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Tlaxcala
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TLAXCALA
, capital of the tiny state of the same name, is 100km west of Mexico City and just 30km north of Puebla. As CortA©s' closest ally in the struggle against the Aztecs, the town suffered a very different fate from that of Cholula, and one that in the long run has led to an even more total disappearance of its ancient culture. For although the Spanish founded a town here - now restored and very beautiful in much of its original colonial glory - to the Mexicans Tlaxcala was a symbol of treachery, and to some extent still is. Siding with Spain in the War of Independence didn't help greatly either, and whether for this reason, or for its genuine isolation, development has largely passed Tlaxcala by.
The town sits in the middle of a fertile, prosperous-looking upland plain surrounded by rather bare mountains. At the centre you'll discover an exceptionally pretty and very much rehabilitated colonial town, comfortable but in the final analysis fairly dull. Most of the interest lies very close to the zA?calo, with its central bandstand, where the terracotta and ochre tones of the buildings lend the city its tag of
Ciudad Roja
, the Red City. Its appearance, slow pace and proximity to the nation's capital have drawn a small but significant expat community, though its impact on daily life is minimal. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Mexico,
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