The name Tlaxcala most likely comes from a Nahuatl phrase which means “place of corn bread.” The Aztec glyph for the Mesoamerican dominion is two hills from which emerge a pair of hands making a tortilla.

The area was ruled by a coalition of four dominions called Tepeticpac, Ocotelolco, Tizatlan and Quiahuiztlan which united in the 14th century to defend themselves against the Aztecs and other enemies.

In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, Tlaxcala was one of the most important areas of Mesoamerica with commercial ties to the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean as well as Central America.

Hernán Cortés took advantage of this situation, enlisting the Tlaxcalans as allies against the Aztecs, giving them a base to attack from and regroup after the La Noche Triste when they were initially expelled from Tenochtitlan.

After the Spanish conquest terminated, the Europeans selected the current site to solidify their hold on the Tlaxcalans as well as have a base for evangelization.

When New Spain was divided into five major provinces, Tlaxcala became the capital of one of them, with roughly the same dimensions as the pre Hispanic coalition of dominions.

When a number of these were not met, a codex was produced here called the Lienzo de Tlaxcala as a complaint to the Spanish Crown.

The city changed from oil lamps to electric light in the historic center, the state government palace was remodeled and the Xicohtencatl Theatre was built.

[1] The city center is compact and filled with colonial era building painted in colors such as burnt umber, salmon pink and mustard yellow.

On the lower level inside its section of the arches, there is a cultural space called “La Tlaxcalteca” which sells regional handcrafts and other goods as well as books about Tlaxcala's history.

[1] The Capilla Real de Indias or Royal Indian Chapel was built in the 16th century as a church for indigenous nobility.

The popularity of the sport spurred a number of ranches dedicated to raising bulls including the Tepeyahualco, Piedras Negras and Mimiahuapan.

The building has orange walls with cobalt blue Talavara ceramic tiles and a façade decorated in mortar work.

The left hand tower has one level with arches, flanked by Tuscan pilasters topped by a small dome covered in Talavera tile.

In the two side chapels there are oil paintings by Manuel Caro as well as two holy water fonts of sculpted stone that has images of the god Camaxtli and the Spanish coat of arms.

The interior has a ceiling with a large soffit with an Art Nouveau style painting by John Fulton representing the Muses along with Tlaxcala landscapes.

Calzada de San Francisco is a pedestrian street at the southeast side of the plaza, filled with ash trees and paved with blocks of sandstone.

[4] The Tizatlán Open Chapel was built in the 16th century over a pyramid platform which was part of the palace of Xicohtencatl the Elder.

There are still fragments of murals depicting the baptism of Jesus, the Three Wise Men and of God, the Father, surrounded by angels playing musical instruments.

Adjoining this is the Tizatlán archeological site, in which still remain six semicircular columns, two altars with paintings similar to those of the Borgia Codex, where the gods Tezcatlipoca and Tlahuizcalpantecutli appear.

Its atrium serves as a cemetery and its interior has a mural depicting the baptism of the four indigenous lords of Tlaxcala in the 16th century.

[1] The San Buenaventura Atempan hermitage was constructed around the time that Cortés was building the brigantines to invade Tenochtitlan.

[1] The city celebrates Carnival starting the Friday before Ash Wednesday, with the burning of an effigy to represent “bad humor” accompanied by funeral music.

On Ash Wednesday, ceremonies end with a hanging of an effigy called “La Octava del Carnaval” Often the image is satirical, and of a person considered worthy of criticism.

[1] The Feria de Todos Santos is an important event, dedicated to the agriculture, handcrafts and industry of the state.

The main entrance is an arch flanked by estipite and Salomonic columns with have images of the doctors of the church, as well as the twelve Apostles.

The Guadalupe chapel to the side has lead figures of the Four Evangelists as well as paintings by Miguel Lucas Bedolla and Manuel Yañez.

[1] The city is located in the central Mexican highlands 2,239 metres (7,346 feet) above sea level, in a valley of the same name, from which the Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes can be seen in the distance.

Other sources of fresh water include a spring in Acuitlapilco and a stream in Tepehitec which runs during the rainy season.

Because of the expansion of the urban area, the municipally only has small mammals such as rabbits, squirrels and opossums, along with some species of birds and reptiles as wildlife.