Hidalgo History & Heritage Guide 2026

Historical timeline

Key moments that shaped Hidalgo.

1. 1

   Early settlement at Tollan (Tula)

   c. 700-900 CE

   Communities begin settling the site that becomes the Toltec capital of Tollan, in present-day Tula de Allende, laying the groundwork for the city's rise as a major Mesoamerican political and religious center.

2. 2

   Tula flourishes as the Toltec capital

   c. 900-1150 CE

   Tollan grows into one of central Mexico's most influential cities, with monumental architecture including Pyramid B, topped by the carved basalt Atlantes warrior columns, and its cultural and political influence extends across much of Mesoamerica before the city's decline around 1150 CE.

3. 3

   Spanish conquest reaches the region

   1521-1522

   Following the fall of Tenochtitlan, Spanish forces extend control over the Otomi, Nahua, and Huastec communities of present-day Hidalgo, beginning a period of evangelization and colonial administration.

4. 4

   Ex-convento de San Nicolás Tolentino built in Actopan

   1550s-1553

   Augustinian friars construct the fortress-like monastery and open chapel at Actopan, notable for its painted murals combining European and indigenous artistic elements, as part of a wider wave of 16th-century convent-building across the Valle del Mezquital.

5. 5

   Silver mining develops around Pachuca and Real del Monte

   17th century

   Spanish colonial operations expand silver extraction in the hills around Pachuca and Real del Monte, building on mining techniques including the patio process for silver amalgamation credited to the region in the prior century.

6. 6

   Pedro Romero de Terreros develops the Real del Monte mines

   1739-1781

   Pedro Romero de Terreros, later granted the title Conde de Regla, invests heavily in the Real del Monte silver mines, making them among the most productive in New Spain and funding construction of the Ex-Hacienda de San Miguel Regla and Ex-Hacienda de Santa María Regla.

7. 7

   War of Independence reaches the region

   1810-1821

   The independence movement led initially by Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, for whom the state is later named, disrupts mining operations across the region as Mexico moves toward separation from Spain.

8. 8

   Cornish miners arrive at Real del Monte

   1824

   The British-owned Real del Monte and Pachuca Mining Company brings miners from Cornwall, England, to modernize silver extraction after independence, introducing steam pumping technology, the Cornish pasty (adapted locally into the regional "paste"), and association football to the area.

9. 9

   Panteón Inglés established in Real del Monte

   1862

   The English cemetery is established on a hillside outside Real del Monte to serve the growing Cornish mining community, becoming one of the most visible physical markers of the British presence in the region.

10. 10

    The state of Hidalgo is formally created

    1869

    The Mexican federal government separates Hidalgo from the State of Mexico and establishes it as an independent state, naming it for independence leader Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and designating Pachuca de Soto as the capital.

11. 11

    Construction of the Reloj Monumental in Pachuca

    1904-1910

    Pachuca's clock tower landmark is built in the Plaza Independencia, commemorating the centennial of Mexican independence and becoming a defining symbol of the state capital.

12. 12

    Early organized football in Pachuca

    1905

    Cornish mining employees and local residents in Pachuca play among the earliest organized football matches in Mexico, a legacy commemorated locally and tied to the sport's introduction to the country through the mining community.

13. 13

    Pueblos Mágicos designations for Huasca de Ocampo and Real del Monte

    2001-2004

    The Mexican federal tourism program designates Huasca de Ocampo and later Mineral del Monte (Real del Monte) as Pueblos Mágicos, recognizing their colonial and mining-era architecture and redirecting local economic focus toward heritage tourism.

Historical eras

The chapters of Hidalgo's past.

Historical sites

Places where Hidalgo's past comes alive.

Museums

Curated collections that tell Hidalgo's story.

Historical tours

Guided experiences that bring history to life.