From Mexico City by bus about 2 hours; by car 113km/70mi along the MEX 150 and MEX 119.
Tlaxcala is situated in the Mexican highlands on the slopes of the eastern Sierra Madre and is the capital of the state of the same name. 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.
Just outside of Tlaxcala is the Basilica of the Virgin of Ocotlán, with an 18th C Churrigueresque facade. The dramatic entrance and tower tops are a brilliant white, and stark contrast to the surrounding red tiles.
Most of the buildings at the convent and church of San Francisco were constructed between 1537 and 1540. They have now been turned into the Museo Regional.
Next to the town hall stands the Palacio de Gobierno (government palace), which was begun in 1545. Its passageways are decorated with modern frescos, depicting the history of the town, by the Tlaxcaltec painter Desiderio Hernández Xochitiotzin.
Address: Palacio de Gobierno, Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala , Mexico
Museo de Artes y Tradiciones Populares In this museum (C. Emilio Sánchez) local people display examples of weaving and carpet-knotting work. The production of pulque (Mexican fermented drink) is also explained.
Address: Museo de Artes y Tradiciones Populares, Avenida Emilio Sánchez Piedras, #1, Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala , Mexico
The present-day palace of justice (Palacio de Justicia), which is on the site of the old royal chapel (Capilla Real), was begun in 1528. Towards the end of the 18th c. it was partially destroyed by a fire, and then in 1800 by an earthquake. The bas-reliefs on the entrance frieze, which show the coats of arms of Castile and León and the House of Hapsburg, are a survival from the original chapel.
The Palacio Municipal (town hall) stands in the Plaza de la Constitución and was built in 1550. Its second-storey window arches are fashioned in the unusual and arresting Indian-Moorish style.
La Malinche is an extinct volcano which can be climbed. The most popular route leaves from the "Centro Vacacional Malintzín" and takes approximately five or six hours from start to finish.
This village with a population of about 30,000 lies south of Tepeyanco. It features a parish church that was built in the 18th c. over the original 16th c. building.
Address: Palacio de Gobierno, Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala , Mexico
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Basilica of the Virgin of Ocotlán
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Atlihuetzía - Parroquia de la Inmaculada Concepción
