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Cholula de Rivadabia(chōlo͞o`lä thā rē'vädäv`yä), city (1990 pop. 53,673), Puebla state, E central Mexico. The site of the famous Teocali de Cholula, a pre-Columbian pyramid of great antiquity, the city was an old Toltec center and, when the Spanish came, was an Aztec sacred city devoted to the worship of QuetzalcoatlQuetzalcoatl
[Nahuatl,=feathered serpent], ancient deity and legendary ruler of the Toltec in Mexico. The name is also that of a Toltec ruler, who is credited with the discovery of corn, the arts, science, and the calendar.
..... Click the link for more information. . Suspecting native insurrection, Hernán Cortés destroyed the city in 1519; from 5,000 to 10,000 people were killed in the massacre of Cholula. Cortés then vowed to build a church for each of the 400 Aztec shrines; 70 were in fact built, one atop the pyramid. The picturesque city remains a place of pilgrimage and attracts many tourists.
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a town in S Mexico, in Puebla state: ancient ruins, notably a pyramid, 53 m (177 ft.) high. Pop.: 37 791 (1990)
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005