Zacatecas () is the principal city within the municipality in Mexico of the same name, and the capital of the state of Zacatecas. Located in north-central Mexico, the city had its start as a Spanish mining camp in the mid-16th century. Native Americans had already known about the area's rich deposits of silver and other minerals. Due to the wealth that the mines provided, Zacatecas quickly became one of the most important mining cities in New Spain. The area saw battles during the turbulent 19th century, but the next major event was the Battle of Zacatecas during the Mexican Revolution when Francisco Villa captured the town, an event still celebrated every anniversary. Today, the colonial part of the city is a World Heritage Site, due to the Baroque and other structures built during its mining days. Mining still remains an important industry. The name Zacatecas is derived from the Zacateco people and has its roots in Nahuatl. The name means "people of the grasslands".
History
Indigenous peoples
thumbnail|left|[[Bufa Hill (), viewpoint of the Zacatecos]]
The first people to populate the area arrived approximately 10,000 years ago, when the climate was wetter and warmer, with different vegetation and wildlife. Eventually, the area came to be dominated by Chichimeca tribes such as the Caxcans, Guachichils, Guamares, Huichols, Zacatecos and others, with the Zacatecos being the most numerous in the area of the city today. These peoples were mining silver and other metals in the hills long before the Europeans arrived, making the area important in pre-Columbian times. A mining camp was soon established at the foot of Cerro de la Bufa. Surveys of the other surrounding hills were undertaken by Tolosa, Diego de Ibarra, Baltasar Temiño de Bañuelos, Andrés de Villanueva and others. The first major vein of silver was found in 1548 in a mine called San Bernabé. This was followed by similar finds in mines called Albarrada de San Benito, Vetagrande, Pánuco and others. This brought a large number of people to Zacatecas, including craftsmen, merchants, clerics and adventurers.
By the end of the 16th century, the city was the second most important, after Mexico City, and the income its mines produced for the Spanish Crown made it one of the most powerful in Europe.]]
In the mid-1820s, institutions such as the first opera house, first teachers' college, the state treasury, the state supreme court and other institutions were founded in the city when the first state constitution was signed. The first newspaper in the state started circulation herein 1825. The municipality was established in 1825.
After the Mexican Revolution, the city of Zacatecas decided to revive the original seal granted to it by Philip II, and make it the seal of both the city and the state. It had been discarded after the War of Independence. The "Marcha Aréchiga" or "Marcha Zacatecas" written by Genaro Codina in the early 20th century, became the semi official anthem of the city and state.
thumb|The former Plaza de Toros with El Cubo aqueduct in the background. The bullring was repurposed into a hotel in 1989.
The city center was named a World Heritage Site in 1993.
Zacatecas has had a number of earthquakes since the colonial period. The last occurred in 1995 and caused minor damage.
The city has grown to the point where houses now balance on the edge of a creek and over the mounds of waste from mines. This is possible due to the lack of regulation and urban planning by authorities. Irregularities exist in 85% of the city's neighborhoods but the neighborhoods of Lázaro Cárdenas, Minera, CNOP, Lomas de la Pimienta, Benito Juárez, González Ortega have the largest number of them. Many of these buildings have structural and infrastructure problems such as flooding during rains and the damage this creates.
The city
thumb|Zacatecas city as seen from Cerro de la Bufa.
The city is called "con rostro de cantera rosa y corazón de plata" (with a face of pink stone and a heart of silver) because of the pink stone that many of its iconic buildings are made of and the silver that has spurred its development and history. Like other mining cities in Mexico, such as Guanajuato and Taxco, the city was built near the mines on very rough terrain. It is at the foot of the Cerro de la Bufa, in which was one of the greatest silver mines in the world. While mining operations began in the 16th century, their peak was reached in the 17th and 18th centuries. At night, the former rock crushing room of the mine has been converted into a nightclub. The museum is fronted by the Plaza de la Revolución, which contains statues of Francisco Villa and two other generals who successfully led the attack on the city. The building housing the museum was originally the Casa de la Caridad y Hospital de Pobres.
Cathedral
thumb|270px|The [[Zacatecas cathedral|cathedral was built between 1729 and 1753, regarded by many as the last, and greatest, expression of the churrigueresque style.]]
In the city proper just south of the main plaza, is the cathedral, which is located over the ruins of pre-Hispanic temples. The current structure dates from 1752 and has a façade of sculpted pink stone. The best time to appreciate the façade is in the late afternoon when the sun shines directly on it. The first parish church was built on this site between 1567 and 1585, but it was in ruins by the beginning of the 17th century. A second church was built between 1612 and 1625 and was called the Chapel of Santo Cristo.
Buildings and Plaza de Armas
thumbnail|Hidalgo Avenue and Rosales Arcade in the bottom
The main square is called the Plaza de Armas, with the most important buildings such as the State Government Palace, the State Congress, the cathedral and others surrounding it. The El Cubo aqueduct was built at the end of the 18th century to carry water from the El Cubo mine area, which gave the structure its name. Only a few arches of it remain.
The Universidad Tecnológica del Estado de Zacatecas (UTEZ) is part of a technological university system across the Mexico. It was founded in 1998 by the state government of Zacatecas focusing on majors in technology and business.
Other technical schools are the Instituto Tecnológico de Zacatecas, the Instituto Politécnico de Zacatecas, and a campus of the ITESM college system.
Festivals and celebrations
thumb|[[Caifanes at the Fair of Zacatecas, 2012.]]
The city hosts a number of religious and cultural festivals throughout the year. The Festival Cultural de Zacatecas is held each year in the city during Holy Week, which unites artists of different genres from classic to rock and offers visitors more than 130 attractions. Some of the artists have included La Barranca, Real de Catorce, blues singer Betsy Pecannins and singer Vicky Carr. There are also theatrical events and events for children. About 90% of the events are free. The event is organized by the state of Zacatecas with support from the Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, ISSSTE, IMSS, CONACULTA and other government agencies. is held during the month of September at the foot of the Cerro de la Bufa. It includes concerts, bullfighting, events at the Foro Infantil, crafts expositions as well as exhibitions of livestock, autos and culture. According to tradition, these parties were begun by a college student named Heriberto, whose last name has been lost. They are most commonly held at the end of the school year, but no reason is needed to hold one.
The city's chamber music festival has been held annually since 1993. It is organized by the Instituto Zacatecano de Cultura with support from the Escuela de Musica of the Universidad de Zacatecas as well as other local and national entities.
Transportation
thumb|[[Zacatecas International Airport|Zacatecas airport.]]
By highway, Zacatecas is connected to Aguascalientes via Fed 45, to San Luis Potosí via Fed 49, Fed 23 to Guadalajara and Torreón and Fed 54 to Guadalajara and Saltillo. There is a rail line called the "Ferrocarril Central" that still connects the city with other parts such as Ciudad Juárez and Mexico City. which total an area of .
Climate
Zacatecas City has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk, according to the Köppen climate classification), with an average annual temperature of . Freezing temperatures are not uncommon, especially in January and February. During the winter of 2017–2018, Zacatecas municipality reached temperatures that haven't been reached in several years as −12 °C with a wind chill of −16 °C, although the coldest temperature occurred in Fresnillo which its another city close to Zacatecas City, where the temperature dropped to −15 °C with a wind chill of −20 °C.
| source 2 = Colegio de Postgraduados (snow)
Economy
The most important sectors of the municipal economy are mining, which employs about 21% of the population, livestock to which 76% of the surface area is dedicated and commerce, which employs over 70% of the population. Most mining today occurs on the Panuco, Vetagrande and Morelos mountains with the most active mines being El Compas, La Gallega, San Panuncio and San Rafael. Annual production is valued at 50,043 pesos for gold, 11,320 pesos for silver and 38,122 for lead. Non-metallic minerals include kaolin, building stone and petroleum aggregates. Agriculture and livestock is mostly done communally, with ten established ejidos. Only 15% of the municipality's land is farmed. This agriculture is dependent on the annual rainy season and produces some basic staples such as beans, chili peppers and corn. Livestock includes cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and horses. There is some industry related to food processing, textiles, wood products, paper and mining equipment as well as the making of crafts such as sarapes, stonework, leather and precious metals. Commerce is divided between providing for local needs as well as tourism.
- Manuel Felguérez (1928-2020) – Artist. Plastic artist from the abstract art school.