San Pedro Sacatepéquez is a city, with a population of 49,589, and a municipality in the San Marcos department of Guatemala. The municipality covers an area of 114 km2 at an altitude of 2330 metres and has a population of 79,158. The city of San Pedro was named after Saint Peter Apostle, and a rooster is the official mascot. People born in the City are known as "Shecanos" because of a local pastry "sheca" that is famous throughout Guatemala. The City is located en route to the city of Quetzaltenango in a valley called La Ermita y la Esmeralda and is directly adjacent to the city of San Marcos. There is a strong rivalry with the capital city of the province of San Marcos that has existed from its beginnings. This rivalry manifests itself mostly at sporting events with some events unfortunately turning violent. San Pedro is thought by some to be the real capitol of the department because for many years the majority of businesses were located there as opposed to San Marcos however, universities, private schools and a military school are within San Marcos. The area as a whole is also known for its sweaters and warm clothing. It has a large market near the town square. The Mayan population wears some of the most colorful typical garments in the country usually bright yellows, greens and blues. The indigenous population in San Marcos speaks both the ancient Mayan language Ma'am and Spanish
History
The first documented historical account of San Pedro Sacatepéquez is from 1 May 1543, when in Barcelona, Spain a Royal letter from emperor Carlos V thanked the services of the people from Sacatepéquez during the pacific conquest of Lacandón and the Verapaz, granting them special privileges.
On 13 October 1876, according to decree 165 of the government of Justo Rufino Barrios and considering that it was convenient to improve the condition of the natives and a petition from some leaders from San Pedro Sacatepéquez, then president Barrios authorized that, for legal purposes, the natives from San Pedro Sacatepéquez be declared ladinos so they could use western clothing.
1897 Quetzaltenango Revolt
In September 1897, after the failure of both the interoceanic railroad and the Central American Expo and the deep economic crisis that Guatemala was facing after the plummeting of both coffee and silver international prices, Quetzaltengo people raised in arms against the decision of present José María Reina Barrios to extend his presidential term until 1902. A group of rebels, among them a former Secretary of Reina Barrios's cabinet -Próspero Morales-, began to combat on 7 September 1897 attacking San Marcos; after several battles and some gains, the rebels were definitely defeated on 4 October 1897. As a result, on 23 October 1897, San Pedro Sacatepéquez became the capital of San Marcos Department.
20th century
In 1902 the eruption of the Santa María volcano in the neighboring department of Quetzaltenango was responsible for the destruction of the twin towns of San Marcos and San Pedro Sacatepéquez. Before 1902 the volcano had been dormant for at least 500 years and possibly several thousand years, but its awakening was clearly indicated by a seismic swarm in the region starting in January 1902, which included a major earthquake in April 1902. The eruption began on 24 October, and the largest explosions occurred over the following two days, ejecting an estimated of magma. The pumice formed in the climactic eruption fell over an area of about, and volcanic ash was detected as far away as San Francisco, away. The eruption tore away much of the south-western flank of the volcano, leaving a crater about in diameter and about deep, stretching from just below the summit to an elevation of about. The first evidence of the eruption was a sprinkling of sand on Quezaltenango. The wind then changed from the south to the east and ashes began to fall at Helvetia, a coffee plantation six miles to the South-West. Because of the lack of previous Holocene activity at Santa María, local people did not recognise the preceding seismicity as warning signs of an eruption. At least 5,000 people died as a result of the eruption itself, and a subsequent outbreak of malaria killed many more. The towns were rebuilt and on 3 December 1926, San Pedro was designated as a city, but on 16 December 1935, it was annexed to San Marcos forming the municipality of La Unión San Marcos. However, this system did not work and La Unión San Marcos was broken apart on 20 July 1945, but San Pedro Sacatepéquez lost the capital of San Marcos Department to the municipality of San Marcos. On 21 August 1940 the main fair of the town was set to be celebrated on the last week of June, being the main event on 29 June, day of the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The celebration is known as "Flor de Retana" and the people dresses up with vintage ceremonial clothing to celebrate their ancestors.
The bell is the oldest of its kind in Central America as it was put in place by friar Francisco Bravo, O.P. in 1577. On the top of the bell one can read the inscription "Año de 1577" and a Latin prayer "Pro Novis Virgo María alleluya ore tuorpis".; in the midsection it has a Spanish inscription that read "Siendo comendador el Padre Francisco Bravo, año MDLXXVII" ; and, finally, at the bottom one can read "Ptrus Apostulus et Paulus. Doctor genetium-ipsinos-Docueon. Legetuan Domine". It is now inside the church, close to the main entrance; it is one meter high, with an outer diameter of 0.95m and is 0.08 m thick; it weighs half a ton. Over the centuries it has developed cracks that rendered it useless for its main purpose.
Letter from Carlos V
In a Royal communication, dated in Barcelona, Spain in 1543, Spanish Emperor Carlos V, among other things, thanks native chief Pedro from Sacatepéquez his help for friars Pedro de Angulo, Rodrigo de Ladrada and Bartolomé de las Casas, O.P. during the pacific conquest of the Teculiclán and Lacandón provinces, a process known as the "Tezulutlan Capitulations".
With 2.54 cm in diameter and 1 cm thick, this medal was a gift from king Fernando VII to the people of San Pedro Sacatepéquez. On the tail side one can read the inscription "A la fiel generosidad de los indios del reyno de Guatemala" and the bottom it reads "Año de 1,809".
