The municipality of Tenango del Valle and its seat, Tenango de Arista, are located in the southern portion of the Valley of Toluca in Mexico State, about 72 km southwest of Mexico City and 25 km south of Toluca. While the seat is officially named Tenango de Arista, it is more commonly referred to as Tenango del Valle, as this was the original name of the town. Tenango del Valle is best known as the site of the Teotenango archeological site, which was a walled city inhabited from about 900 C.E. to 1550 C.E.
The name “Tenango” shows the modern town’s relationship with the nearby ruins of Teotenango. This site, when it was occupied, was called Tenango (or “place of the wall”). When the indigenous people were moved from this city to the valley floor below, the new village was also called Tenango. “Del Valle” (of the valley) was eventually added to distinguish the new village from the old city. Over time, the abandoned city of Tenango, became known as Teotenango (“walled city of the gods”).
Both the archeological ruins and the Spanish village were referred to by the Aztec glyph for “Tenango” in the early colonial period in documents such as the Mendocino Codex. Today, this glyph is used to refer to the modern town and municipality. After subduing the Matlatzinca population, the conquistadors decided to move the population from the Teotenango site to the valley below, establishing the modern town of Tenango del Valle.
Next came the establishment of encomiendas, or land grants which gave the Spaniards who received them control over the native population. Teotenango became the encomienda of Juan de Burgos and Diego Rodriguez. Atlatlahuaca and Xochiaca, other communities in the modern municipality of Tenango del Valle, were granted to Hernando de Jerez with Zictepec and Zepayautla becoming part of the encomienda of Tacuba.