Recall the name Tlacopan. It echoes through the ages. We are standing in Tacuba, now a section of northwest Mexico City. Once, Tacuba stood as an autonomous municipality. That was until 1928. Then it was incorporated into the Central Department.
Tacuba’s story stretches back to pre-Hispanic times. It was then known as Tlacopan. The name Tacuba comes from the Nahuatl word Tlacopan. It means place of the jarilla plant.
Tacuba played a key role in the Aztec Triple Alliance. When Tenochtitlan and Texcoco allied against Azcapotzalco, Tacuba did not resist. Thus, it became the third member of this powerful alliance. Tacuba’s importance led to the construction of a causeway. This causeway linked it to Tenochtitlan over the lake. Today, that causeway still exists as Calzada Mexico-Tacuba. It remains a major thoroughfare.
During the Spanish conquest, Tacuba became a refuge. After being expelled from Tenochtitlan during La Noche Triste, Cortés fled here. He and his men sought safety on the road to Tacuba. A year later, Cortés returned to conquer Tenochtitlan. At the intersection of Mexico-Tacuba Road and Mar Blanco stands a Montezuma cypress. Legend says Cortés wept under this tree after his defeat.
Tetlepanquetzal was the last pre-colonial ruler of Tacuba. Cortés tortured him under suspicion of hiding treasure. Isabel Moctezuma, daughter of Moctezuma II, became the next ruler. This was by Spanish decree in 1526. Cortés, in the name of King Charles V, assigned Tacuba to her. It was an encomienda, a grant of tribute and labor. The 120 Tacuba households paid tribute to Isabel. They provided fowl, eggs, corn, tortillas, and cacao beans. Spanish husbands administered Isabel’s encomienda until her death in 1550. But her heirs reaped benefits for generations.
The Franciscans built a church dedicated to the Archangel Gabriel. It was built over a pre-Hispanic ceremonial site. By 1632, Tacuba had sixty haciendas. By the late 1700s, it had 28 villages. The Remedios River was the main water supply. Besides agriculture, Tacuba supplied lumber and sandstone for construction. By 1794, the area had 45 villages.
In the early 20th century, Tacuba saw the establishment of important schools. The Colegio Militar moved to Popotla in 1913. It reopened in 1920 after the Mexican Revolution. The Escuela Nacional de Maestros opened in 1925. Also that year, the Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria de UNAM opened. The Instituto Politécnico Nacional opened in Santo Tomás in 1937.
Since the mid-20th century, Tacuba has faced decline. It has struggled with crime and sanitation issues. Uncontrolled street vending, public transportation problems, and prostitution plague the area. The RENACE program aims to rehabilitate Tacuba.
The church and former monastery of San Gabriel stands near the Tacuba Metro station. The atrium’s stone gate features three arches. The façade is mostly Baroque. It has Doric columns and a frieze with vegetative designs. The bell tower has two levels, also in Baroque style. The side portal faces Calzada Mexico-Tacuba. Inside, the main altar is gilded. It displays colonial-era paintings of the Virgin Mary and saints. There is also an image of the Child Jesus called the “Niño futbolista”. It is dressed in Mexico’s national team uniform for the World Cup.
The Monastery of San Joaquín was founded in 1689 by the Carmelites. It retains its original architecture. It served as an important school for young priests.
In the Tacuba area, we find Popotla. Here lie the remains of the Montezuma cypress. It is said that Hernán Cortés wept under this tree after La Noche Triste in 1520. Next to the plaza is an old mansion with a mural called “Noche de la Victoria”. The Colegio Militar is located further east along Calzada Tacuba-Mexico. Today, it houses the Universidad del Ejército y Fuerza Aérea.
Tacuba is also home to the “Niño Futbolista”. This Child Jesus image is considered generous in granting miracles. It is dressed in the Mexico national football team uniform every four years during the FIFA World Cup. People hope that Mexico wins the cup.