Ocotlán

Ocotlán (from the Nahuatl ocotl ("pine tree"), meaning "place of pines") may refer to:

Languages

Places

Mexico:

Ocotlán, Jalisco

Ocotlán is a city and municipality in Jalisco, Mexico. Its industry includes furniture production.

Toponymy

The toponym Ocotlán means: "near the pines" or "place of the ocote (pines)". Ocote is from the Náhuatl ocōtl, Pinus montezumae, a species of pine, .

History

Ocotlán was founded in 1530. Two main cathedrals line the plaza. One is the church named La Purisima ("The Most Pure"), which is one of the oldest buildings in Jalisco. The altar is dipped in gold. The other cathedral, more recent than La Purisima, was built in the late 1800s and dedicated to Nuestro Señor de Misericordia (Our Merciful Lord), which honors a vision of Christ seen after an extremely destructive earthquake.

The current municipal president is Lic. Absalón García Ochoa, from the National Action Party.

Story of Nuestro Señor de la Misericordia

On October 2, 1847, a large and powerful earthquake destroyed most of the city, including the original church. The following day, a Sunday, when the faithful were attending a Mass outside of the destroyed church, a vision of the crucifix was claimed to have been seen. It is said that they say the vision of Christ, which is why the people of Ocotlan celebrate this day with high regards. It is a recognized event, that is not to be forgotten. It has become a tradition passed from generation to generation with celebrations taking place in Ocotlan and in different parts of the US, by those who have migrated to the US that are from Ocotlan, that continue the tradition of celebrating this holy and spectacular event.

Ocotlán de Morelos

Ocotlán de Morelos is a town and municipality in the state of Oaxaca, about 35 km south of the center of the city of Oaxaca along Highway 175. It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region. The area was a significant population center at the time of the Spanish Conquest, and for that reason an important Dominican monastery was established here in the 16th century. The complex still exists, with the church still being used for worship and the cloister area used as a museum. While mostly quiet, the city is an important distribution and transportation center for the south of the Central Valleys region of Oaxaca, a function which is expected to be reinforced with the opening of new highway being built to connect the city of Oaxaca with the Pacific coast. The city is known for artist Rodolfo Morales, who painted aspects of his hometown in his works and sponsored projects to save and restore historic monuments here. For generations the municipality has been known for its crafts, with the ceramics making Aguilar family producing some of the best known craftsmen.