La Antigua (La Antigua)
La Antigua is a municipality in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city of José Cardel serves as the municipal seat. La Antigua is regarded as the first real Spanish town in Mexico.
In prehispanic times, La Antigua was populated by a totonac settlement called Huitzilapan, which in Nahuatl means "in the river of the hummingbirds."
The town of La Antigua was first known as Vera Cruz Vieja (Old "Vera Cruz"), as it was the settlement for the city of Veracruz from 1525 to 1599, when the settlement moved to the actual place where the port stands. The place was chosen due to its better protection from the north winds and the inhospitable sandy areas of the area of San Juan de Ulúa. The oldest church in the Americas was founded here by Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century.
The majority of the commercial traffic of the Iberian Peninsula and New Spain arrived through La Antigua for approximately 75 years. At the end of the 16th Century, when the Spanish returned to the settlement in San Juan de Ulúa, the town entered into decline and was renamed to "La Antigua" to avoid confusion with the new city.
During the War of Independence, Guadalupe Victoria installs an operations center in La Antigua. In 1855 was started the construction of the Ferrocarril Interoceánico, which passed through the municipality of La Antigua and led to the foundation to the city of San Francisco de las Peñas. On January 1 1913, the municipal seat of La Antigua was changed from the nameshake town to the town of San Francisco de las Peñas, title which was returned to La Antigua 1914, but finally ceded the municipal seat to San Francisco de las Peñas on April 1 1925, which was renamed shortly to José Cardel. As of today, the city of José Cardel is the municipal seat of La Antigua municipality.
In prehispanic times, La Antigua was populated by a totonac settlement called Huitzilapan, which in Nahuatl means "in the river of the hummingbirds."
The town of La Antigua was first known as Vera Cruz Vieja (Old "Vera Cruz"), as it was the settlement for the city of Veracruz from 1525 to 1599, when the settlement moved to the actual place where the port stands. The place was chosen due to its better protection from the north winds and the inhospitable sandy areas of the area of San Juan de Ulúa. The oldest church in the Americas was founded here by Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century.
The majority of the commercial traffic of the Iberian Peninsula and New Spain arrived through La Antigua for approximately 75 years. At the end of the 16th Century, when the Spanish returned to the settlement in San Juan de Ulúa, the town entered into decline and was renamed to "La Antigua" to avoid confusion with the new city.
During the War of Independence, Guadalupe Victoria installs an operations center in La Antigua. In 1855 was started the construction of the Ferrocarril Interoceánico, which passed through the municipality of La Antigua and led to the foundation to the city of San Francisco de las Peñas. On January 1 1913, the municipal seat of La Antigua was changed from the nameshake town to the town of San Francisco de las Peñas, title which was returned to La Antigua 1914, but finally ceded the municipal seat to San Francisco de las Peñas on April 1 1925, which was renamed shortly to José Cardel. As of today, the city of José Cardel is the municipal seat of La Antigua municipality.
Map - La Antigua (La Antigua)
Map
Country - Mexico
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| MXV | Mexican Unidad de Inversion | 2 | |
| MXN | Mexican peso | $ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| ES | Spanish language |