Xilitla
| Xilitla | ||
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Coordinates: 21 ° 23 ′ N , 98 ° 59 ′ W Xilitla on the map of San Luis Potosí
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| Basic data | ||
| Country | Mexico | |
| State | San Luis Potosí (State) | |
| Municipio | Xilitla | |
| Residents | 6576 (2010) | |
| Detailed data | ||
| surface | 1.98 km 2 | |
| Population density | 3,321 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| height | 640 m | |
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Xilitla is a small town with just under 8,000 inhabitants and the capital of the municipality of the same name (municipio), which has around 55,000 inhabitants, in the southeast of the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí . Because of its colonial character and the fantasy world of Las Pozas, the place is one of the Pueblos Mágicos .
Location and climate
The small town of Xilitla is located in the wooded mountains of the Sierra Madre Oriental approx. 450 km (driving distance) north of Mexico City or approx. 300 km southeast of the city of San Luis Potosí at an average altitude of around 640 m . Xilitla is about 100 km as the crow flies from the Gulf of Mexico . The climate is temperate to mild; the rain, which is abundant by Mexican standards (approx. 2205 mm / year), falls mainly during the summer half-year.
population
| year | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| Residents | 5,677 | 6.001 | 6,576 |
Only part of the population is of Spanish descent; Colloquial languages are Spanish and a regional Nahuatl dialect.
economy
Today's residents live mainly from growing coffee ; Fruit growing and small livestock also play a certain role. Small traders, craftsmen and service providers of all kinds have set up shop in the village, providing the growing number of day tourists with everything they need.
history
The first known inhabitants of the region were various Indian tribes; the last include the Huasteks and Chichimecs , which were subjugated by the Aztecs in the late 15th century ; however, their empire went under about 50 years later with the conquest of Tenochtitlán (1519–1521) by Hernán Cortés . In the wake of the conquistadors came missionaries of the Augustinian order who Christianized the area.
Attractions
- The main church of the small town is the Iglesia San Agustín , begun in 1553 and belonging to an Augustinian convent , which resembles a fortified church in its overall impression . In fact, the place was attacked twice by the Chichimec Indians in 1569 and 1587.
- The main square (Plaza Mayor), surrounded by buildings in the style of the 16th and 17th centuries, extends in front of the church .
- Surroundings
- Between 1947 and 1984 the Scot Edward James created a surreal and fantastic architecture and sculpture park on the area of a former plantation northwest of the city.
Web links
- Xilitla - Photos + Info (Spanish)
- Xilitla, Las Pozas - Photos and brief information (English)
- Xilitla, history and landmarks - photos and quick facts (Spanish)