Zitácuaro facts for kids
Zitácuaro, officially called Heroica Zitácuaro, is a city in the Mexican state of Michoacán. It's the main city for the area around it, which is also called Zitácuaro. This area is on the far eastern side of Michoacán, right next to the state of México. In 2010, about 185,534 people lived in the city. The name Zitácuaro comes from the Mazahua word Tsitákuarhu.
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Where is Zitácuaro?
Zitácuaro is located in the northeast part of Michoacán. It's about 150 kilometers (93 miles) east of Morelia, the state capital. The city sits high up, at 1,942 meters (6,371 feet) above sea level.
The area around Zitácuaro covers about 498 square kilometers (192 square miles). Rivers like the Río Zitácuaro flow through it. The land around the city has many avocado farms and pine forests in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains. North of Zitácuaro, you can find the famous places where monarch butterflies spend the winter.
In 1995, about 145,500 people lived in the Zitácuaro area. A small number of these people, about 3,740, spoke an indigenous language. These languages were mainly Otomi, Mazahua, and Nahuatl.
Zitácuaro is an important stop on Federal Highway 15. This road connects Mexico City to Morelia. Another road from Zitácuaro goes towards the Pacific Ocean coast. There's also a railway that goes north, but it's only used for cargo trains now.
Other towns and villages in the Zitácuaro area include Aputzio de Juárez, Crescencio Morales, Curungueo, San Felipe de los Alzati, and Zirahuato.
Zitácuaro's History
People first settled in the area where Zitácuaro is today a very long time ago, possibly in the 1100s. These first settlers were the Otomi and Mazahua people. You can still see an old Otomi ceremonial center in San Felipe de los Alzati, which is about 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) north of the city. In the mid-1300s, the Mazahuas, led by a person named Yquingari, took control of the region.
When the Spanish arrived in Mexico, Zitácuaro was on the edge of two big empires: the Purépecha League and the Aztec Empire. It's said that the local people fought with the Aztecs to defend their capital city, Tenochtitlan, but they lost. After this defeat, Franciscan friars built a church called San Juan Tzitácuaro. A monastery was also built there in the early 1700s.
After Mexico declared its independence from Spain in September 1810, the people around Zitácuaro joined the fight for freedom. A local farmer named Benedicto López led them. He blocked the main road between Mexico City and Valladolid (now Morelia). The Spanish government sent soldiers to stop him. But on February 20, 1811, López's forces pushed them back. On May 22, they defeated the soldiers, and their captain was captured and killed.
Later that summer, Benedicto López gave control of the city to Ignacio López Rayón. On August 21, 1811, López Rayón set up the Suprema Junta Nacional Americana in Zitácuaro. This was the first time the people fighting for independence tried to create their own government. The Spanish forces in Mexico City were very angry about this. They attacked Zitácuaro on January 12, 1812, took control, robbed the city, and then burned it completely to the ground.
This was the first time Zitácuaro was burned. The city was burned a second time on April 1, 1855. This happened during the Revolution of Ayutla, when soldiers loyal to General Antonio López de Santa Anna burned it. They did this because the city supported General Juan Álvarez. Zitácuaro was burned a third time on April 15, 1865, by French soldiers. This was revenge for a victory by Mexican Republicans in another battle.
Because of all these difficult events and the city's bravery, on April 20, 1868, President Benito Juárez declared that San Juan Zitácuaro would now be known as "Heroica Zitácuaro." "Heroica" means "heroic" in Spanish.
Fun Things to Do in Zitácuaro
Presa del Bosque Dam
The Presa del Bosque is an important dam built between 1951 and 1954. It gets its water from the Zitácuaro River and other smaller rivers. The dam is located 1,742 meters (5,715 feet) above sea level. It can hold a lot of water, about 248 million cubic meters. This water is used to create electricity at power plants in other areas.
The dam is about 5 kilometers (3 miles) south of Zitácuaro, right next to the road that goes to Huetamo. It's surrounded by small towns and communities. The Presa del Bosque is a popular place for tourists. You can go fishing, camping, and do other fun activities there. It's especially popular during Holy Week, when local officials organize special events.
Some people believe that swimming in the dam's water has special healing powers. It's also a great spot for playing sports like football and volleyball, or for riding horses.
See also
In Spanish: Heroica Zitácuaro para niños
