Tlacotalpan is a city in Tlacotalpan Municipality, located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. It was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998 because of its architecture and the way the city was planned during the colonial period. The town was founded in 1550 on an island in the Papaloapan River. During the colonial period and into the 20th century, Tlacotalpan was an important port, one of the few interior river ports in Latin America. However, when railroads were built, the city’s importance as a port decreased. In the late 20th century, efforts began to protect the city’s Spanish/Caribbean-style buildings and layout, which led to its World Heritage status. Today, fishing and tourism are the main sources of income for the city, especially during the annual festival honoring Our Lady of Candlemas.
The town
Tlacotalpan is known as the "pearl of the Papaloapan." It is different from many cities in Latin America because it is a river port located away from the ocean. Tlacotalpan is a World Heritage Site due to its layout, buildings, history, and traditions. The town's layout and buildings date back to the 17th century and have been mostly preserved. The layout is like a checkboard, covering 153 blocks on 75 hectares. This area is divided into two sections: a "Spanish" section in the west and a smaller "native" section in the east, separated by a public area with commercial and official buildings and public spaces. The Spanish section has wide streets that run parallel to the Papaloapan River and are connected by narrow lanes. Parks and public spaces with mature trees, such as Parque Hidalgo and Plazuela de Doña Maria, are located in this area. Plazuela de Doña Maria is near the center of town and surrounded by workshops that make furniture, musical instruments, and other wood products. The buildings in Tlacotalpan are mostly one or two stories tall and feature colonnaded houses, Andalucian-style inner courtyards, Caribbean-style arches, red-tile roofs, and colorful facades. Some of these buildings date to the 18th century and are especially common in the San Miguelito and La Candelaria neighborhoods. Many of these homes still have their original interior layouts and traditional furnishings.
Although it is no longer as busy as it was in the 19th century, Tlacotalpan is still classified as a river port by the Mexican government. It mainly serves fishing boats and small naval patrols. The town has a 160-meter-long cement dock and a boardwalk along the river, with many restaurants lining the walkway.
A little away from the riverfront is the main square, called Plaza Zaragoza. It is made of white marble and has palm trees. In the center of the square is a 19th-century kiosk designed by local sculptor Francisco Sanchez Terán.
The most important landmark on this plaza is the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Candlemas (Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria) on the north side. This church was built in the late 18th century (starting in 1770) by Juan de Medina. Stone used to build the church was brought from reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. The church houses an image of the Virgin Mary, brought to the town by sailors in the 17th century. The city's main annual celebration fills this church with candles and flowers.
Another church on the plaza is the San Cristóbal Parish, built in 1849. It has a Neoclassical style with some Moorish elements. A clock in its tower is said to have come from England over two centuries ago. Inside, the main altar is made of wood and contains an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. There is also an important altar dedicated to Jesus in a side chapel near the main altar.
However, neither the sanctuary nor the parish is the oldest standing church in the town. This is the San Miguelito Church, located at the Plaza de las Madres. It was built in 1785 during the height of the Baroque period in Mexico.
The last major building at Plaza Zaragoza is the municipal palace, constructed in 1849. It contains oil paintings by Salvador Ferrando and an archive of documents from the colonial period.
Just east of the Sanctuary is a small plaza called Plazuela Agustín Lara, named after a statue of the songwriter here. The Casa Artesanal Rafaela Murillo de Barbero is on the south side of this plaza. It was once the municipal jail and now displays finely embroidered clothing, men's traditional suits, wood furniture, and other products. The Salvador Ferrando Museum is on the east side of the plaza. It is dedicated to a painter who helped preserve Veracruz's cultural heritage and is located in a house that once belonged to him. The museum displays his artwork and other items from his time period.
The Agustín Lara House Museum is on Gonzalo Aguirre Beltrán Street, east of the main plaza. It is one of the most active cultural centers and is dedicated to the songwriter and poet who lived much of his life in the town. It contains photographs, objects related to Lara's career, and works by other important artists, such as Salvador Ferrando, Alberto Fuster, and Eric Arana. Another landmark linked to Lara's life is the Blanca Nieves Cantina, also known as the Museum Bar of Tobías Carbajal Rivera. It was a favorite place for Lara to drink the local alcoholic beverage called "toritos" with friends. The bar has been in business for over sixty years and was originally called El Encango de Tobías. Its current name, "Snow White" in Spanish, was given by Lara as a tribute to the bar's owner, Tobías Carbajal, and his seven children. The museum section of the bar has the only statue of Lara wearing a guayabera and a palm leaf hat.
The town's cultural center is also named after Lara (Casa de Cultura Agustín Lara). Located on Venustiano Carranza Avenue, it serves as a meeting place for artists, musicians, and dancers. It offers classes in traditional Veracruz zapateado dance and various instruments. It also has a permanent exhibition of items related to Lara, along with paintings by Salvador Ferrando and Alberto Fuster.
The Nezahuacoyotl Theater is also on Venustiano Carranza Avenue. It was built in 1891 in French style during the Porfirio Díaz period.
Another attraction is the "mini zoo," a house converted into a museum. The structure and collection belonged to Pío Barrán. It houses a collection of objects and animals, especially those related to movies that Barrán collected over his lifetime, including items linked to Agustín Lara. The most unusual part of the site is the collection of exotic animals, many of which roam freely on the property. The collection includes crocodiles, turtles, pelicans, and birds of prey.
The Jardín del Arte Tlacotalpeño (Tlacotalpan Art Garden) exhibits and sells works by local artists. It is located just south of the main square.
The Music
In the important holiday season of Mexico, the celebration of the Virgen de la Candelaria in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, is an important event. From January 31 to February 2, thousands of people fill the streets of this beautiful place. During this festival, most residents of Tlacotalpan open their homes to welcome thousands of visitors. During the festival, the XXXVI National Meeting of Jaraneros and Versadores will take place in Plaza Doña Martha from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Fifty-six groups are part of the schedule, and each group will perform for 10 to 30 minutes. Every night, after the event ends, a fandango will begin in the same square. Fandangos will also be held in front of the church of San Miguel Arcángel, also called San Miguelito.
Geography and environment
Tlacotalpan is located in the center of Veracruz, a state in eastern Mexico. It is about 90 kilometers from the port city of Veracruz and 203 kilometers southeast of Xalapa, the state capital. It is part of the Sotavento region of Veracruz.
The land is mostly flat, with gentle hills on the western side. About 60% of the area is used for raising livestock, 15% is farmland, and 20% is covered by water.
The Papaloapan River shapes the area, along with the San Juan and Tuxpan Rivers, which flow into it. The Papaloapan River can be traveled by boat, but there are no systems to clear or mark the waterway for navigation.
The region has a semi-tropical climate, with an average yearly temperature of 25.1°C. There are two main seasons. From October to April, cold winds from the north, called "nortes," often pass through the area. These winds can bring strong gusts and tornadoes. The rest of the year is influenced by warm, humid winds from the southeast, called the Atlantic Current. These winds bring most of the area's rainfall. September is the rainiest month, and the region is often hit by hurricanes. These storms can cause severe flooding, as seen during Hurricane Roxanne in 1995, Hurricanes Dean and Felix in 1997, Hurricane Karl in 2010, and Hurricane Ernesto in 2012.
The area has deciduous vegetation, with trees such as holm oak, ash, willow, and poplar. Some parts of the land also have mangrove trees.
The region contains some oil reserves.
History
The name "Tlacotalpan" comes from the Spanish version of the Nahuatl word "Tlaxcotaliapan," which means "land between the waters." This refers to the island where the original settlement was located in the Papaloapan River. Later, when the river's north bank was changed, the island became connected to the mainland. In the mid-1800s, the name was "San Cristobal Tlacotalpan," but it was later shortened.
Little is known about the area before Spanish colonization, but it was originally inhabited by the Totonac people. These people were later replaced by the Toltecs in the 12th century. In 1461, Moctezuma Ilhuicamina began the first Aztec efforts to expand into the region, which was then controlled by the Cotaxtlan dominion. In 1475, Axayacatl conquered the area along with Coixtlahuaca, Tochtepec, and Cosamaloapan, giving these places their current names.
In 1518, Pedro de Alvarado led an expedition to the Papaloapan River area. In 1521, Hernán Cortés sent Gonzalo de Sandoval to search for gold. After the Spanish conquest in 1521, Alfonso Romero received the area as an encomienda, a grant from the Spanish king to manage land and people. In 1532, Cortés built the first sugar cane mill in Mexico in a place called Coanapa-Ayotzinapa. In 1550, the Spanish king granted the area to Gaspar Rivakeneyra, who raised livestock there. He could not stop fishermen from building a town but required them to build a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Candlemas.
Colonization of the area was slow, with only 12 Spaniards living there in 1544 and no more than 320 by 1777. Few records exist about other populations during the colonial period, but in 1808, there were 1,156 indigenous people and 1,616 "pardos," or people of indigenous and African heritage.
At the start of the 17th century, there was an attempt to take control of the area by Cosamaloapan, but the indigenous people successfully resisted. In the 17th century, the area became a commercial center for nearby farms, which increased the Spanish population. Its wealth and status as a port attracted English pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries. The city was burned by pirates in 1667.
In 1714, the Papaloapan River flooded, forcing the city to move to its current location, then called Chuniapa. The town suffered three major fires in 1698, 1788, and 1790. The last two fires led to rules requiring buildings to be made of stone, have tile roofs, and include open spaces with trees. People who could not rebuild in this way had to move to the eastern part of the town, where rules were less strict. Most of the oldest buildings date from this time and show a style with large houses, courtyards, tile roofs, and arched doorways.
By the end of the 18th century, the boundaries of the municipality were officially set.
Tlacotalpan became a major port city in the 19th century. At the start of the century, French, German, and Italian immigrants arrived to grow and weave cotton for sale in England. From 1821, Tlacotalpan grew economically as a port for goods from Oaxaca and Puebla heading to Veracruz and other cities like New Orleans, Havana, and Bordeaux. By 1855, the city had 18 steamships and a large sailing ship that transported timber, tobacco, cotton, grain, sugar, brandy, leather, salted meat, crocodiles, heron feathers, furniture, and soap. In 1825, one of Mexico’s first nautical colleges was opened by Guadalupe Victoria. In 1847, Tlacotalpan was officially declared a town for its role in defending against U.S. forces during the Mexican-American War. In 1864, French forces took control of the town one day after capturing Alvarado. Later that year, Republican forces led by Alejandro García reclaimed the area. In 1865, the town was declared a city and a provisional capital for its resistance against the French. In 1879, Miguel Z. Cházaro founded Veracruz’s third preparatory school. In 1896, the town was renamed "Tlacotalpan de Porfirio Díaz" after Porfirio Díaz led an uprising against the government of Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada. The name was changed again after the Mexican Revolution to its current version. By the early 20th century, the town had eight schools, three hotels, nine factories, and 100 single-story houses.
However, Tlacotalpan’s importance as a port declined in the early 20th century due to the construction of the Ferrocarril del Istmo railroad. Its population grew slowly from 1950 to 1980 and has remained stable at around 8,800 since then.
Notable people
Francisco Lagos Cházaro (1878–1932) served as acting president of Mexico from June 10,1915 to October 10,1915.