Yautepec is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

located in the north-central part of the

Mexican state The states of Mexico are first-level administrative territorial entities of the country of Mexico, which is officially named Mexico, United Mexican States. There are 32 federal entities in Mexico (31 states and the capital, Mexico City, as a sepa ...

Morelos Morelos (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Morelos ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Morelos), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 36 municipalities and its capital city is Cuer ...

. The municipal seat is the city of Yautepec de Zaragoza. It stands at . The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of Yautepec. In the 2020 census the municipality had a population of 105,780, the fifth-largest community in the state in population (after

Cuernavaca Cuernavaca (; nci-IPA, Cuauhnāhuac, kʷawˈnaːwak "near the woods", ) is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. The city is located around a 90-minute drive south of Mexico City using the Federal Highway 95D. The na ...

Jiutepec Jiutepec is a city and its surrounding municipality in the Mexican state of Morelos. The name ''Jiutepec'' comes from the Nahuatl name ''Xiutepetl'', which means "the precious stones hill". The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrou ...

, Cuautla, and

Temixco Temixco is the fourth-largest city in the Mexican state of Morelos. It stands at in the west-northwest part of the state. The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality, with which it shares a name. The municipality rep ...

). The municipality, which has an area of 203 km² (78.4 sq mi) reported 102,690 inhabitants in the 2015 census. Yautepec de Zaragoza had 44,353 inhabitants in 2020. Other large towns in the municipality are La Joya (population 14,126),

Cocoyoc Cocoyoc is a city in the north-central part of the Mexican state of Morelos. It is located at 18°53′N 99°04′W. The city lies within the municipality of Yautepec. Cocoyoc reported 10,178 inhabitants in the 2020 census and is the third-large ...

(population 10,178),

Oaxtepec Oaxtepec is a town within the municipality of Yautepec and the Cuautla metropolitan area in the eastern part of the Mexican state of Morelos. Its main industry is tourism, mostly aimed at the inhabitants of nearby Mexico City, and the town poss ...

(population 7,097), Los Arcos (San Carlos) (population 5,736), Oacalco (population 2,543), Lázaro Cárdenas (El Empalme) (population 1,503), Itzamatitlán (population 1,366), Corral Grande (population 1,189), San Isidro (population 1,153), Ignacio Bastida (Santa Catarina Tlayca) (population 1,119), and La Nopalera (population 1,005). Yautepec, has its etymological roots derived from ''Yautli'': Bright-colored plant with an aniseed flavor and yellow flowers in bouquets that indigenous people used for cleansing baths; ''Tepe-tl'': (hill) and "k" contraction of ''Ko'': (adverb of place); it means "On the hill of the pericón flower" in English. President Benito Juarez changed the name from ''La villa de Yautepec de

Gómez Farías Gómez (frequently anglicization, anglicized as Gomez) is a common Spanish language, Spanish patronymic surname meaning "son of Gome". The Portuguese language, Portuguese and Galician language, Old Galician version is Gomes, while the Catalan langu ...

'' to ''Yautepec de Zaragoza'' (of Zaragoza) in 1869 in honor of General

Ignacio Zaragoza Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín (; March 24, 1829September 8, 1862) was a Mexican general and politician. He led the Mexican army of 600 men that defeated 6,500 invading French forces, including the elite French legionnaires at the Battle of Puebla ...

, the general who had led the

Cinco de Mayo Cinco de Mayo ( in Mexico, Spanish for "Fifth of May") is a yearly celebration held on May 5, which commemorates the anniversary of Mexico's victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, led by General Ignacio Zaragoz ...

, 1862, victory over the invading French forces in Puebla.

History

The mythical love story of

Popocatépetl Popocatépetl (; Nahuatl: ) is an active stratovolcano located in the states of Puebla, Morelos, and Mexico in central Mexico. It lies in the eastern half of the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt. At it is the second highest peak in Mexico, after C ...

and

Iztaccihuatl Iztaccíhuatl (alternative spellings include Ixtaccíhuatl, or either variant spelled without the accent) ( or, as spelled with the x, ), is a dormant volcanic mountain in Mexico located on the border between the State of Mexico and Puebla wit ...

is well-known. What is less known is that the princess's father preferred she date the King of Yautepec, which she did on at least one occasion.http://siglo.inafed.gob.mx/enciclopedia/EMM17morelos/municipios/17029a.html (retrieved Dec 12, 2018)

Prehispanic history

Francisco Plancarte y Navarrete, Cuernavaca's second bishop (1898-1911), wrote ''Tamoanchan—El Estado de Morelos y El Principio de la Civilizacion en Mexico'' in 1911. In it, he proposes that the first agriculturally based settlements in Mexico appeared around 1500

BCE Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the or ...

in a place called ''Tamoanchan'' which he associates with Morelos.Secretaria, p. 37 While later archaeologists do not mention Tamoanchan, the remains of an elephant-like animal dating back 6,000 years, have been found near Yautepec. These remains can be seen at the ''Museo Regional Cuauhnahuac'' ( Palace of Cortes) in Cuernavaca. The earliest findings are on the hill of ''Atlihuayán''; the first settlers in the region were the

Olmec The Olmecs () were the earliest known major Mesoamerican civilization. Following a progressive development in Soconusco, they occupied the tropical lowlands of the modern-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco. It has been speculated that t ...

. The Olmec were nomads, living from hunting, fishing, as well as gathering roots and wild fruit. Archaeologists Valentín López González and Ramón Piña Chan, have found an Atlihuayan figurine, now exhibited in the

National Museum of Anthropology and History The National Museum of Anthropology ( es, Museo Nacional de Antropología, MNA) is a national museum of Mexico. It is the largest and most visited museum in Mexico. Located in the area between Paseo de la Reforma and Mahatma Gandhi Street withi ...

in Mexico City. Also, nine pyramids and a ball court have been found in ''Itzamatitlán''. Yautepec and the entire Morelos Valley had a subordinate role in Mesoamerican history. From the Classic to the Postclassic the local populations developed under the influence of Teotihuacanos, Toltecas and

Nahuas The Nahuas () are a group of the indigenous people of Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. They comprise the largest indigenous group in Mexico and second largest in El Salvador. The Mexica (Aztecs) were of Nahua ethnicity, a ...

. It is with these last ones that the Valley had a greater relevance in the regional dynamics, since it was occupied by Tlahuica population (Nahuatl language speakers), taking Cuauhnahuac (Cuernavaca) as its capital and expanding its dominion to other zones, including Yautepec. In 1389, the inhabitants of Yautepec, Tetlama, and

, fought the Tlahuicas. After the establishment of the Triple Alliance in 1438, the Tlahuica lordship was conquered and forced to pay tribute to the

Mexicas The Mexica ( Nahuatl: , ;''Nahuatl Dictionary.'' (1990). Wired Humanities Project. University of Oregon. Retrieved August 29, 2012, frolink/ref> singular ) were a Nahuatl-speaking indigenous people of the Valley of Mexico who were the rulers o ...

. When

Moctezuma I Moctezuma I (–1469), also known as Moteuczomatzin Ilhuicamina (), Huehuemoteuczoma or Montezuma I ( nci, Motēuczōma Ilhuicamīna , nci, Huēhuemotēuczōma ), was the second Aztec emperor and fifth king of Tenochtitlan. During his reign, the ...

ascended the throne, he set about conquering Yautepec, forcing them to submit to the Lord of Tenochtitlan. Moctezuma built a botanical garden in ''Huaxtepec'' (

) in (1440-1469).

Conquest & colonization

The conquest of Morelos by the conquistadors under

Hernán Cortés Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquess of the Valley of Oaxaca (; ; 1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of w ...

was part of the strategy to achieve the ultimate goal: the fall of the Great

Tenochtitlán , ; es, Tenochtitlan also known as Mexico-Tenochtitlan, ; es, México-Tenochtitlan was a large Mexican in what is now the historic center of Mexico City. The exact date of the founding of the city is unclear. The date 13 March 1325 was ...

. Upon the arrival of the Spaniards, the Indigenous groups of the region were divided into two ''cacicazgos'': Cuauhnahuac and Huaxtepec. The conquistador sent an expedition to take the town of

Ocuituco Ocuituco is a town in the Mexican state of Morelos and the municipal head for the Municipality of Ocuituco which includes the towns of Ocuituco, Huejotengo, Huecahuaxco, Huepalcalco, Metepec, and Ocoxaltepec, as well as a number of settlements with ...

; later

Gonzalo de Sandoval Gonzalo de Sandoval (1497, Medellín, Spain – late in 1528, Palos de la Frontera, Spain) was a Spanish conquistador in New Spain (Mexico)Diaz, B., 1963, The Conquest of New Spain, London: Penguin Books, and briefly co-governor of the colo ...

was sent to

Yecapixtla Yecapixtla ( nah, Yecapixtlān ) is a town and municipality located in the northeast of the state of Morelos in central Mexico. Yecapixtla means, ''Land of men and women with sharp noses''. The town is home to one of the monastery complexes associa ...

. A year later, 1521, Cortes explored the lands submitted by Sandoval, then went to Tlalmanalco and Huaxtepec. After some bloody fights and some peaceful deliveries, including Yautepec, Morelos fell into Spanish hands. Cortes made peace with the ''

Cacique A ''cacique'' (Latin American ; ; feminine form: ''cacica'') was a tribal chieftain of the Taíno people, the indigenous inhabitants at European contact of the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. The term is a Spa ...

s'' in this area prior to his

Siege of Tenochtitlan The Fall of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire, was a decisive event in the Spanish conquest of the empire. It occurred in 1521 following extensive manipulation of local factions and exploitation of pre-existing political divisions ...

.Diaz, B., 1963, The Conquest of New Spain, London: Penguin Books, Once the military conquest was complete, catechization was carried out by Dominican friars, who began the construction of the convent of the Ascension of the Lord in 1567. It stands out for its simplicity and austerity. This large building is unlike many others, simple in its spatial solutions and form in façade, nave of the temple, tower, and convent cloister. The church is rectangular, long, tall and rather narrow, interrupted in its length by two lateral chapels. The building has a popular Renaissance character. The choral window on the façade is rectangular and possibly the largest one of any 16th-century churches in the state. There is a large but simple bell tower in the southwest corner. The convent emphasizes the austerity and simplicity of the home or abode of the friars. There are no luxuries, no ornamentation and here lies the beauty of this set. On the southeast side is the large open chapel, perhaps the largest of the Indian chapels in the state. This chapel is beautiful although it is semi-destroyed and abandoned. The Dominican convent of ''Santo Domingo'' in Oaxtepec was founded by Fray Vicente de Sta. Ma. and Fray Domingo in 1533; it was the first built by that order in Morelos. This church does not have an atrium, and it was built on top of a prehispanic base some three or four meters above the level of the plaza. Both of these monasteries were recognized by the UNESCO as

World Heritage Sites A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...

in 1994, and are included in the ''Ruta de los Conventos''. While cotton was the most important crop in the pre-conquest era, sugar replaced cotton after the conquest. The sugar cane haciendas of

and Atlihuayán were built in the 17th century. Cocoyoc is a Nahuatl word that means "place of coyotes". The city of Cocoyoc was founded in the 11th century by the Tlahuicas. After the conquest, Hernán Cortés was named Marquis of Oaxaca in recognition of his services to the Spanish crown. Cortés also married Isabel, daughter of

Moctezuma II Moctezuma Xocoyotzin ( – 29 June 1520; oteːkˈsoːmaḁ ʃoːkoˈjoːt͡sĩn̥), nci-IPA, Motēuczōmah Xōcoyōtzin, moteːkʷˈsoːma ʃoːkoˈjoːtsin variant spellings include Motewksomah, Motecuhzomatzin, Montezuma, Moteuczoma, Motecu ...

. In 1614, the Hacienda received a license from the government to establish a sugar factory pulled by horses, in order to grind and process sugarcane. Elviro Ruiz, a descendant of Isabel, sold part of her inheritance to the peasants as farmland, but the hacienda later increased its lands through purchases, negotiations, and marriages. In 1698, the Hacienda consisted of three hundred and sixty-six hectares of irrigated land, a house, a chapel, the ''trapiche'' (mill) and other buildings necessary for the operation of a sugar plantation. However, it was later reduced by forced sales by fines of tax evasion and other debts, and on more than one occasion the entire property was auctioned off. During the 18th century, Hacienda Cocoyoc was one of the twelve most important sugar mills in the country and by then it had already had numerous owners.

Independence & 19th century

The haciendas established at Oacalco, Apanquetzalco, Atlihuayán, San Carlos Borromeo, Cocoyoc and Xochimancas generally prospered into the 19th century, and the

Mexican War of Independence The Mexican War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de México, links=no, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, co ...

(1810-1821) had little direct effect on the lives of the people of Yautepec. Once Mexico achieved its independence, Yautepec became a community in the district of ''Cuautla de las Ampilpas'' in the State of Mexico. Over the next 40+ years, the country suffered through power struggles between conservatives (who favored a strong central government) and liberals (who favored a federated government) as well as several foreign invasions. In 1854 this led to the ''Plan de Cuernavaca'' which led to the ouster of dictator Antonio Santa Anna and in 1857 the Plan de Ayutla and

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. Yautepec in 1861-1862 is the fictional setting of ''El Zarco,'' a novel about bandits called ''Los Plateados'' written by Ignacio Manuel Altamirano and published after his death in 1901. The reality relating to the bandits who thrived during this time of anarchy, however, may not have been as thrilling and romantic as Altamirano suggests. The town was briefly called, ''la Villa de Yautepec de Gomez Farias'' in honor of one of the signers of the Plan de Cuernavaca. After the French invasion and the Republic was restored, Morelos became a state in 1869 and Yautepec became a municipality. The city of Yautepec changed its name to ''Yautepec de Zaragoza'' in honor of general

, hero of the

Battle of Puebla The Battle of Puebla ( es, Batalla de Puebla; french: Bataille de Puebla) took place on 5 May, Cinco de Mayo, 1862, near Puebla de Zaragoza during the Second French intervention in Mexico. French troops under the command of Charles de Lorencez ...

. There is a bust of Zaragoza in ''La Plazuela de Leyva'' in the town center. The plaza itself is named for ''Francisco Leyva'', first

Governor of Morelos The governor of Morelos, which was created with the state of Mexico in 1869. (Morelos was a Federal Territory from June 17, 1914, to February 5, 1917.) See also * List of Mexican state governors * List of people from Morelos, Mexico * List of ...

as Yautepec became the first capital of the state (April 17, 1869). Leyva created the Literary and Scientific Institute of the State of Morelos with preparatory studies in agriculture and veterinary science; trade and administration; Arts and crafts; normal for teachers; and law. A telegraph line between Cuernavaca and Yautepec was laid in 1877 during the administration of Governor Carlos Pacheco. Peace was restored under the dictatorship of

Porfirio Diaz Porfirio is a given name in Spanish, derived from the Greek Porphyry (''porphyrios'' "purple-clad"). It can refer to: * Porfirio Salinas – Mexican-American artist * Porfirio Armando Betancourt – Honduran football player * Porfirio Barba-Jac ...

, bringing prosperity to large landowners such as the Escandon family, who had belonged to the court of Emperor Maximilian. The actress Virginia Fábregas García was born in the Hacienda de Oacalco in the municipality of Yautepec on December 17, 1871. She was the daughter of Ricardo Fábregas of Spanish origin and of Mrs. Ursula García de Figueroa. Her vocation for the theater was manifested from adolescence when the owner of the Hacienda de Apanquetzalco built a theater in the municipal seat which was a silent witness to the first artistic steps of the talented Virginia. As for the hacienda, it went bankrupt and its lands were bought by the Escandon family.

20th & 21st centuries

One person died and the church was damaged during the September 19, 2017 earthquake. Agustín Alonso Gutiérrez (PRD-PSD) was elected Presidente Municipal (mayor) in the July 2018 election. Morelos had its first case of infection during the

COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico The COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was confirmed to have reached Mexico in February 2020. Howe ...

in mid-March, about the same time that Mexico entered Phase 2 of the pandemic and schools were closed. Mayor Agustín Alonso Gutiérrez announced on March 24 that he and other municipal authorities would donate half their salaries for buy food for low-income families in Yautepec. As of April 20, 2020, there were 12 deaths and 95 confirmed cases in the state, including one death and five cases in Yautepec, numbers that increased to 1,238 cases in the state with 248 deaths on May 25; Yautepec had 26 cases. The state office of DIF sent food and water to vulnerable groups of people in eight municipalities including Yautepec on May 26. On July 2, Yautepec reported 24 infections and five deaths from the virus; the reopening of the state was pushed back until at least June 13. Yautepec reported 178 cases, 135 recuperations, and 35 deaths from the virus as of August 31. Three hundred thirty cases were reported on December 27, 2020. Yautepec reported 462 cases on January 14, 2021, sixth highest in the state.

Tourism, points of interest, culture

Water parks

Due to its pleasant climate and abundant, clean water, there are several water parks in Yautepec: *Balneario Los Robles (swimming pools, wading pool, store, green areas, tables with umbrellas) *Balneario Mares (campground, green area, swimming pools, water slides, restaurant, playground, store, wading pool, tables & chairs) *Balneario Delfines Yautepec (swimming pools wading pool, fronton, restaurant, camping area, cabins, green areas) *Los Ciruelos (swimming pools, wading pool, playground, green spaces) *Balneario Santa Isabel, Tlaltizapán (spring water is 23 °C; swimming pools, water slides, cabins, hotel, "Gotcha," artificial lake, restaurant) *Balneario Ejidal El Bosque, Oaxtepec. Said to be the actual site of Moctezuma Iluhicamina's rest home. (swimming pools, water slide, blue pool, cabins, campground, hanging bridge, archaeological monuments) *Restaurante y Balneario Los Arcos (water park & restaurant) *Balneario Chilsoleate, San Isidro. (Campground, swimming pools, water slides, diving pool, store, ''temazcal'', grills, ATVs, music on weekends) * Balneario Itzamatitlan, Itzamatitlán. (Olympic pool, wading pool, restaurant, 10 cabins, campground, green area, orchard with fruit trees, spring with thermal water, spring with cold water. The Yautepec River flows there. *Parque El Jagüey, Los Caracoles, Ejido de Yautepec. *

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Hurricane Harbor is a chain of water parks that are part of the Six Flags theme park chain. Although the parks are not identical, common features include a variety of body slides, speed slides, tube slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, and shopping ...

, Oaxtepec. This is probably the most complete and most modern water park in Latin America.

Colonial monuments & churches

*Former monastery of Santo Domingo Félix de Guzmán in

, built by the

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

between 1528 and 1580. *Parish of ''La Asunción'' in Rancho Nuevo, constructed 1554-1567 by Friar Lorenzo. *Chapel of ''Barrio de Santiago'' *Church of ''Barrio de Ixtlahuacán'' *Chapel of ''Barrio de San Juan'' *Hacienda of Oacalco *Hacienda of Apanquetzalco *Hacienda of Atlihuayán *Hacienda of San Carlos Borromeo *Hacienda of

, resort hotel *Hacienda of Xochimancas

Fiestas, music, dance, handicrafts

Carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

(Spanish: ''Carnaval'') in Yautepec lasts four days: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (in 2019, March 3–6). There are several parades, bands, ''chinelos'' (dancers), and of course food.

Yautepec in popular culture

Movies

Numerous national and international movies have been filmed in Yautepec. About 70 movies were filmed there during the

Golden Age of Mexican cinema The Golden Age of Mexican cinema ( es, Época de Oro del Cine Mexicano) is a period in the history of the Cinema of Mexico between 1930 and 1969 when the Mexican film industry reached high levels of production, quality and economic success of its ...

(1933-1964); Oacalco, Oaxtepec, and Cocoyoc were the most popular locations within the municipality. Scenes from ''

The Magnificent Seven ''The Magnificent Seven'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by John Sturges. The screenplay by William Roberts is a remake – in an Old West–style – of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese film '' Seven Samurai'' (itself initially relea ...

'' (1960), directed by

John Sturges John Eliot Sturges (; January 3, 1910 – August 18, 1992) was an American film director. His films include ''Bad Day at Black Rock'' (1955), ''Gunfight at the O.K. Corral'' (1957), ''The Magnificent Seven'' (1960), '' The Great Escape'' (1963 ...

and starring

Yul Brynner Yuliy Borisovich Briner (russian: link=no, Юлий Борисович Бринер; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner, was a Russian-born actor. He was best known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in the ...

, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, James Coburn, and Horst Buchholz were filmed in Oacalco. Parts of ''

Under the Volcano (1984 film) ''Under the Volcano'' is a 1984 American drama film directed by John Huston and starring Albert Finney, Jacqueline Bisset, and Anthony Andrews, based on Malcolm Lowry's semi-autobiographical 1947 novel. The film follows the last 24 hours in the ...

'' (1984-1985), directed by

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

and starring

Albert Finney Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining prominence on screen in the early 1960s, debuting with '' The Entertainer'' (1960) ...

, Jacqueline Bisset, Anthony Andrews, and Katy Jurado, based on the 1947 novel by

Malcolm Lowry Clarence Malcolm Lowry (; 28 July 1909 – 26 June 1957) was an English poet and novelist who is best known for his 1947 novel ''Under the Volcano'', which was voted No. 11 in the Modern Library 100 Best Novels list.

were filmed in Oacalco.

References

External links

Ayuntamiento Constitucional de Yautepec de Zaragoza
Official website
Gobierno del Estado de Morelos
Official website of State of Morelos
Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005
INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
Morelos
Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México
sixflags//hurricaneharbor Oaxtepec (retrieved Dec 13, 2018

cocoyoc resort (Dec 13, 2018)
{{Morelos Populated places in Morelos Municipalities of Morelos Nahua settlements