacatlSpanish conquest of the Aztec EmpireencomiendaAugustiniansNew SpainFranciscanshaciendaMexican RevolutionMexican War of IndependenceJosé María MorelosSantos DegolladoCristero WarJosé Ives LimantourPope Benedict XVIToluca dioceseAcambayAcolmanAculcoAlmoloya de AlquisirasAlmoloya de JuárezAlmoloya del RíoAmanalcoAmatepecAmecamecaApaxcoAtencoAtizapánAtizapán de ZaragozaAtlacomulcoAtlautlaAxapuscoAyapangoCalimayaCapulhuacChalco de Díaz CovarrubiasChapa de MotaChapultepecChiautlaChicoloapanChiconcuacChimalhuacánCoacalco de BerriozábalCoatepec HarinasCocotitlánCoyotepecCuautitlánCuautitlán IzcalliDonato GuerraEcatepec de MorelosEcatzingoEl OroHuehuetocaHueypoxtlaHuixquilucanIxtapalucaIxtapan de la SalIxtapan del OroIxtlahuacaJaltencoJilotepecJilotzingoJiquipilcoJocotitlánJuchitepecLa PazLuvianosMelchor OcampoMetepecMexicaltzingoNaucalpan de JuárezNextlalpanNezahualcóyotlNicolás RomeroNopaltepecOcoyoacacOcuilanOtumbaOtzoloapan