Chimaltitán

Chimaltitán is the seat of the municipality of the same name in northern Jalisco, right against the Zacatecas border and at about 850 metres above sea level according to Wikipedia. The name comes from Nahuatl, chimalli, "shield", and tlan, "between" or "surrounded by": it is read as "among the shields", and local tradition recalls that the area made war shields and other hand weapons. At the 2020 census the town had 609 inhabitants, down from 843 in 2010, and holds almost a fifth of the municipal population.

The history told of the place includes its conquest by Emmanuel Peñas, sent by Nuño de Guzmán, and the founding of the settlement by the Franciscan friars Andrés de Medina and Pedro del Monte; in 1616 friars from Zacatecas set up a doctrina here. In November 1810 fighters from the area led by Marcos Escobedo joined Hidalgo's insurgents at the Battle of Puente de Calderón. The municipality had been folded into Bolaños and regained municipal status by the decree of 1 January 1844.

The town sits at the foot of Cerro de la Santa Cruz. Its best-known architecture is in cantera stone: the Templo de la Virgen de Guadalupe, with a plain grey facade, and the Franciscan ex-convent, both from the 17th century. Stone carving is also the craft that made Chimaltitán known; palm hats and embroidery for traditional dresses are made too. At the table, birria, pepián and cajeta stand out.