San Andrés Tetlanman

San Andrés Tetlanman is both a pueblo (west) and a barrio (east) in Azcapotzalco. Together, the two colonias are one of the City’s original settlements. The name Tetlanman refers to a temple called Tetlanman. The Nahuatl name means “place where the copal stick is burned.” In recent years that name has also been restored to the name of the neighborhood.

The name refers to an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Cuauxolotl Chantico. The same name is applied to the Santa Bárbara Tetlanman neighborhood directly to the north. A goddess of fire most strongly associated with Xochimilco, the presence of the deity was expressed across much of the ancient Valley of Mexico.

The chapel dedicated to San Andrés Apóstol dates from the 17th century. The Dominicans from the Monastery and Church of the Apostles Felipe and Santiago were likely visiting the small town prior to the construction of the chapel in part because the earlier town had had a ceremonial function. The north bell tower dates only from the 1970s. Only the southern bell tower is original.

Metro UAM Azcapotzalco is on the southwest corner of the San Andrés Tetlanman neighborhood. The famous Mercado Reynosa is just about in the geographic center and makes any visit worthwhile.