The free municipality of Hopelchén’s etymological meaning is composed of ho “five”, pel (signifies the end of counting), and chen “well”: “Place of the five wells.”
Hopelchén was supposedly established as a congregation town in 1621 and by 1630 there were about 20,000 indigenous inhabitants; they also say that by 1669 it was the Bataboob who had the power and condemned the control of the white Spanish settlers.
Hopelchén was a pueblo formed out of an intersection, the obligatory transit place for the fugitive population of the Camino Real in their flee to the mountains of Pimienta and Chichanhá. White missionaries converted this to a center of provisions and exchange, bringing their merchandise to sell in exchange for salt, gunpowder, rope, and tools. They say also that in 1622, a Spanish group passed by this place who intended to take over the Itzaes, refugeed in the Lagoon of Petén Itzá, Guatemala, and found for the first time what is today the City of Hopelchán.
As the Spanish settled in the midst of this indigenous nucleus, they built mansions and housing for the royal guard and authorities of the crown. The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries marked the construction of the first Catholic temples; this religion thus implanted ideological control over the indigenous from the churches.
At the end of the seventeenth and beginning of the eighteenth century, Creole and European settlers arrived sporadically in search of fertile lands. When they found the pueblo of Iturbide, whose first name was Dzibil-Noh-Aac, “large drawn turtle,” it was inhabited by the Xiues, though they became indigenous refugees fleeing from the wealthy. After various quarrels, the Maya of this pueblo learned how to live together with the settlers.
In this period, emigrant families from Ticuleña (Yucatán) founded Bolonchentikul in the vicinity of a lagoon made from rain, found now in the center of the pueblo. There is a marble slab from the year 1682 embedded in the church of this pueblo. The name is eminently Mayan: Bolón, “nine” and chen, “well”.
In April, the festival of Ebony Christ of Love is celebrated, with a running of the bulls, charreadas, vaquerías, or traditional couple’s dances, parades, and amusement rides.
Annually, the carnival of the Dolorosa, in honor of a good production of honey and corn, is celebrated from April 30th to May 2nd with popular dances, fireworks, regional dances, music, parades, bullfighting, vaquerías, or couple’s dances, and sport competitions.
La Fiesta de la Santa Cruz is a religious festivity in honor of Santa Cruz celebrated in May. This festival has popular dances, amusement park rides, fireworks, parades, official liturgics and the traditional dance of the “Cabeza de Cochino”.
The religious festival of the Purísima Concepción is celebrated in December with popular dances, regional dances, amusement rides, cattle expositions, artistic expositions, slow religious marches, parades and official liturgics.
Traditionally, there is a ceremony of Chac chaac, where they offer roasted turkey or chicken, accompanied by a hot corn drink called sacab and corn water, to the god Chac to grace the good harvest.
The chapel of San Joséis is in the locality of Santa Rita Becanchén and dates back to the eighteenth century. The base of the construction is carved stone, the façade consists of two bodies, and the main door is arched with an iron gate and a coral window. It has two lined columns, and to the sides are towers completed by small battlements.
There is a belfry on the opposing sides; the roof is of barrel vault. Today it is used for educational and religious offices.
Civil Architecture: the Ex Hacienda San Antonio Yaxché, located in the area of the same name, was constructed in 1894 of stone, wood, iron, and earth. There are two entrances, one main and the other for service, just as there are two wells and waterwheels. Continuing down the road, you arrive at the side of the big house, which has some simple arches in the front that form part of the façade.
To the left side of the big house there is a great arch, adorned with different figures and completed with a cross.
The Ex Hacienda Dzidbalchén dates back to 1905 and was constructed from stone, brick, and wood.
The main plaza of the hacienda has façades with colonial characteristics. In its interior there are some paintings that tell its history. The main church was destroyed during the Caste War, but was reconstructed later. What was left of the Hacienda was moved to the pueblo of Dzidbalchén.
The Ex Hacienda San Bernardo Huechil is a construction that dates to the beginning of the 20th century, built of stone, wood, and earth. In the entrance, there is a church with two baptismal sinks where water still flows. The large house has two levels, with a staircase that completes a triangle in front. On the second level there is a large room, off of which is a kitchen and a few bedrooms. Today it is used as a living space for workers.
