Mariano Balleza is a town in the
Mexican state of
Chihuahua, close to the border with
Durango. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of
Balleza.
As of 2010, the town had a total population of 2,087,
up from 1,990 as of 2005.
History
It was in this vicinity that Juan Fontes founded the first Jesuit mission to the
Tarahumara in 1607, however that mission was abandoned during the
Tepehuan war against the SPanish starting in 1616.
[Edward C. Spicer, ''Cycloes of Conquest'' (Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1962), p. 26-28]
This specific settlement was founded as a
Jesuit mission
Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to:
Organised activities Religion
*Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity
*Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...
, with the name San Pablo Tepehuanes, in 1640, as part of the efforts to evangelise the local
Tepehuan people; this was one of the earliest missions in that part of
New Spain.
In 1830 the
State Congress renamed it in honour of
Fr. Mariano Balleza, who fought alongside
Miguel Hidalgo
Don Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla y Gallaga Mandarte Villaseñor (8 May 1753 – 30 July 1811), more commonly known as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla or Miguel Hidalgo (), was a Catholic priest, leader of the Mexican ...
in the
War of Independence
This is a list of wars of independence (also called liberation wars). These wars may or may not have been successful in achieving a goal of independence.
List
See also
* Lists of active separatist movements
* List of civil wars
* List o ...
. The town is still informally known as San Pablo Balleza.
References
{{Reflist
Populated places in Chihuahua (state)
Populated places established in 1640
1640 establishments in New Spain