Houses on the hill. That’s what Xantepec means in Nahuatl. Santa Lucía Xantepec. This unassuming town in Álvaro Obregón has a history stretching back centuries before the Spanish arrived.
Imagine. Around 200 years before Cortés and his conquistadors. A thriving community already existed here nestled in the hills. Santa Lucía Xantepec was already a significant place. It was subject to Coyoacán then later to Tlacopan. Most Cuajimalpa communities west of here shared a similar fate.
The Spanish invasion changed everything. In 1534 Santa Lucía Xantepec became part of the Marquessate of Oaxaca. Its location on the Royal Road to Toluca made it strategically important. The saint Santa Lucía replaced the indigenous goddess Chicomecóatl. Chicomecóatl represented water and was associated with the god Tlaloc.
The town received legal recognition in 1562. A period of evangelization followed led mainly by Franciscan friars. Carmelites and Dominicans also participated. A land dispute with Santa Fe residents led to the construction of the church you see today. Building spanned from 1629 to 1749.
Look closely at the church facade. You’ll find beans and bean seeds. These are associated with Chicomecóatl. The large carved corn cobs represent Centeōtl. He was the god of corn Chicomecóatl’s counterpart. A piece of the old cemetery still lies beneath the atrium gardens.
Santa Lucía Xantepec. A place where ancient traditions and colonial history meet. A small town with a story as rich and complex as the land it sits upon. A place where the echoes of the past resonate in the stones and the soil.