Tecalco

Tecalco, later called Tecali, lies southeast of Puebla. Its Nahuatl name means “stone house”, and the town is known for working the translucent stone called tecali or onyx. Local artisans shaped stone before the Spanish conquest and continued their craft in colonial times, supplying carved ornament and thin panels for churches. A large Franciscan convent also became a centre of religious life in the town and its dependent communities.