Atzitzihuacán

Santiago Atzitzihuacán is the seat of the municipality of Atzitzihuacán in west-central Puebla, on the northern edge of Puebla's Mixteca and next to the state of Morelos. The Nahuatl name means "place of little water". The village stands at about 1,800 m and had 1,002 people in 2020; the municipality, about 128 km², has nearly 12,000 and is made up of the seat plus San Juan Tejupa, San Mateo Coatepec, San Pedro Ixhuatepec, San Francisco Xochiteopan, San Miguel Ahuacomulicán and San Juan Amecac. It borders Tochimilco, Huaquechula, Atlixco, Acteopan, Tepemaxalco and, on the Morelos side, Tetela del Volcán.

It was a settlement of Nahua groups who paid tribute to the Aztecs. In colonial times the Dominicans built the 16th-century church of Santiago Apóstol, which keeps the style of its era and stays open year-round. The name fits: as early as 1589 the villagers asked for water to be brought to them along the Atzintla stream. It belonged to the district of Atlixco until it became a free municipality in 1895.

The main festival honours the patron, Saint James, on 25 July. The calendar also includes Candlemas on 2 February, Saint Joseph on 19 March, Holy Week, the Assumption on 15 August, All Saints and All Souls on 1 and 2 November, the Virgin of Guadalupe on 12 December and the posadas from 16 to 24 December.