When the Spaniards arrived, a group of Zoques established in the actual territory of the
municipality; time after, this Zoques were submitted by the Aztecs and later by the
Spaniards. Chapultenango means “Fortified site of the Chapulines” (chapulin meaning
a kind of cricket and tenamco meaning fortified site).
This colonial town of Chapultenango was formed at the end of the XVI Century, due to
the decreasing politics followed by the Spanish crown. In the beginning it was formed
by the areas of Chapultenango and San Jacinto and in 1678 it turned into a tributary
town of the great ranch in the city of Guatemala.
In 1711 the Chiapas bishop Juan Bautista Alvarez de Toledo, proposed that the priests
ready to serve in the towns of Tecpatán, Chapultenango and Ixtacomitán were
presented by the Dominic. In 1982 this municipality was affected by the eruption of the
Chichonal volcano.
· Asuncion Temple and Convent ·
Constructed in the XVI Century by the Dominic order;
this area was an evangelization Zoque center. It presents the same characteristics of
other Dominic churches of the XVI Century: Considerable dimensions, square solid
tower and dome belfry; it possesses a polygonal rare structure of the Chiapaneca
colonial architecture. Inside there are parts of wall paintings. The atrium of this temple
is the only one that exists in the Zoque churches of the area, it is a square with three
access routes and a cross in its central part.
The tower of the belfry has stairs in its back part and has three bodies with windows;
the material used for the construction is stone and clay bricks.
The architectonic shape is rectangular with a polygonal presbytery that covers a vault
in black and red. There are nine wood carved sculptures that represent the Guadalupe
Virgin and the holy sepulture, in the room of priests there are three more wood carved
sculptures.
Zoque
If you are in Tuxtla Gutierrez you need to take the federal road 190 or better known as the Pan-American road until you get to the new crossroad that leads towards the new highway that heads to Malpaso, then get to the detour that leads to Peñitas taking the state road 20 that heads to Juarez station; from there take the state road 125 that heads to Pichucalco and go on until you find the road 185 that heads to Ixtacomitan, and Chapultenango; this site is 13 kms away from this last one.
In the city of Tuxtla Gutierrez, the visitor can hire the service of organized tours in the different travel agencies, or you can rent the transportation service from the Ixtacomitan municipality.
It is recommended to hire the service that the travel agencies offer to make the tour to this old Zoque province, realizing that the transportation public service is quite irregular.
To obtain more information is advisable to visit the Tourism Secretary’s
Office from Chiapas in Tuxtla Gutierrez:
Boulevard Belisario Domínguez # 950,
Edificio plaza las instituciones, Planta Baja
01 (961) 60 2 50 74
or dial 01 800 280 35 00