San Martín de Hidalgo 5.39

San Martín de Hidalgo, formerly San Martín de la Cal, is the largest town and municipal seat of San Martín de Hidalgo Municipality, in Jalisco in central-western Mexico. As of 2010, the town had a population of 8,092. It is located 10 miles southeast of the city of Ameca and 8 miles northwest of the city of Cocula.Tourism in San Martín de Hidalgo mainly relies on either architecture, hiking, or gastronomy.ToponomyDuring the Pre-Columbian era, the town's name was Huitzquilic, which is the Nahuatl word meaning "place of thistles".HistoryIn 1480, the Coca, Purépecha, and Tepenahuales people settled in Huitzquilic. Under the leadership of Amecatl, present day Ameca, Jalisco, Huitzquilic was ruled by Huitzingarit. The Spanish discovered the town in 1540, during their arrival. The Spanish conquistadors baptized Huitzingarit, the leader, giving him the name of "Martín Santiago Huitzingarit". Because of Huitzingarit's humbleness, the conquistadors awarded him with a plot of land and the title of captain.Since being the chief of his town, Huitzingarit's baptismal name was the basis for the new name of the new Spanish settlement, San Martín. The town was later known as "San Martín de la Cal", because of the area's abundance in lime. By 1823, the town is mentioned as a free municipality. It was not until 1883, that "San Martín de la Cal" is changed to "San Martín de Hidalgo", in honor of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla "the father of the nation".