Aguascalientes City, Capital city in central Mexico.
Aguascalientes City is the capital of the state of the same name in the central Mexican highlands and has around 800,000 residents in the urban area. The center is divided into four historic neighborhoods with colonial architecture, plazas, and churches dating from the 16th to 19th centuries.
Spanish families founded the settlement in 1575 as a resting place between the silver mines of Zacatecas and the capital. The first colonists named it Villa de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de las Aguas Calientes because of the hot springs in the area.
The name comes from the Spanish word for hot springs that once flowed through the area and can still be found in some bathhouses today. Visitors see reminders everywhere of the centuries-old tradition of thermal baths that first attracted Spanish settlers and gave the place its particular character.
The city center can be explored on foot, with most points of interest within a few blocks of Plaza de la Patria. Local markets open early in the morning and offer opportunities to discover regional produce and crafts.
The Exedra monument in Plaza Patria was built in 1808 and marks the geographical center of Mexico. This column originally served as a tribute to Spanish King Carlos IV, long before the country gained its independence.
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