Villanueva, Zacatecas

hVillanueva is a town in the state of Zacatecas, Mexico. It is the administrative seat of the Municipality of Villanueva. Also knows as Mi Lindo Mexico.NameVillanueva was founded on February 4, 1692 under the name Villagutierre del Águila. Like many towns in Mexico the name of the patron saint of the town was added to the name and it became Villa de San Judas Tadeo de Villa Gutierre del Águila. However, since it was the last town founded in that area of Zacatecas, it was called Villa Nueva (new town), and that is the name that stuck.GeographyVillanueva is one of the 58 municipalities of the Mexican state of Zacatecas. It is located at the southern part of Zacatecas and is bordered in all directions by a number of Zacatecas municipalities. Among the municipalities bordering it are Jerez to the north, Genero Codina to the east, Tabasco to the south and Tepetongo to the west. Some parts of Villanueva have mountainous terrains. It is also crossed by different rivers and other bodies of fresh water. It has a sub-humid temperature and an annual average of 16.9 °C.HistoryThe municipality was originally called Santa Cruz when it was founded in 1650. Its name was changed a couple of times until 1962, when it was officially renamed as the Municipality of Villanueva, its name until the present. Its seal is one of the oldest in Zacatecas, dating back as early as the early 19th century. The motto of the town is the Latin translation of "With the sword and the plow". It is because Villanueva began as an agriculture and labor-based community and produced some of the bravest patriots in Mexico. Once a colonial town, Villanueva only became a free municipality in the year 1917. As of 2005, Villanueva had a population of 28,760 residents. The majority of these residents are Roman Catholics by faith.