Aculco Municipality

Aculco Pueblo Mágico.

The municipality of Aculco is located in the Mexican highlands, an hour's drive from Mexico City; it is part of the State of Mexico and its municipal seat bears the official name of Aculco de Espinoza (formerly San Jerónimo Aculco). It belongs to the Jilotepec region and is located in the northwestern part of the State, bordering the State of Querétaro. The municipal seat is geographically located between parallels 20° 06' north latitude and 99° 50' west longitude of the Greenwich meridian. The altitude of the head of the municipality reaches 2,440 meters above sea level.

The municipality has an area of 465.7 km². The municipality borders to the north with that of Polotitlán and to the west and north with the State of Querétaro; to the south with the municipalities of Acambay and Timilpan, and to the east with that of Jilotepec. It is one of the sixteen municipalities of the Atlacomulco Region and one of those that make up the Mezquital Valley

Toponymy

The place name Aculco comes from the Nahuatl language and means "in the crooked water"; that is, where the bed of a river makes very pronounced turns. However, José Sánchez says that the word Aculco means "in the place where the water twists".

Aculco, acolco or acocolco is a word of Nahuatl origin by virtue of the fact that the Aztecs dominated the Otomi, who inhabited the region and whose is still dominant in several communities, despite the constant miscegenation. It is made up of the words “atl” (water), "coltic" (crooked or curved), and "coco" (in or place): place where the water twists or place where the water makes a curve.

In the Otomí language, aculco is pronounced n'dome, which means “two waters”, which may be true since in the subsoil of the municipal seat there are two streams, with the exit to the east; towards the center and the west of the population the water is drinkable. The glyph of the municipality represents a jet of water with a strong curvature splashing drops and snails.

History

The town of Aculco was founded around the year 1,110 AD. C. by the Otomi, a great indigenous culture that inhabited central Mexico, however its name comes from the Nahuatl language.

After having been a town inhabited by the Otomíes for a long time, it became a region dominated by the Mexicas or Aztecs, who lived there many years before the founding of the city of Mexico-Tenochtitlán. Aculco was subjugated and subjected to the kingdom of Tlacopan by the Triple Alliance (Tenochtitlán-Tlacopan-Texcoco), during the reign of Moctezuma I Lhuicamina (1440 to 1469).

In 1540, shortly after the conquest of Mexico by the Spanish Crown, the parish of the town and the convent of San Jerónimo were built; Both constructions are emblematic of the population and the municipality.

Aculco is known as the town where the Mexican insurgents suffered their first important defeat during the war of independence, in November 1810. In this town, a combat took place between royalists and insurgents in which the power of artillery of the royalists managed to appease the diminished insurgent troops, due to the bloody Battle of Monte de las Cruces, in October of that same year.

On February 19, 1825, once the Independence of Mexico was consummated, Aculco reached the rank of municipality.

In the center of the capital of Aculco you can find the house of Doña Mariana Legorreta, José Rafael Polo's sister-in-law, very close to the municipal presidency, where Miguel Hidalgo slept one night during his stay in this place and although it is difficult to believe is preserved in good condition. It is said that on November 8, 1810, the priest Hidalgo celebrated mass in the emblematic tree, known by the community as Palo Bendito, in thanksgiving for preserving his life, after such a bloody battle.

Aculco is declared a magical town on September 25, 2015.

Geography

It has an area of 465.7 square kilometers, which represents 2.18% of the state total.

Orography

The territory of the municipality coincides with the end of the mountainous system in the north of the State, whose last manifestation is the Sierra de San Andrés Timilpan, which passes through Acambay, extending to the north and accentuating the important El Ñadó hill, which ends at the beginning of the valleys of the State of Querétaro, highlighting some hills and hills; between them small ravines are formed through which the channel of the storm rivers runs. It stands out among the El Ñadó hills, which has a spectacular rock that gives it an imposing and majestic character. Near it there is another higher peak called El Picacho or El Pelón, which reaches a height of 3,420 m s. no. m..

Municipal Palace of Aculco.

Kiosco in the municipal head of Aculco.

Park in the municipal head of Aculco.

Front view Palacio Municipal de Aculco.

Arcos corridors around the municipal head.

Typical restaurant in the municipality of Aculco.

There are two hill systems. One runs from north to south located in the municipal seat and loaded to the east of the municipality almost parallel to the Mexico-Querétaro highway, formed by hills such as El Pilón, Santa Rosa, Durica, El Comal and Boxin. The other stands out from east to west and is located on a line almost parallel to the road from the junction to the Aculco highway, beginning with El Rosal hill, continuing with Camacho, La Cruz, El Comal, El Chapala, La Herradura, Tixhiñú, La Chiapaneca and ends on the mountain in the peaks (El Gallo, el Peñón and Ñadó).

Hydrography

Cascada del Río Moctezuma.

The area of the municipality of Aculco belongs to the Moctezuma River basin, in which there are two micro-basins, the largest is the Ñadó River, and the other is the Prieto River, which flows into Querétaro. The second basin is made up of the Zarco and Taxto streams. And the third basin is made up of a small river called the Turk River

It has important dams such as El Molino, San Antonio Chapala, Taxhingú, Los Ailes, La Cofradía, Los Cerritos, La Nueva, Ñadó and Huapango. It also has the following springs: Las Fuentes, Los Peritos I and II, Toluquilla, Los Chorritos I and II, El Pocito, El Ahuehuete, La Atarjea, El Sáuz, El Baño and El Aile, and some deep wells.

Climate

Your region is considered a zone with a semi-cold climate, sub-humid with summer rains, without a well-defined winter season. The average annual temperature is 13.2 °C, with the lowest temperatures being in the months of November to February and which are less than zero, causing frost.

The rainy season begins at the end of March or beginning of April, lasting until October or November. Its average annual rainfall is 699.6 millimeters.

Flora

The classification of the wild flora in Aculco is as follows: lily flowers, gladiola, dahlia, alcatraz, tuberose, ayapando, hydrangea, begonia, angel's wing, chimos, smells at night, geranium, camellia, daisy, carnation, heliotrope, gold cape, jungle mother, ivy and elegant leaf.

Forests of: oak, ocote, madroño, pine, aile, willow, capulín, poplar, ash, eucalyptus and casuarina.

Flora with medicinal properties: Santa María, arnica, chamomile, mullein, mint, mallow, pesthu, borage, lemon verbena, simonillo, rue, fennel, toloache, celery, wormwood, epazote and rosemary.

Wildlife

The popcorn, Aculco endemic bird.

Within its wild fauna, the following can be distinguished: squirrel, armadillo, cacomixtle, badger, raccoon, rabbit, coyote, skunk , wild cat, fox, hare, dove, gopher, fox, ounce, goldfinch sparrow, lark, margay, cardinal, canary, Dominican, mockingbird, spring, buzzard, eagle, hawk, owl hawk and wild dogs; in addition to a great variety of insects: bee, tompoline, wasp, guarucho and dragonfly; and arachnids such as capulina, tarantula and black widow.

Natural Resources

It has small sources of sand and gravel that are deposited in the river beds, as well as quarry deposits.

Characteristics and land uses

The soils present four technical varieties:

• Litosol. Relieve of rocks at little depth with pastures, and bushes.
• Feozem. The oscua lands of volcanic formation, for vegetation of temperate climate forests, susceptible of erosion.
• Vertizol. They are clay, hard fertile and very productive soils.
• Planozol. The small valleys are seen on these floors.

The total area is 46,570 hectares, of which 45% is used for agriculture; 20.92% is for livestock use; 19.48% to forestry. Of the 9,071 forest hectares, 64% corresponds to forests and the rest to shrubland. The remaining hectares are for urban use and others. Regarding land tenure, the predominant one is the ejido; followed by the small property and finally the communal.

The figures and their percentage distribution reflect the importance of the agricultural sector in the municipality. The category "others" groups industrial use, bodies of water and eroded soil.

Government and politics

Municipal President	Period
Vicente Sosa Alcántara	2000-2003
Jesús Alejandro Aguilar Sánchez	2003-2006
Francisco Javier Venancio Ramírez	2006-2009
Marcos Javier Sosa Alcantara	2009-2012
Salvador del Río Martínez	2013-2015
Aurora González Ledezma	2016-2018
Jorge Alfredo Osornio Victoria	2019-2021

Economy

The economy of the municipality is basically rural, mainly corn is planted as well as broad beans, wheat, oats and vegetables, among which lettuce, carrots and radishes stand out.

There are fruit orchards that produce various fruits for local and external consumption, as well as properties where cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and horses are raised, apart from small poultry farms.

In the industrial sector there are maquiladora companies for the production of socks, fabrics and clothing, steel processing and quarry handicrafts. In the region, apart from the micro-industries that feed the population by producing (tortilla, bread and chorizo) there are small factories dedicated to the production and packaging of cheese, cream and other derivatives of cow's and goat's milk, a company from the municipality that exploits construction materials (gravel, sand and flagstone).

Tourism

Tourist promotional sign of Aculco.

Next to the mountains and between spectacular rocks and waterfalls, Aculco is one of the most beautiful typical towns in the state. It preserves the features of its traditional architecture full of alleys and houses with wide patios and corridors, buildings supported by quarry columns and cobbled streets. The public square, the kiosk, the Municipal Presidency, the Miguel Hidalgo square, the house where Hidalgo spent the night, the house of culture, the market, the administrative offices, the Bear and the municipal Auditorium are points worth visiting.

Municipal Spa. (Located in the streets of Iturbide and Corregidora). After some tour of the surroundings of the town, the Municipal Spa, with its Olympic pool, is the ideal place to practice swimming or simply cool off; during the holiday periods it is decorated with typical food stalls, crafts and musical shows that complement the fun.

Los lavaderos, located on the corner of Pomoca and Iturbide streets, in the municipal capital. It is a place of old construction and a very famous place in the town because several rural legends revolve around it, it is there where 2 streams of water cross and fresh and salty waters that in historical times supplied the population sprout from the subsoil. both for personal hygiene and even for consumption. Several renovations have already been done and it is registered as a protected historical monument.

Parish of San Jerónimo. The region's convents, churches and cathedrals clearly bear the mark of 16th-century Iberian architecture; however, the Mexican baroque style shows in some aspects the influence of its indigenous builders. The parish of San Jerónimo began to be built in 1540; In it the simplicity typical of the Franciscans and a style inherited from the European Middle Ages are observed, against forts and small windows; In 1674 another stage of construction began, with a modified baroque style called "Tequitqui". The main attractions inside the convent are a colorful sundial and a painting by Miguel Cabrera, one of the most valued artists of the viceregal era, "La Última Cena".

Chapel of the Lord of the Pasito.

La Concepción and Tixhiñú waterfalls. On the Aculco - Amanalco highway, 10 kilometers from the municipal capital, in a rocky landscape, a beautiful waterfall that is fed by the waters of the Ñadó dam and runs over a causeway of basaltic columns stands out among a ravine. In summer, the flow makes this fall something really impressive, reaching more than 25 meters high. The basalt walls make "La Concepción" the perfect place to practice rappelling and camping. The Tixhiñú waterfall is located 7 kilometers west of Aculco. The water falls from 15 meters high on magnificent basaltic stone columns; the environment is surrounded by trees and streams. In the rainy season, the Tixhiñú waterfall is a spectacle worth seeing, to appreciate the strength and beauty of its flow. There are no services.

Sanctuary of the Lord of Nenthé. In this small sanctuary of modern architecture, the image of the Lord of Nenthé or "Lord of Water" is venerated, to whom a miracle is attributed. According to legend, one day the old temple caught fire; the residents began to look concerned for the whereabouts of the image; To their surprise, they found it intact at the foot of an oak from which a spring began to gush. When the dry season is very strong, the residents take the image out to walk the streets of the town and pray for it to rain.

La Peña de Ñadó, whose altitude reaches 3,220 masl, is attractive for mountaineering and mountaineering. The road that is very close to the municipal seat, where you can enjoy a quiet walk among the trees, until you reach the church of San Jerónimo, which dates from 1540. The Tepozán dam is a beautiful and little-explored territory, as well as the two aqueducts better known as Los Arcos, one located on the Pan-American highway about 600 meters before the Aculco deviation and the other 500 meters from it towards the municipal seat.

Due to its attractions, the municipal seat was included in the 2007 state government program "Pueblos con Encanto del Bicentenario". On August 1, 2010, Aculco was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the cultural itinerary called "Camino Real de Tierra Adentro".

Infrastructure

Electrical energy

Provided by the CFE, which covers the communities of Aculco with a three-phase line.

Drinking water

100% of the communities have piped drinking water; It is the urban areas with the greatest distribution of the service, as there is currently a lack of supply for indigenous homes that do not have piped drinking water and the service is supplied by pipe.

Drain

In the municipal seat there is the greatest paving coverage, in rural areas there are still unpaved streets.

Telecommunications

• Telcel, Movistar, Unefon, AT fakeT.
• Mexico Posts and Telegraphs.

Transportation

Formerly the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro crossed the municipality of Aculco, today declared a World Heritage Site and the town of Aculco de Espinoza was one of the main supply and sales centers for transportation, it was one of the main commercial routes that left from Mexico City to Santa Fe de Nuevo México and vice versa.

The Mexico-Querétaro highway crosses through the municipality of Aculco, one of the country's main arteries, specifically near the town of Arroyo Zarco. The Toluca-Polotitlán state highway also crosses the municipality, connecting to the municipal seat Aculco de Espinoza and other small towns in the municipality.

Demographics

The municipality of Aculco registered a total of 44,823 inhabitants in the Population and Housing Census carried out in 2010 by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, of which 22,043 are men and 22,780 are women. 1,061 births and 245 deaths were registered in 2013. In 2010 there were 10,510 households and of these 2,333 are headed by women.

Places

A total of 125 localities are located in the municipality of Aculco, the main ones and their population in 2010 being the following:

Human and social development

In 2010, 5,602 families benefited from the Human Development and Opportunities Program.

Ethnic Groups

The predominant ethnic group is the Otomi, found in the towns of San Antonio, San Joaquín Coscomatepec and Santiago. In the municipality there are 2,143 inhabitants who speak an indigenous language, which is equivalent to 7.3%. According to the population census of the year 2000, Aculco had 38,827 inhabitants. Most of its inhabitants are of Otomi descent.

According to the results presented by the II Population and Housing Count, of 2005, a total of 2,824 people who speak an indigenous language live in the municipality.

Demographic Evolution

In the municipality, data from the 1970 general population and housing census recorded a population of 29,174 inhabitants, with an annual growth rate of 1.87%. By 1980 it had 24,231 inhabitants and an annual growth rate of the order of 2.26%. This situation reflects a slight decrease in the rate of population increase, which has modified the demographic profile of the municipality.

In 1990, 5.89% of its population was born outside the State of Mexico. Of the population born in the municipality older than 5 years, 2.58% did not reside in the State in 1985. In 1995 the population of this entity rose to 34,378 inhabitants, registering an annual growth of 2.95%. It is estimated that in the year 2000 it will reach 39,757 inhabitants.

In the year 2000, according to the preliminary results of the general population and housing census carried out by the INEGI, there were a total of 38,856 inhabitants in the municipality, of which 18,976 were men and 19,880 women; These figures represent 49% for the male sex and 51% for the female sex.

According to the results presented by the second population and housing count (2005), the municipality has a total of 40,492 inhabitants.

Religion

The predominant religion is Catholic and with a lesser presence other religious associations. In this entity there are 23,125 inhabitants who profess the Catholic religion (93.4% of the total population), 1,004 inhabitants belong to the Evangelical religion (4.1%) and the rest belong to other religions.

Education

There is a total record in 2010 of 159 basic and upper secondary schools. Population of 5 years of age and over with primary education in 2010 is 18,482 people There is a total count of 5 public libraries in 2011 and a total of 21,427 queries made in these.

The municipality has 66 preschool schools, 53 primary schools, 22 secondary schools and one high school (CECYTEM), a regional high school and 2 official high schools with a total of 539 teachers who serve 10,303 (1996/1997). It is estimated that 18.7% of the population is illiterate.

Culture and Heritage

Festivities, dances and traditions

Of the civic festivals that the municipality celebrates, there is the one on February 5, in which the schools organize a parade and a program alluding to the event.

• On February 19, the erection of the municipality was celebrated and an allusive ceremony was held a day.
• On February 24, the flag is mounted to the whole flag and a floral offering is taken to the monument of the teaching homeland.
• On March 21, schools prepare a great festival with allegorical cars and parade.
• On the 15th of September a popular verbena, popcorn, pyrotechnic games, the shout of Independence and finally the traditional dance of coronation to the queen of the country parties is held.
• On September 16, the paternal parade accompanied by a large alusive program is held, sports competitions are also performed and ends with a Mexican night and a popular dance.

• On September 17 it is the “day of fraternity aculcate” in which the meetings of the families of Aculco are held, to live in a field day. Among other activities are horse racing in the place called "El Carril" of the community of Cofradía, as well as several people from surrounding communities and municipalities as well as most of the local authorities.
• One of the most deeply rooted traditions in the municipality is the scenic representation of the Major Week, beginning on Holy Thursday and culminating in the Mass of Gloria; as well as the celebrations that take place since 1702 in the Sanctuary of the Lord of Nenthé, year in which the image is buried at the foot of some oaks and next to a stream of crystal clear water.

• In Holy Week also the traditional pulque-tours are performed, rally, ball game and toreo of vaquillas, which do not have a definite date, but are usually Thursday, Friday and Holy Saturday respectively. As part of the traditions of the Holiday Week, the Holy Wednesday is carried out the Delivery of the Huarache de Oro, which consists of rewarding the most popular of the municipality: the most drunk, the rare family, the couple of the year, the most beautiful, the mandilon, etc.

• On September 30, the patron saint San Jerónimo continues to be celebrated by tradition, celebrating with great algarabía and dances (santiagueros and concheros) and burning of castle within religious festivities; as well as cultural, agricultural and cattle fair, games and family fun; also the traditional bullfighting takes place.

Sports

In Aculco people live and widely practice the national sport, the Charrería. There are several charro canvases: El Garrido Varela in the municipal seat, and in the surrounding communities: The canvas "Eleazar Osornio Padilla" (headquarters of the "Fuerza Mexiquense" team), the lienzo charro del Comal in Arroyo Zarco and some other private properties such as Rancho San José and Hacienda de Cofradía Grande. State and regional tournaments and tournaments of charra excellence at a national level are continuously held in the municipality, as well as countless friendly and practice charreadas.

Agrarian nuclei

In Aculco, according to the RAN website, there are 21 ejidos and 2 certified communities. One of those certified ejidos is Ejido San Jerónimo, about which information can be found at the following link https://www.maderalegal.com.mx/ejidosanjeronimo/