El Zape is a small town in the hills of the municipality of
Guanaceví, in the state of
Durango
Durango (), officially named Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Durango; Tepehuán: ''Korian''; Nahuatl: ''Tepēhuahcān''), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in ...
, in northern México. El Zape is the 3rd largest town in Guanaceví. El Zape postal code is 35440. It is located on the eastern side of the
Sierra Madre Occidental
The Sierra Madre Occidental is a major mountain range system of the North American Cordillera, that runs northwest–southeast through northwestern and western Mexico, and along the Gulf of California. The Sierra Madre is part of the American C ...
, at an altitude of 1960 m (6430 ft).
History
Tepehuán arrival and founding of El Zape
The region of El Zape was first settled by
Thepehuan people. In the late 1500s the Spanish discovered silver in Guanaceví, prompting a rush to settle the region. In 1596, father Jeronimo Ramirez visited the settlement of El Zape. In 1597, he built the mission of San Ignacio de El Zape. Later, in 1604 Father Juan Fonte founded the town of El Zape.
Tepehuán Revolt
The conditions in which native people lived under colonial rule led them to revolt in 1616, attacking Spanish settlements in what is known as the
Thepehuan Revolt. The neighboring residents of
Guanaceví donated seeds, tools, and animals to El Zape. During this time the
Jesuits
The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
increased their efforts to evangelize the children of El Zape. The children were considered clever if they read the Bible and went to church. The Tepehuan people grew corn and sold it to the nearest mines. During that rebellion, El Zape was the site of a massacre that left 19 Spaniards and 60 African slaves dead.
Climate
Demographics
In 2010, there were 139 homes inhabited by 433 residents. As of 2020, there were 139 homes inhabited by 412 residents.
Religion
The town of El Zape is mostly
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, the town's local church is called Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción.
References
Populated places in Durango
{{Durango-geo-stub