Cuautla, Morelos


Cuautla, officially La heroica e histórica Cuautla, Morelos or H. H. Cuautla, Morelos, is a city and municipality in the Mexican state of Morelos, about 104 kilometers south of Mexico City. In the 2010 census the city population was 154,358. The municipality covers 153.651 km². Cuautla is the third most populous city in the state, after Cuernavaca and Jiutepec. The city was founded on April 4, 1829.
The Cuautla Metropolitan Area, the second largest in Morelos, comprises the municipalities of Cuautla, Yautepec, Ayala, Yecapixtla, Atlatlahucan, and Tlayacapan. It covers 1,037.30 km2, which represents 21.26% of the state's total area. The metropolitan population is 434,187.

History

Prehispanic History

The Olmec group who lived in Chalcatzingo founded settlements in Cuautla, Tepalcingo, Jonacatepec, Olintepec, Atlihuayan, Huaxtepec, Gualupita de Cuernavaca, Tlayacapan, etc..
Five years after the conquest of Cuahunahuác in, Moctezuma Ilhuicamina conquered Huaxtepec, Yautepec, Tlayacapan and other towns of Morelos and Guerrero. With Huaxtepec, which was the prehispanic and colonial capital of the peoples of the Plan de Amilpas, its 25-human settlements including Cuauhtlán, had to pay a tribute of 400 cotton blankets, 400 two-color valances, 400 bedspreads, 800 thin cotton blankets, 400 pairs of shorts, 200 women's shirts, and 1,200 veils every 80 days. In addition, they were required to contribute labor.

Spanish conquest and colonial period

The Plan de Amilpas including Cuautla was conquered by Captain Gonzalo de Sandoval on March 14, 1521. In 1543 New Spain was organized into four provinces: Michoacán, México, Coatzacoalcos, and Las Mixtecas; the present territory of Morelos was part of the Mexico province.
The church and monastery of San Diego were built between 1560 and 1580. The church is relatively small and austere, although there is a beautiful cupola on the south side. The façade of the church is made of pink granite with well-defined bases, columns, and cornices. The small, two-level belltower is square and simple. The monetary is high and formal; it may have been built after the church. The church is unique in that it faces the east, there is no real atrium, and there are neither capillas posas nor an open chapel. Construction of the church of Santo Domingo also began in the middle of the 16th century, but there is little information on it.
After the conquest, Indigenous lands were confiscated, mostly for sugar cane plantations and mills. Despite Indigenous protests, Viceroy Gaspar de Zúñiga ruled in favor of the colonists on July 5, 1603. In 1646 the province of México became the Real Audiencia; Cuautla became an alcaldia belonging to the Intendencia of Puebla.

Independence & 19th Century

After a number of successful battles, General José María Morelos arrived in Cuautla in December 1811. On February 19, 1812, Spanish General Félix María Calleja began the 72-day Siege of Cuautla. Morelos was accompanied by Leonardo Bravo, Mariano Matamoros, Hermenegildo Galeana, Nicolás Bravo, and Manuel de Ordiera. 12-year-old Narciso Mendoza, known as the Niño Artillero is remembered for stopping an advance of royalist troops by setting off a cannon. Morelos and his army were able to break out on May 2, 1812.
Cuautla was designated a Heroic City on April 4, 1829, while Felipe B. Montero was Presidente Municipal.
An 1865 photograph shows the construction of the second floor of the Palacio Municipal in 1865. The building was burned during the Revolution.
The railroad station was opened on June 18, 1881, next to the Convento de San Diego. Tourist trains continue to operate along the line.

Revolution & 20th Century

As a young man, Emiliano Zapata was concerned about land seizures in Anenecuilco, his hometown. In May 1911 he answered Francisco I. Madero's call to arms against President Porfirio Díaz. After minor battles in Chietla, Izúcar, Metepec Atlixco, Yautepec, and Jonacatepec, he arrived at Cuautla on May 11, 1911. With 4,000 or 5,000 troops he surrounded the city, and the week-long Battle of Cuautla began. The battle was a major turning point in the Mexican Revolution, as Porfirio Díaz said the battle convinced him to sign the Treaty of Ciudad Juárez and resign.
Nearly seven years later, in April 1919, Colonel Jesus Guajardo assassinated Zapata, apparently under orders of President Venustiano Carranza in Hacienda Chinameca, Ayala. His body was placed on a mule and left on the street before he was brought to Cuautla for burial.
The city hall was burned during the Battle of Cuautla in 1911; the bell Nuestra Señora de Dolores was transferred from the Church of Guadalupita on February 19, 2917 when the city hall was restored.

21st Century

Six people, including an 11-year-old child, were killed in the September 17, 2017 Puebla earthquake.
Jesus Corona Damian of Juntos Haremos Historia was elected Presidente Municipal in the election of July 1, 2018.
Tetelcingo was scheduled to become an autonomous municipality on January 1, 2019, but Cuautla authorities objected.
As of May 4, 2020, there were 505 infections and 59 deaths in the state of Morelos and 62 confirmed infections from the COVID-19 pandemic in Cuautla. Schools and many businesses were closed from mid March until June 1. On June 2, Cuautla reported 224 confirmed cases and 34 deaths from the virus; the reopening of the state was pushed back until at least June 13.

Notable people

Celebrations and holidays

Rich stews with green or red guasmole, the green mole of pipián with tamales, and cecina. Also huitlacoche molotes, a squash flower soup, or a mushroom cream soup, or Aztec soup. Also available is Morelense chicken with peanut sauce, Tzompantli flower pancakes, and broken beans.

Art

Motivos sobre el agua, is a fresco painted by Olga Costa and José Chávez Morado, hidden inside the Agua Hedionda Spa. There is a group of plump mermaids playing musical instruments at the bottom of the sea. One carries the zither, another the cello, and one a type of shell or tambourine. They are surrounded by fish, shells, corals, and starfish. It was made in 1952.

Dance

Las Tetelcingas is a traditional dance from the indigenous town of Tetelcingo.
Typical dress: the authentic suit is that of Tetelcinga, which consists of a huipil and a tangle of thick dark blue cloth, tied at the waist with wide folds by means of a blue and red sash, a blue skirt, sandals, with a headband made of flowers. The women's hair is worn long, either loose or braided. Eliseo Aragón said that half a century ago some women used to color their hair blue, red, or green, in the Olmec style. It is also said that drinking cups were used on the head as an ornament. The men's costume consists of white cotton pants tied with a red sash, a long-sleeved cotton shirt, a straw sombrero, a bandana, and sandals; however, there are photographs in which the natives of Tetelcingo wear a kind of jorongo and short leather pants.

Economy

Among the most important activities in Cuautla you will find:
The Cuautla Industrial Park, located in Ayala, covers and is the second largest in Morelos. Most of the companies are related to the automotive industry. The largest employers are Saint-Gobainl,, Sekurit, and Temic.
Riverside, California is a Sister city.

Transportation

;Highways
;Public transportation
Local buses or combis serve Cuautla and nearby municipalities. Taxis and ride shareing are available.
Cuautla has several bus terminals for long-distance travel:
;Trains
There is no regularly scheduled train service. A tourist train runs occasionally.
;Air
Cuautla does not have an airport; flights are available at Cuernavaca Airport, Mexico City International Airport, and Puebla International Airport.

Communities

As of 2014–2015, there are 24 daycare centers with 508 children, 110 preschools with 533 teachers and 7,545 pupils, 101 elementary schools with 1,225 teachers and 22,754 pupils, and 42 middle schools with 641 teachers and 11,354 pupils

Geography

Location

Cuautla is located in the eastern Morelos, with the geographic coordinates 18°49'N and 99°01'E and an altitude of above sea level.
Cuautla borders the municipalities of Atlatlahucan, Ayala, Yautepec, and Yecapixtla.

Distance from other parts of Mexico

Cuautla covers roughly 153.651 km², which is about 3% of the overall size of Morelos.

Attractions

The area is a tourist-friendly region with abundant hot springs and health spas/resorts. It features many archeological sites such as Chalcatzingo and Indigenous communities such as the Tepoztlán and Tetelcingo among others.

Springs, Spas, & Water Parks

The vast majority of buildings in Cuautla are made of stone and cement with metal rod reinforcements. Also, many homes in this city, are made with only cinder blocks, cement, and a tin roof. Many of these homes also lack electricity and running water. Nearly all homes have a "tinaco," which is a large plastic container for water, which is refilled regularly by the city. These containers let water out into pipes which can be opened or closed to wash clothes and dishes or to bathe.

Climate

The city is quite warm year-round.
In the winter, there is a slight decrease in both the daytime and nighttime temperatures, and because of Cuautla's proximity to the Tropic of Cancer and its altitude, the nighttime temperatures year-round usually average about 57 °F. On the other hand, because Cuautla is somewhat close to the Equator, temperatures year-round tend to reach into the mid-80s to lower 90s°F even during the winter, and in spring on many days the daytime temperatures may reach well into the upper 90s°F.

Religion

The dominant religion in Cuautla is Roman Catholicism. There are 22 registered churches in the municipal area.