page_title: Pahuatlán
section_title: The town
hierarchical_section_title: Pahuatlán / The town
caption_attribution_description: English: Facade of the Santiago Apostol Church in Pahuatlan, Puebla, Mexico
context_page_description: Pahuatlán, officially Pahuatlán del Valle, is a town and municipality located in the northwest of the state of Puebla in central Mexico. The municipality is part of the Sierra Norte region of the state, a steep mountainous area which receive significant moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, and borders the states of Hidalgo and Veracruz.
  The town was founded by the Augustinians when they built a small monastery here in 1532, with the area divided among ethnic Nahuas and Otomis, both of which can still be found here today. Culturally, the municipality is best known for the amate bark paper which is produced by the Otomis of the San Pablito community.
context_section_description: The town of Pahuatlán is located on a small level space on the side of the Ahila Mountain about 1600 meters above sea level in the Sierra Norte mountains of Puebla about fifty km from Tulancingo near the Hidalgo and Veracruz state borders. It is the center of commerce for the municipality of the same name, with a population of just over 3,000. The area conserves most of its traditional simple and austere architecture despite the lack of ordinances to that effect. The center of the town has stone paved roads. Traditional houses consist of two floors with wrought iron balconies and high roofs covered in red tile. The town has been photographed by noted artist Angeles Torrejon for a series called “Vivir en la Sierra” (To live in the mountains). Another  regular photographer of the area is Ruben Pax.
  The historic center of the town is its main plaza, which serves as a tianguis market on Sundays, selling handcrafts such as rebozos, other textiles, fresh flowers, ceramics, leather goods and more, mostly from the surrounding rural communities.
  This plaza is surrounded by the main civic and religious structures of the area, such as the municipal palace.  The main monumental structure in the municipality is the Santiago Apóstol parish from the 16th century. The patron saint of the municipality is the Apostle James the Great, whose feast day is celebrated on 25 June here with masses, processions, fireworks and traditional dance including the Voladores.
  The Casa de Cultura has paintings and literature related to the municipality.
  The main handcrafts store is the Casa del Amate (House of Amate Paper) located on the main road heading towards the town center. In addition to selling the local paper, it also sells embroidered items and paintings. It was the workshop of painter Rafael Lechuga, whose art depicts the area and the local amate paper.
  The Parque de los Muertos, according to tradition, is where soldiers loyal to Maximilian I were buried.
  The most traditional music of the area is huapango. Traditional dress for women includes a long black skirt with a white embroidered blouse and rebozo or quezquémetl. For men, it includes undyed cotton pants and shirt, a palm leaf hat, sandals and a machete. Traditional dishes of the area include mole poblano, pipián, tamales, fresh water shrimp and a type of ant called chicales. At night, a traditional snack is “molletes,” French bread with refried beans, longaniza sausage and cheese which is toasted. Pahuatlán is one of a number of communities that claims to be the origin of the Danza de los Voladores. It hosted the fourth Danza de los Voladores ( International Encounter in 1998. The spectacle is mostly performed by the Nahuas in the area.
  It is a weekend getaway for residents of Tulancingo. There are two main hotels, one with three stars and the other with one. There are also a number of small guesthouses operated by families in their homes. Locally produced coffee is available in the town's stores.
  Carnival lasts for the eight days prior to Ash Wednesday to mark the end of “mundane life” in preparation for Lent and Holy Week. Participants are men dressed in multicolored outfits and wood masks who dance in the streets accompanied by live or recorded music. These are known as the “Huehues of Pahuatlán.” The municipality supports the annual event in several ways including workshops for the making and improving of costumes and masks.
  Pahuatlán major festival is during Holy Week, which attracted an estimated 8,000 people in 2008. Religious events are complemented by the annual Festival Cultural de la Sierra which sponsors plays art exhibits and more.
  Another important celebration marks the victory of General Lechuga's forces of the French, celebrated in January.
  The town held its first film festival called the Encuentro Nacional de Festivales de Cine in 2012, sponorsed by the Centro Internacional de Artes y Ciencias (Cinearte) and the Festival Internacional de Cine de Puebla (FICP).
caption: View of the parish church
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