890
ft) above mean sea level. The city was named after Bartolomé de Las Casas, a
Spanish priest who defended the rights of the Native Americans and was the first
bishop of Chiapas. In the 2005 census the city’s population was 142,364 people,
whereas the municipality’s total was 166,460. It is the third-largest community
in Chiapas, after Tuxtla Gutiérrez and Tapachula. The municipality’s area is
484.00 km² (186.87 sq mi).San Cristóbal de las Casas was named a "Pueblo Mágico" in 2003.
History
Settlement and name
For thousands of years, Maya peoples, ancestral to the present-day Tzotzil and Tzeltal peoples, have continuously lived in settlements in the general area of the modern city of San Cristóbal.
In 1528, the Spanish conquistador, Diego de Mazariegos along with other soldiers such as Andrés de la Tovilla established the settlement of “Villareal de Chiapa de los Españoles” as a regional base after defeating the Zoques and Chiapanecos in fierce fighting. The settlement became the capital of the province of Chiapas. On March 1, 1535, the Spanish crown bestowed the settlement with un escudo de armas and renamed the city, “San Cristóbal de los Llanos” after its patron saint, St. Christopher. The settlement was given the title of city on
July
7, 1536, and once again renamed to “Ciudad Real de Chiapa”. By 1577, the city
selected don Juan de Meza as its first mayor.The city’s name underwent frequent modifications. On July 27, 1829 the city became “Ciudad de San Cristóbal” and it was on May 31, 1848 that they city became know as “San Cristóbal de Las Casas”, in honor of Bartolomé de Las Casas. On February 13, 1934, the city became “Ciudad Las Casas”, but this was officially reverted to “San Cristóbal de Las Casas” on November 4, 1943 by Dr. Rafael Pascacio Gamboa. Despite th
e
name changes, the local people continue to call the city by its traditional
name, “Jovel”. (During the colonial period, the city was also known as “La
Chiapa de los Españoles” and until a few decades ago, it was also known as “Hueyzacatlán”.)
