Taking a literary “snapshot” of authors who, in the second half of the 20th century, developed various literary genres and whose work was published in El Sol de Tlaxcala, we were surprised to find that there were not as few as one might initially assume: at least 12. And, interestingly, almost half of them were members of the Tlaxcala Society of Geography, History, Statistics, and Literature (SGHEL), a civil association that will be celebrating its 79th anniversary in four months (on July 30th). This cultural institution, with its solid social standing, is one of which I have had the honor of being a member for some twenty years.
Certainly, time is relentless, especially if, as a society, we lack the habit of rescuing, preserving, and disseminating vital information about our history, as our El Sol de Tlaxcala has fortunately been doing throughout its more than 70 years of existence. The polymaths or versatile authors mentioned above were, in their time, “versatile” in their research and publications, and a clear example of this is Joaquín López Rodríguez, who for several decades made contributions across vastly different periods and literary genres; he tackled social chronicles, poetry, historical research, bullfighting chronicles, literary reviews, journalistic articles, and more. He was a member of the SGHEL (Society of Journalists of the Huamantla and Apizaco), as well as the Apizaco Literary Circle, and had a special affection for the municipalities of Huamantla and Apizaco, where he spent most of his professional life. Delving into his journalistic output is no easy task; however, on this occasion, I will refer to him in his capacity as a researcher and/or historian, in relation to the municipality of Ixtenco, about which he wrote several articles on different occasions.
One of them (in two parts) was simply titled “Ixtenco,” the first part of which was published on June 12, 1983. “We invite you to visit Ixtenco,” says Don Joaquín, “from the Otomi word meaning ‘Next to the sand,’ or ‘next to something.’ Ixtenco was founded by the Spanish captain Juan Ponce de León in honor of Doña Juana, mother of Charles V, King of Spain, and because he also wanted his patron saint to be venerated in this new town.” He continues, “Worthy of admiration is the masonry aqueduct built by the locals around 1540 under the direction of the Spanish. This aqueduct brings water from the springs of the Cañada Grande de la Malintzin… In various places, you can find ruins of old houses with beautiful archways and large oval doorways… You can also admire the second building, dedicated to the patron saint, Saint John the Baptist, and its old bell tower, which forms a right angle with the larger, more recent building that serves as the parish church.”
And further on, it delves into the hard facts of the history of what is now the state’s third Magical Town: “In the Temple offices, there are copies of documents with scant information about the founding of Ixtenco and the priests who have been in charge of the temple since 1532. According to a copy given to us by the former mayor regarding the Royal Decree of the founding, it states the following: The following chieftains appeared before me in this city of Mexico: Don Diego Gabriel, Don Juan Ponce de León, captain with whom the Otomi people traveled, Don Francisco Barba de Torres, and Fathers Francisco Contreras and Don Antonio Gómez y Fabián, after having finished their participation in the Conquest with the Tlaxcalan lords, along with Captain Don Hernando de Cortés Monroy, his secretary Don Diego Godoy, as well as the other soldiers… Therefore, having all arrived in the city of Mexico before His Excellency the Viceroy. More information follows, but we will be guided by the following document, which states the following: Royal decree granted by Charles V, by the grace of God, King of Castile, León, and Aragon…”
And the detailed historical account or decree, the Royal Decree of its founding, continues extensively but also precisely, dated January 1532. Don Joaquín concludes his contribution as follows: “According to tradition, the demarcation of the lands was carried out in the following manner: The captain, accompanied by the local chieftains, went up to the top of Malintzin by way of the Red Sands, where the boundaries of Ixtenco and its lands can still be seen. Around four or five in the afternoon in January, while at the summit of this area, with the sun behind them, he positioned a chieftain with his arms crossed, fingers behind his head forming an angle. His shadow was then marked out from this angle, extending for more than 20 kilometers… After having settled his former soldiers, Captain Juan Ponce de León departed for Hibueras on orders of…” Hernán Cortés.”
Source: oem
