Mexico, Column of El Ángel Maya in Campeche

Spanish expeditions landed at what is now Campeche in March 1517,. The city was founded on October 4, 1540 by the Spanish conquistadors at the site of the Mayan settlement. The name Campeche comes from the name of this Mayan settlement called "Ah-Kin-Pech". This local name means "place of snakes and ticks".
In the XVII-XVIII centuries it was surrounded by a fortress wall from pirates. In 1686, the Spanish authorities began to build fortifications. In 1777, San Francisco de Campeche was given city status and a coat of arms. In April 1863, the city became the capital of the state of Campeche.