Luis de Santa María Nanacacipactzin

Who was Luis de Santa María Nanacacipactzin?

Don Luis de Santa María Nanacacipactzin was the last tlatoani of the Nahua altepetl of Tenochtitlan, as well as its governor under the colonial Spanish system of government. The previous ruler Cristóbal de Guzmán Cecetzin having died in 1562, Nanacacipactzin was installed on September 30, 1563, and ruled until his death on December 27, 1565.

With Nanacacipactzin's death, the rule of Tenochtitlan by dynastic tlatoque came to an end. As governor, he was succeeded in 1568 by Francisco Jiménez, who was a native of Tecamachalco rather than Tenochtitlan.

His Nahuatl name, Nanacacipactli, literally means "mushroom alligator". It appears his birth name was simply Cipactli "alligator", and the "mushroom" element was added as a nickname.