Cuilapan de Guerrero is a town and municipality located in the central valley region of Oaxaca in 
southern Mexico. It is 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to the south of the capital city of Oaxaca on the road leading to Villa de Zaachila, and is in the Centro District in the Valles Centrales region.
Cuilapan, originally called Sahayuca, has been a permanent settlement since at least 500 BCE. It developed into a city state but was absorbed by Monte Alban until between 600 and 900 CE. After this, Cuilapan returned to being an independent city-state, equal to a number of other important city states in the area. After the Spanish conquest, Cuilapan had a population of over 40,000 people with formidable social, economic and cultural institutions. For this reason, a major monastery dedicated to James the apostle was established there in the 1550s in order to evangelize the Mixtec and Zapotec populations. However, the area underwent decline of its native population in the 16th and early 17th century and the extravagant monastery complex would later deteriorate in the 19th century. Today, the town is quiet place with a fraction of its former population and prestige. The ruins of the monastery complex remain mostly as a national monument administered by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia.
The Cuilapan area has been settled by humans since 1500 BCE with a sedentary village established by 500 BCE. These sedentary peoples developed activities such as weaving, pottery and stonemasonry, with permanent houses, ceremonial structures and tombs. The society here grew and stratified over time and eventually a simple writing system came into existence. Cuilapan developed as an independent city state until the rise of Mon
te Alban, which came into dominance because it provided a refuge in a defensible location. During this time, Cuilapan was one of the satellite cities of the dominion. Between 600 and 900 CE, Monte Alban decline and collapsed, allowing Cuilapan and others to become independent again. Excavations from this period show that Cuilapan gained prominence in the post Monte Alban period, but was not dominant over its neighbors and never reached the heights of the former dominion. At this time, Cuilapan is identifiable as a Zapotec city state. Later, in the post classic period, this and other Zapotec cities would be overrun by the Mixtecs.
At the time of the Spanish conquest, Cuilapan was large multiethnic population center of 43,000 people and one of the centers of the political, economic and cultural life of the central valleys of Oaxaca. The area was still the center of an ongoing struggle for dominance between the Mixtecs and the Zapotecs. To complicate things further, the Aztecs also had a presence in the central valleys region, and exacted tribute from Cuilapan through their military garrison in Huaxyácac (today the city of Oaxaca). This tribute included products such as corn, beans, clothing, gold and cochineal.Cuilapan had a number of its own subject settlements which included Camotlán, Etla, Quauxilotitlan , Guaxaca, Macuilcóchitl, Tlacochahuaya, Teítipac and Ocotlán. However, the Aztecs sought only tribute and left Mixtec cultural and political traditions here mostly intact.
The Spanish found a thriving community with formidable political, economic and social organizations. The Mixtecs dominated and society was divided into a ruling class called c
aciques and commoners called macehuales. This heterogeneous system would mostly stay after the Spanish conquest, with the ruling class keeping many of its privileges with the conditions of conversion to Christianity and fealty to the Spanish crown. The original Mixtec settlement was at the foot of a hill in this area, but the modern town was established by Fray Domingo de Oguinaga and Zapotecs in 1551, with the founding of the monastery of Saint James.
This monastery was a major center of evangelization efforts in the early colonial period in the central valleys region of Oaxaca, although it was never finished. The Dominicans were in charge of evangelization and in a few years had managed to baptized nearly all the inhabitants. However, this was not enough to ensure acceptance of the new faith, so the monastery with its large open chapel and elaborate murals was begun in the 1550s to reinforce Christian ideas, modified to relate to traditional Mixtec and Zapotec beliefs. However, one major effect the monastery had was to move the population center from the original Mixtec settlement to one surrounding the monastery.
Culiapan was caught up in a sovereignty dispute between Hernán Cortés, the Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca, and the city of Antequera (which would become the city of Oaxaca). As the Marquis, Cortés has absolute control over Cuiliapan and sixteen other towns in the valley as well as all of these town’s subject villages. Residents of the city of Antequera were fearful of Cortés unchecked political authority in the region in spite of their city charter granting them autonomy. The struggle lasted from the 1520s to the 1530s with each claiming land from the other. Eventually, the authority of the Marquis was limited to four towns known as the Cuatro Villas in 1533, with Culiapan being one of them. With this arrangement, Culiapan became a Spanish “cabecera” (seat) for a number of other, smaller settlements.
The decline of Cuilapan began in the 16th century, when the population fell from 43,000 in the 1520s to 7,000 in 1600. Construction of the massive basilica and monastery was halted by the 1570s, and was never finished. The Dominican friars were obliged to hand over the complex to regular clergy in the mid 18th century. From this point, the wealth and prestige of the institution declined. Church authorities neglected the maintenance of the complex and is deteriorated until it was finally divested of its religious function by the 19th century.
The former monastery still defines the town and is the major attraction for visitors. The fortress like complex is easily seen from the highway as one travels south from the city of Oaxaca towards Zaachila, and it is visited by both Mexican and international tourists. The complex located on a small hill which gives it a view of much of the valley area. It is one of the most extravagant and elaborate colonial area construction in Oaxaca, but it is often overlooked in favor of churches and monasteries located in the Mexico City area . Built of green quarried stone and river rocks, it is a quiet place where footsteps can echo in the hallways. The extravagances of the site, include the tall basilica, the elaborate baptismal font, the Gothic cloister and murals remain as national treasures. The decorative work of the monastery, especially its murals, are important because they show a systematic blending of indigenous elements into the Christian framework, done in order to support the evangelization process in the local Mixtec and Zapotec peoples. The single-naved church is used for worship but the roofless basilica and cloister are under the control of INAH, which uses many of the second floor rooms of the cloister as workshops for restoration projects and runs a small museum with important liturgical items from the 16th century.videos video photo photos pictures fotos United States Estados Unidos US USA travel trip holiday vacation vacaciones gratis free http://goplanettravel.blogspot.com goplanettravel gotravelphoto
See also in Oaxaca
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hierve el agua mexico Santa Maria del tule mexico Mitla mexico Monte Alban mexico m Oaxaca de Juarez mexico Teotitlan mexico Alebrijes meixo Cuilapan mexiSan Bartolo Coyotepec
Restaurants in Oaxaca MexicoHostels in Oaxaca
May 2008
southern Mexico. It is 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to the south of the capital city of Oaxaca on the road leading to Villa de Zaachila, and is in the Centro District in the Valles Centrales region.Cuilapan, originally called Sahayuca, has been a permanent settlement since at least 500 BCE. It developed into a city state but was absorbed by Monte Alban until between 600 and 900 CE. After this, Cuilapan returned to being an independent city-state, equal to a number of other important city states in the area. After the Spanish conquest, Cuilapan had a population of over 40,000 people with formidable social, economic and cultural institutions. For this reason, a major monastery dedicated to James the apostle was established there in the 1550s in order to evangelize the Mixtec and Zapotec populations. However, the area underwent decline of its native population in the 16th and early 17th century and the extravagant monastery complex would later deteriorate in the 19th century. Today, the town is quiet place with a fraction of its former population and prestige. The ruins of the monastery complex remain mostly as a national monument administered by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia.
The Cuilapan area has been settled by humans since 1500 BCE with a sedentary village established by 500 BCE. These sedentary peoples developed activities such as weaving, pottery and stonemasonry, with permanent houses, ceremonial structures and tombs. The society here grew and stratified over time and eventually a simple writing system came into existence. Cuilapan developed as an independent city state until the rise of Mon
te Alban, which came into dominance because it provided a refuge in a defensible location. During this time, Cuilapan was one of the satellite cities of the dominion. Between 600 and 900 CE, Monte Alban decline and collapsed, allowing Cuilapan and others to become independent again. Excavations from this period show that Cuilapan gained prominence in the post Monte Alban period, but was not dominant over its neighbors and never reached the heights of the former dominion. At this time, Cuilapan is identifiable as a Zapotec city state. Later, in the post classic period, this and other Zapotec cities would be overrun by the Mixtecs.At the time of the Spanish conquest, Cuilapan was large multiethnic population center of 43,000 people and one of the centers of the political, economic and cultural life of the central valleys of Oaxaca. The area was still the center of an ongoing struggle for dominance between the Mixtecs and the Zapotecs. To complicate things further, the Aztecs also had a presence in the central valleys region, and exacted tribute from Cuilapan through their military garrison in Huaxyácac (today the city of Oaxaca). This tribute included products such as corn, beans, clothing, gold and cochineal.Cuilapan had a number of its own subject settlements which included Camotlán, Etla, Quauxilotitlan , Guaxaca, Macuilcóchitl, Tlacochahuaya, Teítipac and Ocotlán. However, the Aztecs sought only tribute and left Mixtec cultural and political traditions here mostly intact.
The Spanish found a thriving community with formidable political, economic and social organizations. The Mixtecs dominated and society was divided into a ruling class called c
aciques and commoners called macehuales. This heterogeneous system would mostly stay after the Spanish conquest, with the ruling class keeping many of its privileges with the conditions of conversion to Christianity and fealty to the Spanish crown. The original Mixtec settlement was at the foot of a hill in this area, but the modern town was established by Fray Domingo de Oguinaga and Zapotecs in 1551, with the founding of the monastery of Saint James.This monastery was a major center of evangelization efforts in the early colonial period in the central valleys region of Oaxaca, although it was never finished. The Dominicans were in charge of evangelization and in a few years had managed to baptized nearly all the inhabitants. However, this was not enough to ensure acceptance of the new faith, so the monastery with its large open chapel and elaborate murals was begun in the 1550s to reinforce Christian ideas, modified to relate to traditional Mixtec and Zapotec beliefs. However, one major effect the monastery had was to move the population center from the original Mixtec settlement to one surrounding the monastery.
Culiapan was caught up in a sovereignty dispute between Hernán Cortés, the Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca, and the city of Antequera (which would become the city of Oaxaca). As the Marquis, Cortés has absolute control over Cuiliapan and sixteen other towns in the valley as well as all of these town’s subject villages. Residents of the city of Antequera were fearful of Cortés unchecked political authority in the region in spite of their city charter granting them autonomy. The struggle lasted from the 1520s to the 1530s with each claiming land from the other. Eventually, the authority of the Marquis was limited to four towns known as the Cuatro Villas in 1533, with Culiapan being one of them. With this arrangement, Culiapan became a Spanish “cabecera” (seat) for a number of other, smaller settlements.
The decline of Cuilapan began in the 16th century, when the population fell from 43,000 in the 1520s to 7,000 in 1600. Construction of the massive basilica and monastery was halted by the 1570s, and was never finished. The Dominican friars were obliged to hand over the complex to regular clergy in the mid 18th century. From this point, the wealth and prestige of the institution declined. Church authorities neglected the maintenance of the complex and is deteriorated until it was finally divested of its religious function by the 19th century.
The former monastery still defines the town and is the major attraction for visitors. The fortress like complex is easily seen from the highway as one travels south from the city of Oaxaca towards Zaachila, and it is visited by both Mexican and international tourists. The complex located on a small hill which gives it a view of much of the valley area. It is one of the most extravagant and elaborate colonial area construction in Oaxaca, but it is often overlooked in favor of churches and monasteries located in the Mexico City area . Built of green quarried stone and river rocks, it is a quiet place where footsteps can echo in the hallways. The extravagances of the site, include the tall basilica, the elaborate baptismal font, the Gothic cloister and murals remain as national treasures. The decorative work of the monastery, especially its murals, are important because they show a systematic blending of indigenous elements into the Christian framework, done in order to support the evangelization process in the local Mixtec and Zapotec peoples. The single-naved church is used for worship but the roofless basilica and cloister are under the control of INAH, which uses many of the second floor rooms of the cloister as workshops for restoration projects and runs a small museum with important liturgical items from the 16th century.videos video photo photos pictures fotos United States Estados Unidos US USA travel trip holiday vacation vacaciones gratis free http://goplanettravel.blogspot.com goplanettravel gotravelphoto
See also in Oaxaca
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hierve el agua mexico Santa Maria del tule mexico Mitla mexico Monte Alban mexico m Oaxaca de Juarez mexico Teotitlan mexico Alebrijes meixo Cuilapan mexiSan Bartolo Coyotepec
Restaurants in Oaxaca MexicoHostels in Oaxaca
May 2008
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