Tlaxcala Tlaxcala de Xicohténcatl |
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Municipality | ||||||
Tlaxcala City
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Location of Tlaxcala within Tlaxcala |
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Coordinates: 19°18′45″N 98°14′24″W / 19.31250°N 98.24000°WCoordinates: 19°18′45″N 98°14′24″W / 19.31250°N 98.24000°W | ||||||
Country | Mexico | |||||
State | Tlaxcala | |||||
Founded | October 3, 1525 | |||||
Municipal Status | 1813 | |||||
Government | ||||||
• Municipal President | Anabell Ávalos Zempoalteca | |||||
Elevation (of seat) | 2,239 m (7,346 ft) | |||||
Population (2010) Municipality | ||||||
• Municipality | 89,795 | |||||
Demonym(s) | Tlaxcaltecas | |||||
Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | |||||
Postal code (of seat) | 90000 | |||||
Area code(s) | 246 |
Tlaxcala, officially Tlaxcala de Xicohténcatl (Spanish [tla(k)sˈkala] , Nahuatl: Tlaxcallān Xīcohtēncatl [tɬaʃˈkalːaːn ʃiːkoʔˈteːŋkatɬ]), is the capital city of the Mexican state of Tlaxcala and seat of the municipality of the same name. The city did not exist during the pre Hispanic period but was laid out by the Spanish as a center of evangelization and governance after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. It was designated as a diocese but eventually lost this status to Puebla as its population declined. The city still has many of its old colonial structures including the former Franciscan monastery, as well as newer civic structures such as the Xicohténcatl Theater.
The city center is compact and filled with colonial era building painted in colors such as burnt umber, salmon pink and mustard yellow. Most of these buildings are centered on the main square called the Plaza de la Constitución. This square measures 75 metres (246 feet) on each side and was established when the Spanish laid out the city in 1524. The current name was given in 1813 to honor the Cádiz Constitution as well as the Mexican constitutions of 1857 and 1917. In the center of this square is the Santa Cruz Fountain which was donated to the city by Philip IV in 1646. There is also a kiosk which was constructed in the 19th century.