San Pablo, a “cabezera”

San Pablo, a “cabezera”

This detail, numbered “5” by the artist/mapmaker, represents “Sanct Pablo,” and is described as a “cabezera” (cabecera, a Spanish loanword, meaning “head town”). The church, as usual, is emblematic for the town, but we also see additional buildings of various shapes and sizes on the hill or mountain next to the main church, which is on the valley floor. Given that all of these towns are shown as occupying a hill or mountain, one suspects that this is a visual representation of the -tepetl of “altepetl” (principal Nahua socio-political unit). For a cabecera would have been an altepetl, rather than a tlaxilacalli (barrio or neighborhood). This church has a rose window, which is fairly typical, as is the pink or red coloring given to the buildings. The sloping wall coming down from the highest tower is a unique architectural feature, when this church is compared with others on this map. [SW]