Why go
The yácatas give Purépecha ceremonial architecture a recognizable form, distinct from the stepped pyramids often associated with central Mexico. Understanding Tzintzuntzan as an imperial capital also changes the historical picture: the Purépecha state resisted Mexica attacks and maintained its own center of power before the Spanish arrived.
The full story
Purépecha power consolidated at Tzintzuntzan in the mid-fifteenth century, after an earlier period centered on Pátzcuaro. The growing state resisted attacks from the neighboring Mexica empire. Its history therefore offers a useful reminder that the Mexica did not control every major political center in what is now Mexico. The ceremonial core rests on the Grand Platform, a large construction cut into the hillside. Five rounded pyramids, known as yácatas, line up above Lake Pátzcuaro. Their shared setting makes the relationship between monumental architecture and the lake especially clear. Spanish arrival brought a different political outcome and later damage to much of the ceremonial complex. Archaeological excavation began in the 1930s, so the remains also reflect a long gap between the city's period of power and systematic investigation. The name Tzintzuntzan comes from a Purépecha expression meaning place of hummingbirds.