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Founding
Founding of Toluca de Lerdo
capital of the State of Mexico, Mexico
- 19 March 1527
- Mesoamerica and the Caribbean
Founding
capital of the State of Mexico, Mexico
Fetching the article from Wikipedia…
Toluca (Spanish pronunciation: [toˈluka]), officially Toluca de Lerdo (pronounced [toˈluka ðe ˈleɾdo]), is a state capital and municipality in the State of Mexico. Toluca has a population of 223,876 as of the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the Greater Toluca metropolitan area, which with a combined population of 2,347,692 forms the fifth most populous metropolitan area in the country. Located 63 kilometres (39 mi) southwest of Mexico City, the city's rapid growth stems largely from its proximity to the capital.
It is mainly an industrial city that borders Metepec, one of the richest municipalities in the country. The Toluca Valley has a good level of infrastructure. Its airport is considered the first option to relieve Mexico City and the first stage of the "El Insurgente" interurban train will soon come into operation, later with a maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour and a length of 58 km it will link Toluca with Mexico City. It is connected 66 kilometers to the east with the Valley of Mexico, made up of Mexico City and its metropolitan area.
Thanks to citizen pressure over the last decade, urban cycling is promoted and the agreement signed with the United Nations Organization for the use and respect of the bicycle as a sustainable means of mass transportation. Its tourist attractions are several due to the great cultural and artistic heritage that has managed to keep alive the union of Hispanic and indigenous culture. Its traditional portals, the Cosmovitral botanical garden and multiple parks, museums, centers and cultural events stand out, among which the Alfeñique Fair stands out, on the occasion of the annual Day of the Dead festival, and the Toluca International Film Festival.
Toluca is located at 2,600 m (8,500 ft) above sea level, being the highest capital city in Mexico and North America, which makes it temperate throughout the year with average temperatures ranging between 6 and 25 degrees Celsius during spring and summer, and from −5 to 20 degrees Celsius in winter. Its climate is temperate subhumid with rain in summer. Its altitude favors the practice of high-performance sports, but as it is one of the most polluted cities in the country due to the emissions of its industrial corridor and the poor motorized public transportation of the last 3 years, outdoor exercise carries some risks for health.
When Toluca was founded by the Matlatzincas, its original name was Nepintahihui (land of corn). The current name is based on the Náhuatl name for the area when it was renamed by the Aztecs in 1473. The name has its origin in the word tollocan that comes from the name of the god, Tolo, plus the locative suffix, can, to denote "place of Tolo". It is also referred to in a number of Aztec codices as Tolutépetl, meaning hill of the god, Tolo, an allusion to the nearby volcano. The name Toluca de Lerdo was adopted in 1861 in honor of President Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada.
The Otomi name for Toluca is Ncɨhni.
The Valley of Toluca was known as Matlatzinco Valley in ancient times and home to at least four linguistic groups: the Matlatzinca, Otomi, Mazahua, and Nahua peoples. In the Postclassic period, the valley was ruled by a large powerful capital city whose ruins are located today in the village of Calixtlahuaca, just north of the city of Toluca. In 1478 the Mexica emperor Axayacatl conquered the Toluca Valley. The capital was stripped of its dynasty and power and some lands were distributed to kings and nobles from the Valley of Mexico. However, there was a local lord named Cachimatzin or Chimaltecuhtli who collaborated with the Aztecs and retained an influential position. Toluca warred against Tuzantla in the rival Purépecha Empire.
One of the rivals of Calixtlahuaca was Tollocan, a minor city-state before 1478. When Axayacatl destroyed Calixtlahuaca, he placed the imperial provincial capital in Tollocan. Calixtlahuaca and other towns in the Toluca Valley paid tribute to the Aztec Empire through Tollocan, which consisted of warrior costumes, mantas of cotton and maguey, and foodstuffs (particularly large amounts of maize). After the Spanish conquest, the name Tollocan was changed to Toluca. Archaeologists have not yet located a major Postclassic settlement within the modern city. Either the pre-Hispanic city of Tollocan was destroyed and covered over by the expansion of Toluca, or else the remains of Tollocan could lie outside of the modern city. A small Postclassic site was discovered on the hill called Tolochi, which is in the north of the modern city, but the remains seem too insubstantial to have been a major provincial capital. The tree of "Las Manitas Rojas", which literally means "little red hands", was planted before the Spanish Conquest in what is now the monastery of Nuestra Señora del Carmen. This tree is significant because it shows that Toluca was important enough for the Aztecs to create a botanical garden.
In 1521, the Spanish conquered the Valley of Toluca. Leading the troops was Gonzalo de Sandoval, one of Cortes' many sergeants. Toluca's first governor was Pedro Cortés Coyotzin. The Valley of Toluca and what is now the city of Toluca were included in the concession made by King Carlos V of Spain to Hernán Cortés.
In 1524, the evangelization process started in Toluca. The most notable figure of this effort is Fray Andrés Castro, from Burgos, the old capital of Castile, by making a great number of improvements to the city and being the first one to learn the native Matlatzincan language. The friar was well loved by the Matlazinca people, as he worked to protect them from the injustices of the early colonial period. He is remembered to this day with a plaza that bears his name which includes a sculpture depicting him. A Spanish community was established in 1530, but it was not until 1677 that Toluca was categorized as a town. In 1793, the construction of a road to Mexico City was started. Although Toluca was recognized as a city as early as 1662, only in 1799, was Toluca officially named a city by the King Carlos IV of Spain on September 12.
In 1810, at the beginning of the independence movement, Miguel Hidalgo stayed in Toluca for a few days on his way to the Battle of Monte de las Cruces. In 1811, a group of indigenous natives of Mexico was shot and killed by Spanish royalists. In memorial to those who were killed in this incident, the place where this occurred was named "Plaza of the Martires". In 1812, the first city council of Toluca was installed. In 1821, independence was proclaimed by the local authorities.
After the creation of the State of Mexico in 1825, the state capital moved to different cities several times. In 1830, Toluca was designated as the constitutional capital of the State of Mexico. In 1832, the building of "Los Portales" was started in downtown Toluca. In 1836, because of the centralization of the Mexican federal government, all branches of government were relocated to Mexico City after some were in Toluca for several years.
In 1847, thanks to Ignacio Ramírez, "El Nigromante" or the Institute of Literature opened. In 1851, the "Teatro Principal" was built by González Arratia. Mariano Riva Palacio was named governor of the state and he started the most important modernization process of the city in the 19th century. In 1881, The Industrial Union was founded, the railroad was opened and the Bank of State of Mexico created the first bills in the country. In 1882, the Teachers College was founded. In 1910, people celebrated a century of Independence, and the Plaza España was inaugurated.
The municipality of Toluca, which has a geographical extent of 420.14 km2 (162.2 sq mi), includes numerous communities other than Toluca de Lerdo, the largest of which are the municipalities of San Pablo Autopan and San José Guadalupe Otzacatipan. The municipality is bordered by the municipalities of Almoloya de Juárez, Temoaya, Otzolotepec, Xonacatlán, Lerma, San Mateo Atenco, Metepec, Calimaya, Tenango del Valle, Villa Guerrero and Zinacantepec.
The Lerma River flows from Lake Almoloya del Río through the center of the municipality towards the west, flowing into Lake Chapala. From this point westward the river takes the name of Río Grande de Santiago. And it goes from this lake to the Pacific Ocean in the state of Nayarit. The river is about 1,180 km (730 mi) long; about 60% of it is known as Lerma River and 40% as Santiago River. The Nevado de Toluca or Xinantécatl is 30 km (19 mi) southwest of the city. The god Tolo was supposed to reside in the volcano's crater. Its original indigenous name was Chignahualtecatl which means "Nine Mountains" but later was named Xinantecatl which means "naked man", because the silhouette of its crater resembles a sleeping man, before the Spaniards named it Nevado, meaning "snow-covered". It is a place of increasing sporting activity, such as mountain biking, climbing, and high altitude running. It is the only volcano in Mexico that has two lagoons and can be reached by automobile. There have been proposals to turn this mountain into a ski hill because of its accessibility and the low temperatures that exist on the mountain throughout the year, but recent reports on global warming have raised fears that the snow cap on the mountain will disappear completely within a few decades. The area was converted into the Nevado de Toluca National Park in January 1936 with about 1,517 km2 (585.7 sq mi) in area. The park has forest land, especially of pines and obeto trees. The prevalent animals are camp rats, teporingos, squirrels, tlacuaches, lizards, snakes, and eagles. On the lower part of this mountain there are picnic tables and BBQ grills. In the higher part of the volcano (inside) there are two lagoons in which visitors can practice scuba-diving and fishing. This volcano is unique in Mexico in that one can enter the crater by car.
Sierra Morelos Park is about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away from the center of Toluca. This is a reforested area with a small artificial lake, a picnic area and playground.
Under the Köppen climate classification, Toluca features a subtropical highland climate (Cwb), with relatively cool, dry winters, and mild, wet, humid summers. Freezing temperatures are common during winter. Toluca's climate is the coolest of any large Mexican city due to its altitude (2,680 metres or 8,790 feet above sea level). Winter nights are cold and the temperature may drop below 0 °C or 32 °F. Throughout the year, the temperature is rarely below −3 °C (26.6 °F) or above 27 °C (80.6 °F).
The climate is prone to extended dry periods particularly in the winter. Almost nine-tenths of the annual rainfall occurs between June and September. Just outside the heavily industrialized city, the municipality has forests with oak, pine, fir, cedar, cypress and other flora, characteristic of the temperate zone of central Mexico.
Although frost is common during winter due to the city's high elevation, snowfall in the urban area of Toluca is extremely rare. The last officially recorded snowfall in the city occurred on 10 January 1967, when an exceptional winter storm brought snow accumulation to parts of Toluca. The event was part of a broader cold-weather episode that also affected Mexico City and other areas of central Mexico.
According to the 2020 census conducted by INEGI, the municipality of Toluca had a total population of 910,608 inhabitants, making it the third most populous municipality in the State of Mexico, behind Ecatepec and Nezahualcóyotl. The Toluca Valley metropolitan area, composed of 15 municipalities, is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Mexico.
The municipality faces urban and social challenges due to its rapid expansion and industrial growth. Migration from other regions of Mexico, attracted by employment opportunities, has led to increased crime rates and social contrast, particularly in northern communities such as San Pablo Autopan and San Andrés Cuexcoltitlan. Concurrently, a Gender Violence Alert (Alerta de Violencia de Género contra las Mujeres) was declared for the municipality due to high rates of violence against women.
Approximately 2.6% of the population over the age of five speaks an indigenous language. The most widely spoken indigenous language in the municipality is Otomi, followed by Mazahua and Nahuatl.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the demographic composition of Toluca de Lerdo was significantly influenced by the arrival of various foreign communities, mainly of German, French, and Lebanese origin. These immigrant groups integrated into the local society and revitalized the city's economy. The German community drove the brewing and manufacturing industries, while French and Lebanese immigrants primarily established themselves in the commercial sector of the city center. This migration left a lasting impact on the architecture, gastronomy, and cultural identity of the municipality.
In contemporary times, Toluca continues to be a relevant destination for international migration within the State of Mexico. According to data from the INEGI Population and Housing Census, Toluca ranked fifth in the state for its concentration of foreign-born residents, recording a total of 3,463 international inhabitants. At the state level, the primary countries of origin for the foreign community are the United States, Colombia, and Venezuela.
At the state level, Toluca is part of a regional trend that hosts more than 65,000 foreign residents, primarily concentrated in the metropolitan area and neighboring municipalities such as Huixquilucan, Naucalpan, and Metepec. The demographic profile of this population within the state is equally distributed between men and women, with the majority falling into the 20-to-39 age range. Furthermore, the main causes for relocation are family reasons (72.5%), employment and business opportunities (9.9%), and educational purposes (4.3%).
Text from the Wikipedia article “Toluca”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.