Zacapu

Zacapu lies in a basin of lakes and volcanic rock in northern Michoacán. Purépecha tradition places the beginnings of its ruling lineage in this region, before its rise around Lake Pátzcuaro. Ancient settlements spread over the rough lava fields known as the Malpaís, where dense residential quarters and ceremonial spaces formed substantial centres.

The Relación de Michoacán recounts how the Uacusecha, led by Hire Ticatame, came to the Zacapu basin before their descendants established power farther south. Archaeology reveals a flourishing series of settlements in the region from the thirteenth century onward. By the time Spaniards entered Michoacán in the 1520s, the area was organized around local centres under Purépecha authority. Its stones and traditions preserve an earlier chapter in the history of the kingdom.