Zitácuaro, officially known as Heroica Zitácuaro, is a city in the Mexican
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
of
Michoacán
Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo, is one of the 31 states which, together with Mexico City, compose the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The stat ...
. The city is the administrative centre for the surrounding
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
of the same name, which lies at the extreme eastern side of Michoacán and borders on the adjacent state of
México
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
. The city reported a population of 185,534 in the 2010 census. The municipality has an area of 498 km
2 (192.3 sq mi). The name Zitácuaro comes from
Mazahua ''Tsitákuarhu''.
Geography
Zitácuaro stands at , in the northeast corner of Michoacán, some 150 km east of state capital Morelia, at an elevation of 1,942 metres above sea level. The municipality covers a total of 498 km
2 and is drained by the
Río Zitácuaro, the
Río San Andrés, and the
Río San Juan Viejo. The surrounding terrain are
avocado
The avocado, alligator pear or avocado pear (''Persea americana'') is an evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to Americas, the Americas and was first domesticated in Mesoamerica more than 5,000 years ago. It was priz ...
orchards and the pine-covered mountains 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 ...
; to the north of Zitácuaro are the famed Mexican wintering grounds of the
monarch butterfly
The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (''Danaus plexippus'') is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown. I ...
.
In 1995 the municipality reported a total population of 145,500 inhabitants, accounting for 3.1% of the state's total population. Of these, some 3,740 people spoke an indigenous language (primarily
Otomi
The Otomi (; ) are an Indigenous people of Mexico inhabiting the central Mexican Plateau (Altiplano) region.
The Otomi are an Indigenous people of the Americas who inhabit a discontinuous territory in central Mexico. They are linguistically rel ...
,
Mazahua, and
Nahuatl
Nahuatl ( ; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahuas, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller popul ...
).
Zitácuaro is an important intermediate point on
Federal Highway 15, which runs from
Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
to
Morelia
Morelia (; from 1545 to 1828 known as Valladolid; Otomi language, Otomi: ) is a city and municipal seat of the municipalities of Mexico, municipality of Morelia in the north-central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. It is both th ...
(following the route of the colonial royal road). Another road branches off in the city en route for
Huetamo
Huetamo is a Municipalities of Mexico, municipality in the southeastern corner of the Mexican state of Michoacán, in a region known as "Tierra Caliente (Mexico), Tierra Caliente" (meaning hot land). Of indigenous Purépecha people, Purepecha indig ...
,
Ciudad Altamirano, and the Pacific Ocean coast. A railways leads northwards to
Maravatío
Maravatío is a municipality in the Mexican state of Michoacán, representing 1.17% of its land area, or 691.55 km2.
Etymology
The modern word Maravatío comes from the Purépecha word Marhabatio, meaning a precious place or thing.
Hi ...
(nowadays used only for freight).
Other towns and villages in the municipality are:
Aputzio de Juárez,
Crescencio Morales,
Curungueo,
San Felipe de los Alzati, and
Zirahuato.
History
An
indigenous settlement was founded on the site of modern-day Zitácuaro, possibly as early as the 12th century, by
Otomi
The Otomi (; ) are an Indigenous people of Mexico inhabiting the central Mexican Plateau (Altiplano) region.
The Otomi are an Indigenous people of the Americas who inhabit a discontinuous territory in central Mexico. They are linguistically rel ...
s and
Mazahuas (an Otomi ceremonial centre still stands in
San Felipe de los Alzati, 9 km to the north of the municipal seat). In the mid-14th century, Mazahuas led by
Yquingari conquered the region.
At the time of the
Spanish conquest
The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It ...
, the area stood on the border between the lands of the
Purépecha League and those of the
Aztec Empire
The Aztec Empire, also known as the Triple Alliance (, Help:IPA/Nahuatl, �jéːʃkaːn̥ t͡ɬaʔtoːˈlóːjaːn̥ or the Tenochca Empire, was an alliance of three Nahuas, Nahua altepetl, city-states: , , and . These three city-states rul ...
. The locals are reported to have fought alongside the Aztecs, with whom they were allied, in the failed defence of
Tenochtitlan
, also known as Mexico-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, but the date 13 March 1325 was chosen in 1925 to celebrate the 600th annivers ...
. Following this defeat,
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
friars established a parish church with the name of San Juan Tzitácuaro, and a monastery was founded in the early 18th century.

Following Mexico's
Declaration of Independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...
in September 1810, the area around Zitácuaro joined the insurgent cause under the leadership of
Benedicto López, a local ''
criollo
Criollo or criolla (Spanish for creole) may refer to:
People
* Criollo people, a social class in the Spanish colonial system.
Animals
* Criollo duck, a species of duck native to Central and South America.
* Criollo cattle, a group of cattle bre ...
'' farmer. In response to López's cutting off of the royal road between
Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
and
Valladolid
Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
, the viceroy sent a regiment of loyalist troops to put down the rebellion. This regiment was repulsed on 20 February 1811 and defeated on 22 May, and its captain,
Juan Bautista de la Torre, was taken prisoner and killed by indigenous militia-men. Later that summer, Benedicto López surrendered control of the city to
Ignacio López Rayón
Ignacio López Rayón (July 31, 1773 – February 2, 1832) was a general who led the insurgent forces of his country after Miguel Hidalgo's death, during the first years of the Mexican War of Independence. He subsequently established the firs ...
, who set up in Zitácuaro on 21 August 1811 the
Suprema Junta Nacional Americana (the "Supreme American National Council"), recognised as the first attempt by the insurgents to establish an independent government. This outraged the royalist forces in Mexico City, which attacked the city and, on 12 January 1812, regained control, sacked it, and summarily razed it to the ground.
The 1812 incident was the first burning of Zitácuaro. The second took place on 1 April 1855, at the hands of troops loyal to Gen.
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón (21 February 1794 – 21 June 1876),Callcott, Wilfred H., "Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez De,''Handbook of Texas Online'' Retrieved 18 April 2017. often known as Santa Anna, wa ...
during the
Revolution of Ayutla
The Plan of Ayutla was the 1854 written plan aimed at removing conservative, centralist President Antonio López de Santa Anna from control of Mexico during the Second Federal Republic of Mexico period. Initially, it seemed little different from ...
, in response to the city's expressed support for Gen.
Juan Álvarez. The city was burnt to the ground on a third occasion on 15 April 1865 by French
Imperial troops in reprisal for the Republicans' victory at
Tacámbaro
Tacámbaro is a municipality in the western part of the Mexican state of Michoacán. Its largest city and municipal seat is Heroica Tacámbaro de Codallos.
The city is located at . In the 2020 census, the municipality's population was 81,105, po ...
some days earlier.
In recognition of the turbulent events of the previous half-century and the city's heroism, on 20 April 1868
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
Benito Juárez
Benito Pablo Juárez García (; 21 March 1806 – 18 July 1872) was a Mexican politician, military commander, and lawyer who served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in office in 1872. A Zapotec peoples, Zapotec, he w ...
issued a decree whereby San Juan Zitácuaro would henceforth be known by the name of "Heroica Zitácuaro".
Four people died during a shootout at a motorcycle repair shop during a supposed drug deal gone bad on 25 May
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
at the height of the
COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
The COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico is part of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ().
The virus was confirmed to hav ...
. 1,522 infections and 132 deaths were reported in the state on 30 May, with 26 infections and eight deaths in Zitácuaro.
Tourism
Presa del bosque
Presa del bosque
[The reservoir is identified as "El Bosque, Zitácuaro, Mexico" within Google maps.] is an important dam built between 1951 and 1954 by the Commission Federal de Electricidad. The Presa del Bosque is supplied by the
Zitácuaro River (or San Juan Viejo), the San Isidro and a tributary of the
Tuxpan River. It is located 1,742 meters above sea level. The dam has a capacity of 248 million cubic meters and belongs to the
Miguel Alemán hydroelectric system. Its water is conducted to the regulatory dam of Colorines in the State of México. The water is used in hydroelectric plants in Ixtapatongo, Santa Barbara and
Tingambato
Tingambato is a municipality in the Mexican state of Michoacán. Its municipal seat is the city of the same name. The municipality has an area of 188.77 square kilometres (0.32% of the surface of the state) and is bordered by the north by the muni ...
. It is located 5 kilometers from the south of the Zitácuaro beside the Zitácuaro-Huetamo Road. The main entrance is from the pueblo colonia linda vista and the dam is surrounded by the towns of La Y Griega, La Encarnacion, La Palma, Los Sapotes and other smaller communities. It is a tourist destination, and fishing, camping and other activities are permitted. The area is especially popular in
Holy Week
Holy Week () commemorates the seven days leading up to Easter. It begins with the commemoration of Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednes ...
when the municipal authorities organize various activities.
People swim in the dam water because of its mythical curing powers. It is also a popular area for football, volleyball, riding and other recreational pursuits.
References
Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
MichoacánEnciclopedia de los Municipios de México
External links
Ayuntamiento de ZitácuaroOfficial website
Tourism in the Zitácuaro region*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zitacuaro
Municipalities of Michoacán