Fortin Municipality
Fortín is one of the 212 municipalities in the state of Veracruz in Mexico. It is a municipality noted for its floriculture, hence its official name Fortín de las Flores, which is its municipal seat. Since the end of the 18th century, there was a Fort in this place. By decree of July 1930, the municipality of Fortín was created, with congregations from the municipalities of Córdoba and Ixtaczoquitlán. On July 15, 1955, by decree, the town of Fortín was elevated to the category of Villa, in the name of Fortín de las Flores. The decree of November 12, 1959, elevates the Villa de Fortín de las Flores to the category of City. All its streets are two-way.
Shield
The shield is made up of four fields:
- The first located in the upper left, represents the strength of its agriculture, a peasant guiding its yoke of oxen to farm the land, symbolizes what the population was or is, formed by peasants.
- In the second right side, it symbolizes the main agricultural production of the municipality: sugar cane and coffee.
- The third field located on the left inner side, is represented by a fortress that was built by the Spaniards, where a retainer of Hispanic soldiers remained, led by Captain Villegas, who watched and protected the passage of the diligences that carried gold and passengers from the capital of the viceroyalty, to the port of Veracruz.
- The fourth field is located on the lower right side of the shield, where there are a suitcase of travel, with the structural outline of a hotel, which symbolizes the tourism, circumventing the shield, you can appreciate a chain or necklace formed by the representative flower of Fortín, "the gardenia".
The shield culminates in the upper part, with a star or star, symbol of the good climate of this population and the imposing Citlaltépetl volcano or Pico de Orizaba, also called Morning Star by sailors.
Demographic indicators
- Population in 2010: 59 761 hectares.
- Population in 2005: 53 311 hectares (30th state place in number of inhabitants)
- Population in 2000: 46 053 hab.
- Population growth: 15.76% (10th state place with greater population growth in the period 2000-2005)
- Area: 73.21 km2
- Population density: 728 hectares/km2
Geographic location
- Location
- Region of the high mountains belonging to the central area of the state of Veracruz
- Between the coordinates of the meridian 96°57'25 at 91°07'01 west longitude
- Between the coordinates of the parallel 18°48'53 18°58'39 North latitude
- Territorial area: 73.21 km2
- Altitude (msnm)
- South area - 720
- Central area - 1000
- Northern zone - 1240
- Political Limits
- North: Chocamán and Córdoba
- South: Ixtaczoquitlán and Naranjal
- This: Cordoba and Amatlán de los Reyes
- West: Ixtaczoquitlán, Atzacan and Chocamán
- Climate
Semi-warm humid with an average annual temperature that ranges between 18 and 22 °C and an annual rainfall of 1,800 to 2,500 mm.
History of fort
Pre-Hispanic period
Fortín around pre-Hispanic times was located in what was the Coapichapan region, of Olmeca-Totonaca culture and which in the year 1457 was conquered by the Aztecs, paying tribute to Moctezuma II. Lic. Aquileo Rosas, regional historian, in his talks has told us that at that time, Fortín was probably named Jonotlán due to the excess of trees known as Jonotes, with the passage of time people changed the name of Jonotlán to Jonotal, existing in that area a farm with that name, being expropriated in 1937, what is currently the Colonia Melesio Portillo.
Colonial period
After this region had been conquered by the Spanish under the command of Captain Gonzalo de Sandoval in 1521, several ranches or haciendas were established, one of the first being the Hacienda de Tlacotengo; La Barranca de San Miguel, Miguel de Mendoza belonged to Don Miguel de Mendoza, which was later acquired by a company from Orizaba; the Monte Blanco Estate; El Carmen, in what was first part of the ranch of the Villegas family from Tlaxcala and that in 1700 the Barranca de Metlac was leased to them, being known until 1900 as Barranca de Villegas or Rancho Fortín de Villegas.
War of Independence
After the stay of General Don Nicolás Bravo in San Juan Coscomatepec and his glorious departure on October 4, 1813, the Insurgent Army under the command of Captain Félix Luna continues to carry out operations in the region of the Barranca de Villegas (Metlac)..
In 1816, when Don Guadalupe Victoria was General of the province, he took the Monte Blanco Hacienda as his headquarters and built a small fort (Fortincillo) on the tip of the Monte Blanco hill, in order to have a point of support to take refuge from the Royalist Army of Orizaba and Córdoba. Once the Fortincillo was built, he entrusted the command to Colonel Melchor Muzquiz.
Colonel José Ruiz commander of the royalist forces of the Villas de Orizaba and Córdoba, with his battalion of Volunteers of Navarra built a fort on the banks of the Barranca de Villegas (Metlac) with the aim of attacking Muzquiz from the west and Colonel José Joaquín Márquez y Donallo to the east with his Lovera battalion, Muzquiz being defeated on November 7, 1816. Once the Insurgents surrendered, the Royalists completely destroyed the "fort" with cannon fire.
The “fortin” built on the banks of the Barranca del Metlac, continued to be occupied to protect the passage of the San Miguel Bridge, once again being commanded by Colonel José Ruiz. This is where the name of the municipality “EL FORTÍN” comes from.
The Reformation
In 1862, during the French invasion, General Ignacio Zaragoza, being appointed General in Chief of the Mexican Army Eastern Division, met in Huiloapan on one side of Orizaba, with General Don Porfirio Díaz, Chief of the Mexican Army Oaxaca Division, to withdraw the French Army that had requested permission to be stationed in Orizaba, using the sick as a pretext, a request that was denied and to monitor the withdrawal of the French, the then Colonel Félix Díaz, the famous "Chato", brother of the by Don Porfirio Diaz.
Colonel Félix Díaz, in command of a troop and the peasants who lived on the Metlac or Villegas Ravine, seeing that the French were returning to Orizaba, led the first confrontation against this army on April 19, 1862 at 6 in the afternoon, being defeated Colonel Félix Díaz, he retreated to the City of Orizaba.
In the year 1900, in honor of Colonel Félix Díaz and those who participated in this battle, the Monument known as “El Águila” was erected. Made of Carrara marble, originally from Italy. It is located in the main square of the municipality next to the town hall building.
Battle of the Metlac Canyon
The Battle of Fortín took place on April 19, 1862 in Fortín, in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, between elements of the Mexican army of the republic under the command of Colonel Félix Díaz Mori and French troops at the service of the Second French Empire during the Second French Intervention in Mexico. The result was a French victory.
This is known as the first act of arms between French and Mexican troops. A detachment of Mexican cavalry under the command of Colonel Félix Díaz fought a French vanguard. Colonel Díaz was wounded by the Zouaves and fell prisoner, although he managed to escape. To commemorate this event, General Porfirio Díaz ordered the erection of a monument that is currently in the Venustiano Carranza park, in front of the rear entrance of the Fortín Municipal Palace.
Fortín Foundation
Due to the fertile soil where El Fortín was located, it was slowly populated by country people in search of Farmland, some of them working at the Hacienda de las Ánimas, owned by Don Ignacio Vivanco and de la Lama, others on the Braniff family farm, located in what is now the Congregation of Santa Lucía Potrerillo and Monte Blanco and some on the Jonotal farm, owned by Maximiliano Shaffer.
Initially, there were three small ranches in Fortín: El Carmen, owned by the Fernández Family, San Miguel, owned by a company from Orizaba, and the ranch called El Fortín de Villegas, owned by the Contreras Family.
On August 10, 1900, the Roca y Coeli Company sold twelve plots of land to Ignacio Gamez Argüelles at the point known as Puente de San Miguel; On November 10, the Hacienda del Fortín Viejo same year, Mr. Gámez Argüelles, bought Mrs. Juana González Magón, Vda. From Contreras the Rancho de Fortín de Villegas and on February 4, 1904, Gámez acquired the El Carmen ranch, property of Luz Sánchez Vda. Of Fernández and her children Lorenza and Francisco, thus leaving a new ranch called "El Fortín" and that Doña Margarita Alamillo, heiress of Ignacio Gámez sold to Don Manuel Contreras on August 13, 1921
After the storm of the constitutionalist struggle and the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution, which in its article 127 exposes the division of the latifundios, it becomes the spring that puts the peasants of El Fortín in motion, organizing themselves to manage before the Governor of the State, Gral. Cándido Aguilar Vargas, an endowment of lands, these being authorized by the President of the Supreme Government, Gral. Venustiano Carranza, drawing lots for the plots of the new ejido of El Fortín in the first months of 1918.
A modest group of country men, such as Don Aurelio Nava, Gregorio Valiente, Ricardo Gil, José Gil, Cap. Agustín García, Luis Morgado, Manuel Contreras, Rafael Alamillo, Delfino Trujillo, Arnulfo Vallejo, Pedro Amaro, Felipe Morales, Melesio Portillo, Herminio Sánchez, Luis Sánchez, Silvino Montalvo and others, cherishing the ideal of forming a free municipality, formed a commission called "Private Executive Committee", making the first request on April 21, 1918, a management that was unsuccessful because the structuring of the ejido plots was in process.
In 1927, a commission headed by Mr. Aurelio Nava and Mr. Ricardo Gil, made a second attempt without being listened to. It was until 1930 when they decided to write an official letter that, through the same commission, was delivered to General Cándido Aguilar, so that in turn General Aguilar, who at that time served as representative of the Government of the State of Veracruz before the Federation, delivered to the Governor of the State, Eng. and Gral. Adalberto Tejeda, the third request for the foundation of the Municipality of Fortín, request that is approved and referred to the H. Legislature of the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz - Llave, who in turn, after Decree No. 307 of July 9, 1930 and being interim Governor Gonzalo Vázquez Vela, El Fortín is declared a Free Municipality and published in the Official Gazette with No. 84, Volume XXIV. On July 15, 1930, drawing up the Inauguration Act of the Free Municipality of El Fortín, on August 3, 1930 at ten o'clock in the morning in the town of El Fortín, until that day, of the municipality of Córdoba, being integrated by the congregations of El Fortín, Monte Blanco, Zapoapita and Tlacotengo that no longer belong to Córdoba, likewise the congregation of Coapichapam, which no longer belongs to the municipality of Ixtaczoquitlan. In the same Act, it is established that four appointments marked with the numbers 12,630 12,631 12,632 and 12,633 are read, which on the previous July 28 issued the State Executive, in favor of Citizens Felipe Morales, Gregorio Valiente, Tomás Torres and Juan Martínez, as President and First, Second and Third Members respectively, thus establishing the Honorable Civil Administration Board of the new municipality of El Fortín, State of Veracruz.
In 1932, under an electoral process, the First Constitutional City Council was integrated, preceded by Mr. Aurelio Nava, who would later leave office to Mr. Luis Sánchez by license.
In 1933, Don Ricardo Gil was postulated as a candidate for the municipal presidency by the National Revolutionary Party, but the authorities of the Center opposed it, so the popular will had to be imposed through a strong demonstration of support for Don Ricardo on June 11 of the same year, getting the authorities of the Center to recognize the popularity of Mr. Gil and after a fully democratic election, in 1934 Don Ricardo Gil is Municipal President, beginning the golden age of Fortín, which concludes with Don Bernabé Martínez, last President of the Campesino Sector (1953 – 1956)
In 1930, the inhabitants of Fortín managed the purchase-sale of the land of Las Ánimas, property of Ignacia and Sara Vivanco, heiresses of Don Ignacio Vivanco y de la Lama, an act that is carried out with the loan granted by Don Manuel Contreras and the Decree of Expropriation of 45-88-43 hectares dated May 1931, thus establishing the legal estate that on August 12, 1937 was expanded with the Colonia Melesio Portillo, after a series of confrontations started On September 26, 1936, being the main leader Don Luis Morgado and with the spilled blood of peasant people, Mrs. Concepción Bringas, widow of Shaffer, ceded 137 hectares that were distributed to 57 peasants.
Given both the demographic and commercial growth and the agricultural development of Fortín, as well as the international tourism promotion that Don Antonio Ruiz Galindo gave him through the then Hotel Ruiz Galindo, he made Lic. Marco Antonio Muñoz as Governor, the Town of Fortín was elevated to the category of "Villa", on August 6, 1955, under Decree No. 114.
On November 12, 1959, the Municipal Head of Fortín was elevated to City.
Places of interest in Fortin
- Municipal Palace of Fortin: Beautiful building whose archery construction is inspired by a colonial-style building, it was built to house the town hall, inside it is a representative mural of Fortin that reflects its history and legacy.
- Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Fortin Kiosk
- Ex-hacienda de la Monte Blanco: Built in 1618 after the conquest (both curiously the year in which the village of Córdoba was founded) in that hacienda was dedicated to the harvest of coffee, orange and tobacco, during the war of independence was used as barracks to the insurgent army where Guadalupe Victoria and Nicolás Bravo were. Today in this tourist place you can only visit your chapel and the ruins of the hacienda.
- Tatsurogo Museum
- Park of floriculture
Basic and secondary education
In Fortín there are about 35 primary schools throughout the municipality. At the middle and high school level there is CETis 143 (public) and five schools that are private secondary and high schools, among which the "Luisa Benítez de Galindo" due to its antiquity (founded in 1958), the Serradel Institute, the College of Bachelors of the State of Veracruz (COBAEV) No. 56, the School of Bachelors "Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz", the Secondary School and Bachelors "Rosa Guerrero Ramirez", the General Enrique C. Rebsamen High School.
Municipal Division
Fortín is divided into 7 congregations, 32 neighborhoods, 13 subdivisions, 12 rancherías and 1 municipal seat.
Communities
(Each congregation is governed by a municipal agent)
- Saint Lucia Potrerillo
- Monte Blanco
- Monte Salas
- Pueblo de las Flores
- Villa Unión
- Coapichapan
- Villa Libertad
Colonies
Downtown, San José, Las Gardenias, Jonotal, Melesio Portillo, San Pablo, Jacarandas, Linda Vista, Terminal, Ricardo Ballinas, Hermosa Province, Las Azaleas, Las Bugambilias Dante Delgado, National Crossing, Calzada Tlacotengo, San Gregorio, Bridge Blanco, San Martín, Los Pinos, Adalberto Díaz Jácome, San Marcial, Dos Caminos, Ángel Morgado, Alberto Rosales, Vicente Lombardo Toledano, Esperanza, Zacatal, Fortín Viejo, Las Palmas, Los Tulipanes, Las Margaritas, Santo Domingo and Santa Leticia.
Divisions
Las Villitas, Las Flores, Tlacotengo, Los Encinos, Santa Isabel, Fortín de las Flores (formerly Ruiz Galindo), Lomas de la Llave, El Bosque, Indeco Shangrila, Los Pinos, Las Fuentes, Jardín, Bamboos, Los Álamos Victoria and the Canvases.
Ranches
Barranca Honda, Mata Larga, San Miguel, Palo Alto, San Isidro, Pueblo de las Flores, San Basilio, San Paulino, Paso Timón, Charro Negro and San Camilo.
The free municipality of Fortín, Veracruz
The ejidatario peasants of the fortín and people who worked on the hacienda the animas owned by the Vivanco family understood that the people as well as the individuals of the family desire their independence and aspire to manage themselves. Dating back to 1919, country people made a request to the state government, begging that Fortín be promoted from the Fortín congregation to the category of free and sovereign Municipality, presenting the following documents PLAN OF ARBITRATES and an income budget for the amount of 12,000 as income from property, rural, urban, commercial and industrial contributions. But the then governor of that time, did not think it was convenient to listen to the request of the neighbors and ignored the plea. Later in the year 1925, the request to the state government was renewed again, giving the same result that had previously been obtained. That is to say, the voice of the neighbors and inhabitants of the place was not heard because they wanted to have a school with teachers because they lacked all the educational services. But the new government arrived headed by C. Colonel and engineer Don Adalberto Tejeda immediately empowered some residents of the town of Fortín at c. de la Melesio Portillo, Rafael Alamillo, Don Aurelio Nava, Don Ricardo Gil Linz so that they proceed to carry out the urbanization of the town of Fortín and on July 3, 1930 they received the request regarding the creation of the municipality of the congregation of Fortín. With it, Fortín ceased to be a congregation of Córdoba. The C. Ricardo Gil and Aurelio Nava, who left on July 3, arriving at night in the state capital, achieving the audience immediately, the C. state governor having a positive response and recommends that they contact the C. Deputies Colonel Francisco A. and Major General Antonio B. Rojas. They all agreed and in a single session held on July 4, 1930, the H. Legislature issued the decree that elected Fortín the free municipality. With this, once and for all, we separated from Córdoba. On August 3, the commemoration of the Free Municipality is celebrated every year where the congregations: Monte Blanco, Santa Lucía Potrerillo, Monte Salas, Tlacontengo, Coapichapa, Villa Unión, Villa Libertad, there are also ejidos, each one with its directives known as ejido commissioners.
- Fortín has many stories: In the Hacienda de las Ánimas they filmed a film with María Félix that was called "El Peñón de las Animas"
- Fortín is famous because here lived General Cándido Aguilar, son-in-law of Don Venustiano Carranza and Constituency in 1917.
- Behind the park is an eagle which was shot by the brother of Porfirio Díaz “the chato” where a marquee of European royalty saved him.
Politics
Chronology of Municipal Presidents
- 2022-2025 Gerardo Rosales Victoria, Morena-PT-Verde
- 2018-2021 Antonio Mansur Oviedo, PAN-PRD
- 2018-2021 Antonio Mansur Oviedo, PAN
- 2014-2017 Armel Cid de León Díaz, PRI
- 2012-2013 Carlos Junco López, PRI (president replacement)
- 2011-2012 César Torrecilla Ramos, PRI (President Destitucióndo)
- 2008-2010 Ángel Sánchez Rincón, PRI
- 2005-2007 David Carrillo Estrada, PRI
- 2001-2004 Angel Morgado Caramón, PRD
- 1998-2000 Roberto Cornú Vásquez, PAN
- 1995-1997 Joaquín Rafael Caramón Morales, PAN
- 1992-1994 Antonio Ramírez Rodríguez, PRI
- 1989-1991 Alfonso Marín Quijano, PRI
- 1986-1988 Francisco Javier Flores Hernández, PRI
- 1983-1985 Ramiro Martínez Niño, PRI
- 1980-1982 José Pedro Lazcano Córdova, PRI
- 1977-1979 Francisco Javier Flores Hernández, PRI
- 1974-1976 Fernando San Miguel Quintero, PRI
- 1971-1973 Juan Silva Ruiz, PRI
- 1968-1970 Alberto Ureta Romero, PRI
- 1965-1967 Juan Silva Ruiz, PRI
- 1962-1964 Benito Díaz Amador, PRI
- 1959-1961 Juan Silva Ruiz, PRI
- 1956-1958 Ricardo Gil Lizt
Twinnings
The city of Fortin has Twinning with 17 cities around the world:
Pescia, Italy (2014)
Velez, Colombia (2016)
Mission, United States (2020)
Atoyac, Mexico (2023)
