Actopan, Hidalgo

Actopan (from Nahuatl: Ātocpan 'thick, humid and fertile land') is a Mexican city, head of the municipality of Actopan in the state of Hidalgo. Actopan is widely known for its gastronomy, especially for ximbo and barbacoa, as well as for the Church and ex-convent of San Nicolás de Tolentino. The city is located north of Mexico City, from which it is 120 km away, and only 37 km from the city of Pachuca de Soto, the capital of the state of Hidalgo. It is located within the geographical region known as Mezquital Valley. According to the results of the 2020 Population and Housing Census of INEGI, the town has a population of 32,276 inhabitants, which represents 52.91% of the municipal population. The city was a settlement of the Otomi people. In 1117 it was conquered by Chichimeca groups and became a dependency of Acolhuacan in 1120. It was conquered by the Tepanecs of Azcapotzalco at the end of the 14th century. The Mexica conquest took place in 1427 during the reign of Itzcoatl. After the Conquest of Mexico, an encomienda was established in Actopan. According to the Universal Dictionary of History and Geography, the city was founded on July 16, 1546; although the date on which the anniversary of its founding is celebrated corresponds to July 8. In 1575 Actopan was elevated to the category of village. It was elevated to Alcaldía Mayor in 1568; Actopan was the head and the towns around it were then República de Indios (Republic of Indigenous People). Later it became Subdelegation in the period of the Bourbon Reforms; and it acquired the character of City Hall and head of party, dependent on the district of Tula, on August 6, 1824. On April 26, 1847, by decree of the Congress of the State of Mexico,...