City (pop., 2000: 536,463), capital of Querétaro state, Mexico.
Situated on the Mexican Plateau about 6,100 ft (1,860 m) above sea level, it is an excellent example of a Spanish colonial city. Founded by the Otomi Indians, it was incorporated into the Aztec empire in 1446. Brought under Spanish control in 1531, it became an important supply centre for the rich mining districts of Guanajuato and Zacatecas . Emperor Maximilian was executed there in 1867 after his defeat by the forces of Benito Juárez . The Mexican Constitution of 1917 was written in Querétaro. It is the site of one of Mexico's oldest and largest cotton factories; textiles and pottery are also produced there.