Tlaxcala Attractions

The town was once a focal point in the process of integration between Spaniards and Indians and also in the Christianisation of Mexico. Only a few old buildings in the town's sleepy little centre remain as evidence of its long and important history.

History

Tlaxcala (Náhuatl: "place of maize") was given its later name "de Xicoténcatl" from a ruler at the time of the Conquista, who opposed any alliance with the Spanish. The town was founded in the middle of the 14th c. by a Nahua tribe called the Tlatepotzca, which had migrated from Texcoco, and for almost 200 years its played an important role as capital of a republic seeking to assert itself against the surrounding Aztec empire. The town's history prior to the arrival of the Spanish is closely connected with the Tlaxcaltec state.

The Spanish arrived as early as 1519 on their way to Tenochtitlán and after initial hostilities the Tlaxcaltecs forged an alliance with them against the Aztecs. After their withdrawal from Tenochtitlán ("Noche Triste") the Spanish were able to gather here and rearm with the support of the indigenous population. Without the help of Tlaxcala, which provided Cortés with protection as well as materials and warriors, the Spanish conquest of Tenochtitlán would possibly never have succeeded. In 1524 Franciscans were involved in building new additions to the town and giving the first Christian baptisms to Indians in Mexico. In 1535 Emperor Charles V granted the town its charter as well as special privileges in recognition of the support which the Tlaxcaltecs had given to the Spanish. The populous town, which at that time was one of the largest in Mexico, lost a large proportion of its inhabitants between 1544 and 1546 owing to a plague outbreak. Tlaxcala was never really able to recover from this setback and as a result the part it has played in the later history of Mexico has been relatively modest.