5Art Museum of Tlaxcala

The geography of Tlaxcala with 3 coniferous forests, its strategic location only 100 kilometers away from the Megalopolis of the country, the
richness of the otomí and nahua culture, the impressive archaeological
remains of ancient cultures, as well as the great achievement of our
history, the viceregal presence with unique baroque temples and the
magnificence of the ranches, open a new world for the tourism that
searches for new experiences and cultural destinations.
Tlaxcala is the birthplace of the Mexican nation, the alliance with the
Spaniards gave origin to miscegenation; the contribution of 400 families
to pacify and populate the north of the country spread our culture in
more than 15 states of the Mexican Republic and in more than 200
towns founded by the tlaxcaltecas in the great feat of the sixteenth
century, which consolidated to the Spanish Empire.
The tlaxcaltecas are proud of our history and the beauty of our state,
of the rich and diverse cuisine as well as the music of the psaltery, the
teponaxtle and shawm, of the fairs of our towns and the museums
that enrich our collections such as the National Museum of the Puppet
or the Museum of Art with the first paintings by Frida Kahlo; with the
presentation of this guide you can learn about some of the wonders
that invite you to enjoy with us an unforgettable experience.
Tlaxcala host by tradition is waiting for you to live an adventure rich in
cultural manifestations.
Welcome to Tlaxcala
“The land where it all started…”
Mariano González Zarur
Governor of the State of Tlaxcala
STATE OF TLAXCALA
Tlaxcala, form the nahuatl Tlaxcallan “Place of
tortillas or bread corn” is located in the central
highlands, is the place where tradition culture,
nature, crafts and cuisine are bind,; dressing up
on colors and buildings of unsurpassed antiquity and beauty .
Within the heart of the Mexican Republic , is
Tlaxcala, only 120 km to the east of the city
of Mexico by the Ignacio Zaragoza Avenue
and then by the highway no. 150 until you
find the deviation from the right side that leads
to the capital of the state.
Another alternative is highway No. 136
Mexico Veracruz track Texcoco or by the
expressway Arco Norte. 32 Kilometers from the city of Puebla on the blvd may 5 coming
to the central de Abastos taking the short track
Santa Ana Chiautempan and also by the blvd.
North to take the road 117 track Zacatelco.
At 300 km from the Port of Veracruz by the
federal highway 136 and 128 km from the
city of Pachuca, Hidalgo on federal highway 136 Mexico Veracruz track Texcoco, Calpulalpan.
Tlaxcala has a surface area of 3.997 km2. The average height of the territory is
2,200 meters above sea level. The Tlaxcalteca entity is divided into 60 municipalities and the climate of the territory is subhumid temperate with rainfall from may
to october. The climate allows you to admire a great diversity of flora and fauna.
Tlaxcala is the cradle of miscegenation, proof of this is the historical and
cultural pile that since the colonial
era was reflected in its most precious buildings as is the case
of the Historical Center of the
capital city whose initial
trace data of 1525.
HISTORIC CENTER
OF THE
CITY OF TLAXCALA
1Plaza of the Constitution
In this square whose original name was the Plaza de
Armas is a beautiful kiosk from the beginning of the
XX Century, where on the weekends you can listen to
music and dance with groups of folk and traditional
music, at the northwest corner is a beautiful fountain
dedicated to the Holy Cross, a gift from King Carlos IV
of Spain to the city of Tlaxcala. At the southern end of
the square stand out the so-called Portal Chico and
the Stone House dating from the sixteenth to the nineteenth Century, today, one of the best hotels in the city,
in the middle is the Portal Hidalgo that operated as the
market, standing out in the central part, the House of
the City Hall; to the west is the Museum of Art, the Royal
Chapel of Indians and to the north is the Government
Palace of the of the State that was originally divided
into three parts and was built in 1545; to the west the
Alhóndiga; in the center, the town halls or administrative
headquarters of the Indigenous City Council and to the
east, the royal houses where the distinguished visitors
of the city were staying.
of the Palace
2Murals
of Government
This majestic work of the master Desiderio Hernandez Xochitiotzin, is located in the main courtyard of the
Palace of Government. These murals cover more than 450
m2, depict the history of the Tlaxcalan people since their
arrival from Chicomostoc, the foundation of the Four
Estates: Tepeticpac, Ocotelulco, Quiahuixtlan and Tizatlán,
the cult of the Tutelary God Camaxtli and Xochiquetzalli,
the market of Ocotelulco, the conquest, the Golden Age of
Tlaxcala XVI and armed independence movement with
the interventions. This pictorial ensemble was carried out
from 1957 to 2001, its official title is “Tlaxcala through the
times and its contribution to the Mexican”. The pictorial
technique is the traditional fresh with mineral pigments
Chapel of Indians 3Parish Church of San José 4 Royal
Palace of Justice
Built in the last years of the sixteenth Century on the site
of an old chapel dedicated to San Juan and San Jose,
during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, was
decorated with baroque altarpieces plasterwork and
which are still preserved in the tabernacle. At the entrance of the temple are two interesting
baptismal fonts of blessed water in whose pedestals
was sculpted the image of Camaxtli, ancient deity of the
war of the tlaxcaltecas and the Spanish Imperial Shield.
In the nave stand up a
series of oil paintings of
great artistic value. Near
the altar, is a beautiful
baroque altarpiece where
it emphasizes a marvelous image of the Virgin of
Guadalupe made with sea
shells, next to the altar is
one of the three paintings
that represent the baptism
of the lords of the former
Tlaxcala in the year 1520.
It is located at the west end of the Plaza of the
Constitution, was one of the first religious buildings in
the town where the baptized noble indians have
to attend the liturgical ceremonies. From the original
building are preserved in the base two high reliefs of
quarry stone that have the Imperial Shield of the ruling
house of the Austrians. On the second level are three
medallions:the one on the left with the keys of St. Peter; the one on the right with the papal tiara and the center is
empty , where according to some historians must have
been a religious sculpture or perhaps the image of
the King Charles XIV which is located in the Regional
Museum of Tlaxcala.
5Art Museum of Tlaxcala
This interesting museum is located to the west of the
Plaza of the Constitution, it was originally a prison under
the vestiges that were localized in the foundations of the
building. Some historians say that one of the uses which
had this building was a Protestant church because of
the fortified tower of neo gothic type that has one of its
ends. In May 2004 was opened as a museum to preserve the early an little-known works of the Mexican
artist Frida Kahlo dated between 1923 and 1927. Franciscan Convent 6Old
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption
This building was the headquarters of the first bishopric of New Spain and is
considered one of the first 4 great convents in continental lands of America, was very
important historically for the evangelization theater of the XVI Century.
The main nave remains open to Catholic worship and is the bishopic headquarters
of the diocese of Tlaxcala consecrated to the Virgin of the Assumption, the roof is
one of the largest and most beautiful ceilings of the sixteenth Century made by the
carpenter Martin Lopez. In the main altarpiece of the seventeenth Century, carved in wood and laminated in
gold, stands out in the cusp a painting of the baptism of the 4 Lords of the old Tlaxcallan
there. On the right side is the chapel of the tabernacle, originally the chapel of the
third order where there are three invaluable treasures: the first baptismal font in America
where the 4 Lords received the catholic faith and imposed on them new names
(Lorenzo to Maxixcatzin; Gonzalo to Tlahuexolotzin; Bartolomé to Zitlalpopocatzin and
Vicente to Xicohtencatl), the first pulpit of the New Spain and a sculpture of Saint Francis
of Assisi of Philippine origin.
The old cloister preserves one of the most beautiful museums of the city with parts of
the archaeological zones of Cacaxtla, Xochitecatl, Tecoaque, Ocotelulco and Tizatlán,
in addition to an excellent collection of paintings and objects from the Colonial era.
At the front of the Cathedral, there is a grille that leads to some stairs that are part
of the old open chapel, according to some scholars of the art, this functioned as the
chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, consecrated to the Easter of 1539 and where they
performed masses for the natives. Preserves the arches and columns of type Arabic
as well as a cornice with the Franciscan cord made in stone.
7Regional Museum INAH Tlaxcala
This museum is located in what was the cloister of the
old convent of the Franciscans. It preserves the three
arches in each of its sides as well as a beautiful octagonal font to the center of the courtyard. Its most important
collections are a number of prehispanic pieces of the
sites excavated in Tlaxcalan territory as well as a collection of paintings from the colonial era, this museum
also preserves original pieces that belonged to the old
museum that were in the old City Hall.
Jorge Aguilar
8 “ElBullring
Ranchero”
It is located in the under atrium the former Franciscan
onvent. This bullring is one of the three most beautiful
in the world. The oldest part of the construction is the
perimeter fence of the eighteenth Century made with
stone of xalnene, tepetate and adobe, with the passage
of time were doing adaptations for its function, and in
1950 acquired its present appearance with the realization of the arcade and the front rows. Next to the bullring is the bell tower of an old convent
of the end of the sixteenth Century, providing it with an
extraordinary plasticity. Currently has the name of one of
the most important bullfighters of the bullfighting history
of Mexico: Jorge Aguilar “El Ranchero” (1927- 1981). As
well as the brands of the 36 cattle ranchs registered with
the National Association of Breeders of fighting bulls. 9Miguel N. Lira Museum
10Museum of Memory
This museum is located in the Independencia street near
the corner with the Plaza Xicohtencatl, the main
mission of this site is to protect the work of the dramatist
Tlaxcalteca Miguel Nicolas Lira Alvarez (1905-1968). His
most important legacy was a number of novels which
include “Where the Tepozanes grow “ and “ Hidden”,
written in 1947, and “Women in Solitude” 1958, among
others.
In its halls are displayed objects, documents, photographs, and furniture of the printing press that belonged
to the artist.
The building which hosts was built at the end of the
sixteenth Century and remodeled in 1998, it is a building
which in its origins functioned as Franciscan friary of
the Holy Cross of Jerusalem. As a museum opened
its doors to the public on January 9, 1999, with the
aim to disseminate the history of the colonial Tlaxcala.
Among its most important collections include copies of
real cards, codex, and the colonization of the north of
Mexico known as the great Tlaxcalteca conference of
the XVI Century.
Museum of Arts
11Living
and Popular Traditions
This museum is located in one of the sides of the Zahuapan river. The main purpose
of this is to spread the handicraft work of the tlaxcaltecas. Stands out the collection
of textiles, potery, carnival costumes, masks and carved wooden canes as well as the
traditional cuisine of the Otomí culture in the Ixtenco area.
and Sanctuary
12 ofBasilica
Ocotlan In the Juárez Avenue in corner with Zitlalpopocatl street
is the entrance to one of the 10 most important Catholic
sanctuaries of central Mexico and maximum expression
of the baroque, its founding was due to the apparition
of the Virgin Mary in the year of 1541 and the formation
of a water well that still exists, considered by some as
miraculous. The facade of the sanctuary is an altarpiece
in White mortar where you will find a large quantity of
images. In the interior stands out 3 altarpieces of the
estipite baroque of the eighteenth Century, in the main
stands out the niche of silver that protects the image of
the virgin which according to the Catholic tradition is the
original, it was found within a tree of ocote that gave rise
to this sanctuary.
In the choir excels the tubular organ of the nineteenth
Century one of the most complete in Mexico and that
is part of the great festival of organs in the month of
November.
In the back of the main altarpiece is the beautiful
alcove, masterpiece of the Tlaxcalan indigenous Francisco Miguel Tlayoltehuanitzin who decorated the walls
with Tlaxcalan baroque decoration together with the
painter Juan de Villalobos during 25 years in the XVIII
Century. The most important festival is celebrated on the
third Monday in May.
Chapel of the small water
13
hole of Holy Water
It is located north of the Place of the Constitution at the
end of the street Guridi and Alcocer, is the third chapel
which protects the water hole.
According to the Catholic tradition this water hole was
created by the Virgin Mary in her advocacy of Ocotlan.
The interior is decorated with a painting on canvas
1903 by a painter named Ysauro G. Cervantes. In 1990
the Master Desiderio H. Xochitiotzin and Pedro Avelino
made murals with biblical motifs related to water as
well as the miracle of the apparition.
Archaeological Zones
Archaeological Zone of Cacaxtla
This archaeological site is located 19 km to the southwest
of the city of Tlaxcala, belonged to the OlmecaXicalanca culture and was discovered on September
13th 1975.
It is a great fondation, built of overlapping structures, 9
according to some archaeologists with adobe, tepetate
and limestone, within the site. Stands out a number of mural paintings in an excellent
state of conservation as the scorpion man in the Temple
of Venus, the Red Temple, the mural of the battle with
more than 22 meters long and the murals of the bird
man and the jaguar man. This important set of paintings were made between the
years 750 and 800 dc., clearly denote influence of cultures:
Maya, Teotihuacan, Mixteco-Zapoteca and Totonaca.
In the museum are interesting pieces found during the
excavations standing out the 11 lords of Cacaxtla which
are sculptures in clay in an excellent state of conservation as well as marine objects found in offerings and
reproductions of the murals that are not open to the
public and in this forum that can be admired.
Archaeological Zone of Xochitecatl
4 km of Cacaxtla, in the town of San Miguel Xochitecatitla municipality of Nativitas. Its name in Nahuatl means
“place of the lineage of the Flowers”, built on top of an
extinct volcano, stands out: The Pyramid of the flowers,
considered the fourth largest structure of Mesoamerica. The
Pyramid of the snake, so called because it was found
inside a monolithic stack a sculpture with snakehead.
The Pyramid of the Spiral is a unique building in its kind,
is characterized by its circular floor. It is believed that
was devoted to Ehecatl, God of the Wind. In the site museum there are two sections: one in the
open air with a collection of sculptures of basalt stones
and the other section houses the pieces elaborated
in mud of the Preclassic period until the Colonial era,
standing out the collection of dolls, knives of sacrifice
and babies in cribs of mud.
Archaeological Zone of Tecoaque,
San Felipe Calpulalpan
It is located at 70 km to the west of the city of Tlaxcala
along the road 136 Mexico-Veracruz, 45 min. from the
city of Mexico by the federal highway Mexico-Veracruz
(Texcoco-Calpulalpan no. 136) only 78.5 km, 1 hour
away and similar time by the Expressway Arco Norte.
Of the city of Puebla by the Mexico-Puebla Highway
num 150, Arco Norte, only 88.6 kilometers, 67 minutes,
also of the city of Puebla by Apizaco-Calpulalpan
highway no. 136, at 103 km, and only 1 hour and 32
minutes. It is located 5 km to the west of the city of
Calpulalpan, and 65km from the city of Tlaxcala.
Tecoaque “Place of the Snakes of Stone” in 1993 took
place here the finding of skulls and bones of horses of
Arab race of more than one limb that is attributed to
a monkey, the characteristics of the skulls, as well as
their perforations, indicate that this was the home of the
brave people of Sultepec. But one of the most interesting aspects was the capture
of a spanish caravan that was part of the expedition of
Panfilo de Narvaez, who had te assignment to apprehend
Hernán Cortés. Among the vestiges, today, stans out a circular pyramid
dedicated to Ehecatl, within a ceremonial center, perhaps
dedicated to Quetzalcoatl.
Huamantla “Magic Town”
Huamantla is located 49 km to the west of the city of Tlaxcala, to get there take the
Guerrero street by the Puebla avenue, which leads to cloverleaf intersection, take the
highway Mexico-Veracruz via Apizaco that leads you directly to the town of Huamantla.
This was founded in 1534 so, it is considered the second colonial city to be founded in
Tlaxcalan territory, has been the scene of important events in the history of Mexico, in
addition to the celebrations of the Virgin of Charity standing out “the night that no one
sleeps” On August 14th where there are little more than 7 km from rugs of sawdust
and flowers, as well as carpets in the atrium of the Basilica of the Virgin of Charity and
the following Saturday is carried out the bull run in the streets called Huamantlada.
National Museum of the Puppet
The building that houses it, historical heritage of Huamantla, dates back to the
eighteenth Century and in its early days worked as house-room. It was opened as
a museum on August 9th 1991. Displays more than 500 puppets of various techniques, periods and origins. Standing out the collections Rosete Aranda and the
golden age of the puppet in Mexico, as well as those of the pre-columbian era and
from Asia and Europe. Stands out the permanent exhibition rooms where are objects
of the Aranda Rosete family company founded in this city in 1835, with a library.
Organizes guided tours, workshops of puppet theater, conferences, editorial presentations and art competitions in addition to the international festival in the month
of October.
Museum of the City
This interesting museum is located in the old collectorship of the Parish of San Luis
and served to save the grains that produced the region. The main collections of this
are a chariot where they carried out the processions of the Blessed Sacrament, some
parts of pre-Hispanic origin, as well as examples of the rugs that are made in “the
night that no one sleeps” on August 14th. Parish of San Luis Obispo
It is a construction of the seventeenth Century, the facade is made of gray basalt stone
of the Malintzi volcano where stand out images of various saints in their niches of
alabaster. In the interior preserves a baroque altarpiece carved in wood, laminate in
gold devoted to the first chief of the city San Luis Obispo and on the sides two altarpieces of great artistic merit. In the choir is a beautiful tubular organ of the end of the
eighteenth Century that still works with the bellows, in one of the side chapel is the
miraculous Christ de Brito.
Convent of San Luis Obispo
It was built in 1585. On its facade stands out the image of Saint Francis of Assisi and
a tower of later construction, to one side is the archery of the open chapel that was
built in two stages, as well as the cloister built with gray quarried stone of the region.
The interior shelters a baroque altarpiece of marble of the eighteenth Century, where
stand out a number of images of the Franciscan as well as Luis Obispo. In the access
is a chapel where they venerate the miraculous Lord of the convent.
Bullfighting Museum
Two blocks away on the Allende street is the bullfighting museum, which protcted by the taurine group of
Huamantla.
One of the most important in the Country whose
collections are photographs of bullfighters and famous
gorings, mockups of bullrings of Mexico, irons and
objects that describe the history of bullfighting, next
to this museum is the bullring “La Taurina”
considered the second largest bullring
of Tlaxcala after Apizaco´s.
Ranchs and Ranchings of Bulls The richness of the Tlaxcalan field during the time of the Colony was managed by
the Ranchs, whose basic production was agriculture, livestock and the production
of pulque. During the last years of the nineteenth and twentieth Century some of the
ranchs became ranchings of bulls.
Currently, the state preserved more than 100 ranchs, which developed
architectural elements to fulfill the needs of production; the pulqueras with its large
tinacales (space of their own for the fermentation of the Aguamiel), the ranch with
their large barns where had the corn or wheat, milk cattle with large stables for their
specimen brought from Switzerland and the Netherlands. In 1874 founded the first livestock of bulls in Tlaxcala and second in the country: San
Mateo Huizcolotepec or also called San Mateo Piedras Negras, considered one of
the mother herds of Mexico, Tlaxcala is the state with more herds of wild bulls count
with 36.
Doing honor to their wild livestock, emerged important bullffighters as Antonio Ortega
“El Marinero”; Fernando de los Reyes “El Callao”; Jorge Aguilar “El Ranchero”. This
tradition is maintained until our days with bullffighters as: Rodolfo Rodriguez
“El Pana”; Rafael Ortega; Uriel Moreno “El Zapata”, among others.
The Gastronomy
The mixture of the prehispanic food with the ingredients and meat brought from
Europe gave a melting pot of flavors and odors, giving as a result one of the most
richest and varied gastronomy of Mexico. One of the most well-known products is the
maguey, where they obtained the pulque, the Aguamiel, the quiote or flower of the
maguey, the eggs of maguey, the mixiote to wrap the meat and the white worms or
also the red worms or chinocuiles. Another of the most prized products is the corn in
their different varieties to prepare atoles, tamales, tortillas and many variants.
Popular Art
The popular art of the tlaxcaltecas is one of the most rich of Mexico, standing out the
natural fibers to make baskets, petates and aventadores in Teacalco and Nopalucan;
the wood is used for the carving of carnival masks, canes, furniture or decorative
figures in Tlatempan, Tizatlán or Tlaxco; the production of puppets of Huamantla; the
Psalters in Altlzayanca; the imagery of paper for piñatas and alebrijes in Popocatla and for flowers in Xochitecatitla; textiles to make gobelinos and sarapes of
wool in Contla, Ixcotla and Chiautempan; embroidery of Ixtenco and San Isidro
Buensuceso, in particular the embroidery of Canutillo gold in Huamantla.
Glazed mud of Tenexyecac; the mud Atlahapa and comales of Tzompantepec; ceramics of Talavera de San Pablo del Monte. The ephemeral craft is represented by the paintings of seeds of Ixtenco; as well as the
rugs and carpets of sawdust and flowers of Huamantla without lacking the popotillo.
Colonial Religious Architecture
Finished the military actions by Hernán Cortés, the Franciscan order started the
spiritual conquest in 1524, for which they built 12 great convents standing out the
former Franciscan Convent, one of the first 4 in continental lands of America,
dedicated to the Virgin of Assumption (current Cathedral); the Conception of Atlihuetzia,
San Francisco in Tepeyanco, San Luis Obispo in Huamantla, San Judas y San Simón
in Calpulalpan, La Virgen de los Angeles in Chiautempan, among others.
The parishes are the most representative viceroyal buildings of the architecture of its
time, as an example: San Nicolás de Bari in Panotla, San Dionisio in Yauhquemecan,
San Augustin in Tlaxco, La Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz Tlaxcala, San Bernardino de
Siena in Contla, Santa Maria Magdalena in Tlaltelulco, Santa Isabel in Xiloxoxtla, San
Francisco in Tepeyanco, Santa Inés in Zacatelco and San Jose in the City of Tlaxcala,
mentioning the Basilica and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Ocotlán where you will find
the famous alcove, work of the native tlaxcalteca Francisco Miguel Tlayoltehuanitzin.
Festivals, Fairs, and Traditions
The State of Tlaxcala is rich in cultural manifestations, proof of this are some of its more
than 200 local fiestas are carried out throughout the year, in the majority of which is a
tradition the mole of turkey, fireworks and pyrotechnics, bullfighting events, in addition to the sale of regional crafts and the unmistakable festivity bread, as well as the
processions that are carried out with great solemnity.
Among the most important town festivals are: January 2st in Zacatelco. May: descend
of the Virgin of Ocotlán, and the 12th the fair of Apizaco, the 20th in San Bernardino
Contla. June: the thirteenths of San Antonio in Huamantla and the 13th in Calpulalpan, the 24th the festival of the corn in Ixtenco. July 26th Santa Ana Chiautempan. August 14th in Huamantla with its famous rugs and carpets of flowers and sawdust,
the 28th in Tlaxco. September 29th San Miguel del Milagro. October 12th the Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Defense. October-November: the Fair of Tlaxcala. December 24th Fair of the seminar and the 26th of the cane in Tizatlán.
Ecotourism
The Tlaxcalan entity possesses one of the most diverse flora and fauna of
Mexico, this is why the ecotourism is developed in an accelerated way; as
Tlaxcala is in the La Malintzi volcano (the fifth highest elevation of Mexico
with 4.461 meters above sea level) has a beautiful coniferous forest where
you can practice adventure tourism activities. There is the most important water source of the entity: the dam of Atlanga,
ideal for fishing. To the north of the entity in the municipality of Tlaxco is the Sierra de la Caldera, with a maximum height of 3.000 meters above sea level. Standing out
La Peña del Rosario, in this area has cabins and camping areas.
In the western part of the state in the municipality of Nanacamilpa is the
buttress of the Sierra Nevada with hosting services, restrooms of temazcal,
observation of fireflies (in the month of July), hiking and breeding of deer.
La Malintzi Volcano “Matlalcueitl” La Malinche
National Park
It is located to the southeast of the Tlaxcalan territory and has several
entrances, one by the highway Apizaco Humantla via San Jose Teacalco,
also by the town of Huamantla via Altamira, in Ixtenco and San Pablo del
Monte. Is the fifth elevation of the country with 4.461 meters above sea level.
To 3.300 meters above sea level is the Mountain Camp IMSS which is used
as a high-performance center for athletes, with cabins, sports courts, area of
camp and aerobic track. To 3.000m is the Scientific Station of UNAM, the
access is by the town of San Juan Ixtenco, which has special programs for
the conservation of the biodiversity of the volcano. There are several pa that
are used for tours to observe the flora and fauna.
Pulque
The drink of prehispanic origin prepared from the fermentation of the Aguamiel (juice of the heart of the maguey) also called octli or neutle. Pulque is
obtained by the effects of the fermentation of the Aguamiel that is extracted
from a plant called maguey manso, which should mature around 7 years
to be able to produce during 6 months. In the Colony were established
pulqueras, within the most important were: San Bartolome del Monte, Santa
Teresa Ixtafiayuca, San Antonio Mazapa, San Miguel Tepalca, Xochuca,
among many others.