San Pedro Cholula

San Pedro Cholula
Flag of San Pedro Cholula
Coat of arms of San Pedro Cholula
Location of the municipality in Puebla
Location of the municipality in Puebla
Coordinates: 19°03′48″N 98°18′23″W / 19.06333°N 98.30639°W / 19.06333; -98.30639
Country Mexico
StatePuebla
Founded500-200 BCE
Municipal Status1861
SeatCholula
Government
 • Municipal PresidentFrancisco Andres Cobarrubias Pérez
Area
 • Municipality51.03 km2 (19.70 sq mi)
Elevation
(of seat)
2,190 m (7,190 ft)
Population
 (2005) Municipality
 • Municipality113,436
 • Urban area
82,964
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (US Central))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (Central)

San Pedro Cholula is a municipality in the Mexican state of Puebla and one of two municipalities which made up the city of Cholula. The city has been divided into two sections since the pre Hispanic era, when revolting Toltec-Chichimecas pushed the formerly dominant Olmec-Xicallanca to the eastern side of the city in the 13th century. The new lords called themselves Cholutecas and built a new temple to Quetzalcoatl on the San Pedro side, which eventually eclipsed the formerly prominent Great Pyramid of Cholula, now on the San Andrés side. When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, the city of Cholula was an important religious and economic center, but the center of power was on the San Pedro side, centered on what is now the main city plaza and the San Gabriel monastery. The division of the city persisted and San Pedro remained the more dominant, with Spanish families moving onto that side and the rest of the population quickly becoming mestizo. Today, San Pedro is still more commercial and less residential than neighboring San Andrés with most of its population employed in industry, commerce and services rather than agriculture. Although Cholula's main tourist attraction, the Pyramid, is in San Andrés, San Pedro has more tourism infrastructure such as hotels, restaurants and bars.