Lagos de Moreno () is a city and municipality in the State of Jalisco, Mexico. Lagos is located in the region of Los Altos de Jalisco, within the macroregion of the Bajío, one of the most highly developed areas in Latin America. Lagos de Moreno is occasionally known as the "Athens of Jalisco", owing to the numerous writers and poets who were born there. Lagos de Moreno was founded as Villa Santa Maria de los Lagos on March 31, 1563, by Don Hernando Martel, an Andalusian conquistador. The town was the economic and cultural center of a region that eventually attracted many ranchers. By 1600 there were over 20,000 cattle in the region. Santa Maria continued growing both physically and culturally, and by the 1800s, the town was elevated to a city and renamed to Lagos de Moreno in honor of Pedro Moreno. Lagos de Moreno was the site of the signing of several important political documents, the two identically named but unrelated Convenios de Lagos. The arts flourished in the city during the latter half of the 19th century, but this literary boom decreased somewhat after the Mexican Revolution, especially during the 1940s. Recently, Lagos de Moreno has become an important cultural and tourist destination thanks to its rich history and architecture, some of which still stands from the 17th century. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 153,818 inhabitants, making it the 6th largest city in the state of Jalisco. The estimate for the population in 2015 is 164,981 people. The city serves as the municipal seat of the municipality, which has an area of 2,648.22 km2 (1,022.48 sq mi) and a population of 153,817 inhabitants, and includes many other outlying small communities, the largest of which are Paso de Cuarenta (San Miguel de Cuarenta) and Los Azulitos. Etymology The conquistador Hernando Martel gave Lagos de Moreno its original name, Villa de Santa Maria de los Lagos (Town of Saint Mary of the Lakes). The town's name was derived from Saint Mary, the townspeople's chosen patron saint, and the numerous lakes that used to be scattered across the valley. The town was renamed on April 9, 1829, as Lagos de Moreno in honor of Mexican independence hero Pedro Moreno, who was born in the city. History Pre-hispanic era The origins of Lagos de Moreno date to its founding as Pechichitlán or Teziziatlan by Ahnuvic