San Jerónimo Lídice, or San Jerónimo Aculco, is a former village now part of

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

in the

Magdalena Contreras La Magdalena Contreras () is a Boroughs of Mexico City, borough () in Mexico City. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 239,086 inhabitants and is the third-least populous of Mexico City's boroughs. It lies at an elevation of above sea ...

borough in the southwest of the city. A settlement on this spot, Aculco, dates back to

Toltec The Toltec culture () was a Pre-Columbian era, pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture that ruled a state centered in Tula (Mesoamerican site), Tula, Hidalgo (state), Hidalgo, Mexico, during the Epiclassic and the early Post-Classic period of Mesoam ...

times; its name means "where the water turns". The village specialized in fruit and vegetable production. When a dam in the area was built in 1934, Toltec remains were found, including the slope of a pyramid. The church of San Jerónimo Aculco dates from the 16th century, when it was founded by

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

s. An open chapel remains. The church was modified in the 18th century. It celebrates its patron saint's day on September 30. In 1943, part of the village changed its name in commemoration of the massacre at

Lidice Lidice (; ) is a municipality and village in Kladno District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 600 inhabitants. Lidice is built near the site of the previous village, which was completely destroyed on 10 June 19 ...

in what is now the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. Each year on June 10, the Lidice massacre is commemorated in the square in front of San Jerónimo Church."Festividades" ("Celebrations"), Magdalena Contreras borough website (in Spanish)

References

External links

History of San Jerónimo (video, in Spanish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:San Jeronimo Lidice Neighborhoods in Mexico City Magdalena Contreras