History
Ciudad Guzman is the second largest city located in the southern region of the state of Jalisco, Mexico.
Guzmán—originally Zapotlán el Grande—began as a pre‑Hispanic kingdom later conquered by the Spanish in 1526, and it evolved into an important colonial and cultural center in Jalisco.
The Spanish period brought new political and religious structures, and local lore still speaks of hidden treasures and weapons buried in old colonial homes and farms—echoes of the turbulent early colonial era.
Over time, the settlement grew into a regional center, and by the 19th century it had developed a strong civic identity. In the mid‑1800s, the town’s name was officially changed from Zapotlán el Grande to Ciudad Guzmán.
The city’s historic center features the Catedral de San José, a landmark deeply tied to local identity. However, Ciudad Guzmán sits in a highly seismic zone,
and the cathedral’s towers have collapsed multiple times due to earthquakes, most notably during the devastating 1985 Mexico City earthquake, which caused significant local damage and loss of life.
Historical sites