Petatlán facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Petatlán
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City
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Basketball court and kiosk in city center
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 Petatlán
Location in Guerrero
Petatlán
Location in Mexico
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| Country |  Mexico |
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| State | Guerrero | |
| Municipality | Petatlán | |
| Founded | 1550 | |
| Municipal Status | 1870 | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2,071.7 km2 (799.9 sq mi) | |
| Elevation
(of seat)
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57 m (187 ft) | |
| Population
(2005) Municipality
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| • Total | 44,485 | |
| • Seat | 20,720 | |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Zona Centro) | |
| Postal code (of seat) |
40850
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Petatlán is a city in the municipality of Petatlán located along the Pacific Coast of the Mexican state of Guerrero. It is part of the Costa Grande region between Zihuatanejo and Acapulco. The city is known for the Sanctuary of the Padre Jesús de Petatlán, a 17th-century image of Christ that is claimed to have performed religious miracles. The city is the seat of a large municipality, which faces the Pacific Ocean to the south and is bounded by the Sierra Madre del Sur to the north. It contains the La Soledad de Maciel archeological site.
The city
The city is located just off Federal Highway 200 east of the tourist attraction of Zihuatanejo. It has a population of about 21,000 people (2005). The center of the city has a traditional plaza which is surrounded by gardens and a basketball court. Around this plaza area are the Casa de Cultura (cultural center) and the municipal palace. It is known for markets and stores selling gold and gold items. A local dish is tamales with goat meat wrapped in banana leaves.
The city is best known as the home of the Padre Jesús de Petatlán Sanctuary. The image is of Christ during one of the times he fell while carrying the Cross. The image dates to the 17th century. This image has been accredited with many miracles, with devotees referring to it as “Tata Chuy” or “Papa Chuy.” (Tata means grandfather, and Papa means dad. Chuy is a common diminutive for Jesús.) The image is housed in a large white church with very large wooden doors, whose official name is Santuario Nacional del Santo Señor de Petatlán. Just outside the atrium, vendors selling gold and religious items congregate. It is a regional pilgrimage site, which is particularly visited during Holy Week, when as many as 30,000 people come into the city. During this week, the city holds a fair, called Fexpo, but the highlight of the week is a Passion Play in which 60 area residents are chosen to play Jesus and the other principal characters. The Play begins at the sanctuary, and then proceeds along a five-kilometer path, reenacting the Stations of the Cross, on the way to a hill in the Colonia Benito Juarez neighborhood, which simulates Calvary.
History
The name derives from two Nahuatl words "petatl" (straw mat) and "tlan" (next to), meaning "next to the straw mat".
By the 11th century, the Petatlán area was inhabited by three ethnic groups: the Cuitlatecos, the Chumbias and the Pantecas. First Aztec presence in the Costa Grande region came in 1497. In 1504, Moctezuma Xocoyotzin established the tribute province of Cihuatlán, with included the Petatlán area.
After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, Petatlán was part of an encomienda belonging to Ginés de Pinzón. Evangelization was carried out under Augustinian Juan Bautista Moya. This same friar gathered the dispersed peoples to found the modern town in 1550. This town became a dependency of the subdelegation of Zacatuna in 1786.
During the Mexican War of Independence, Petatlán was made part of the Tecpan province, which was created by José María Morelos y Pavón in 1811. During the reign of Agustín de Iturbide, it became part of the Capitanía General del Sur. When Mexico became a republic, it became part of the district of Acapulco, in the State of Mexico. When Guerrero was made an independent state, Petatlán became part of the district of Galeana.
It became an independent municipality for the first time in 1870, combining territory from the municipality of De la Union and some communities from Tecpan. It was for a short time in 1871 and then reconstituted. In 1913, the town was besieged by the Zapatistas. In 1953, some of its western territory was lost in the formation of the José Azueta (Zihuatanejo) municipality.
See also
In Spanish: Petatlán para niños
