Saltillo was founded in 1577 by Spanish colonists. Tlaxcaltecas also colonized there. It is the oldest city in northern Mexico. In 1824, Saltillo was made the capital of the State of Coahuila and included the area which is now the US State of Texas until the war of Texas Independence and the founding of the independent Texas Republic. The city is flanked by the Zapalinamé mountains, which are part of the Sierra Madre Oriental. There is a legend that says that the leader of the native Indians, whose name was Zapalinamé, can be seen in the shape of the mountains.
Alameda Zaragoza is the largest park in the city and has an artificial lake with the shape of the Mexican Republic.The old core of the city is built in pink marble, giving Saltillo's architecture a distinctive flavour. Prominent buildings are the Cathedral, the Palacio de Gobierno (state government building), the Ateneo Fuente and the Instituto Tecnológico de Saltillo. The large Cathedral is the best example of colonial religious architecture in northeastern Mexico; its facade is mainly Spanish Baroque, with less exuberant areas. The city has two world-class museums: the Museo de las Aves de Mexico (Bird Museum), featuring a collection of bird specimens from all over Mexico in realistic displays, and the Museo del Desierto (Desert Museum). This last museum focuses on the geography, geology, paleontology (with dinosaur fossils) and biodiversity of the Chihuahuan desert, and the history and culture of the local people through time. It includes a cactus greenhouse and exhibits, with dozens of species.