The
Totonacs first established themselves around
Macuiltepetl ("fifth mountain" in Nahuatl). This extinct volcano received its name because the
Aztecs used it as the fifth reference mountain to get to the gulf of Mexico's shores. Today it is preserved in a park. During the 14th century, four indigenous peoples settled in the territory today known as Xalapa. Each built a small village: Xalitic (in the sand) was founded by the Totonacas; in the northeast Tecuanapan (river of the beasts) was founded by the
Toltecas, and Tlalnecapan was founded by the Teochichimecas. Around 1313, the four villages grew together and joined, forming one large village named Xallapan.
Moctezuma Ilhuicamina, the fifth
Aztec emperor, invaded the territory during the second half of the 15th century. All the land was ruled as part of the Aztec Empire before the arrival and conquest of the Spanish
conquistadores. In 1519
Hernán Cortés passed through en route to
Tenochtitlan. In 1555 Spanish Franciscans completed construction of a
convent, an important event in the
Nueva España of that time. officially elevated the status of Xalapa to
villa on 18 December 1791. When the Spanish invaded, Xalapa was barely populated. The population rose after the conquest and colonial settlement. When the Spanish improved the Mexico-
Orizaba-
Veracruz route, Xalapa declined in importance as a transport hub, and its population stagnated in the 17th century. From 1720 on Xalapa became increasingly important, due to trade with merchants from New Spain arriving to buy and sell the products of the peninsula. (1847) Xalapeños such as Ambrosio Alcalde and Antonio García fought hard to defend the city of Veracruz, but were taken prisoner. They were released and paroled, but after rejoining the fighting against the US, they were recaptured near
Teocelo, taken to Xalapa, sentenced to death and executed on 24 November 1847. Today these two men are remembered as martyrs. An obelisk commemorates their sacrifice, between San Jose Church and Alcalde Market, named for Ambrosio Alcalde. US forces marched on to capture Mexico City and departed after the
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In November 1862 Xalapa was attacked in the French invasion; foreigners temporarily took control of the state capital. On 27 November 1867 the corpse of emperor
Maximilian I of Mexico, who had been executed in
Querétaro, arrived and was held in San José, attended by the priest José María y Daza, then transferred to Veracruz the following day. The remains were shipped back to
Austria for burial. (1836–1892) for whom the city is named In 1885 General
Juan de la Luz Enríquez increased the influence of Xalapa when he moved some legislative authority from Orizaba to Xalapa, in accordance with a decree issued in June 1884 by provisional Governor
Juan Manuel Fernández de Jáuregui. Enríquez and Swiss teacher
Enrique C. Rébsamen in 1886 founded the Normal School in Xalapa, the first school of this type in the country. Enríquez died in 1892, but the construction of the Normal School and founding of its other schools led to Xalapa becoming known as a center of learning, the "Athens of Veracruz". On 18 May 1911,
Francisco I. Madero visited Xalapa. On 21 June of the same year a minor conflict occurred between federal forces and revolutionaries. == Geography ==