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Mexico City is the capital of Mexico and a true mega-city of which were built in charming Mexican-Spanish style on the foundations of the Aztecs old capital. That alone makes it an achitectural mix that provides the breeding ground for many interesting sights.
Cozy pitches and boulevards with good atmospheric environments are part of what’s waiting in Mexico City. Next to these urban spaces there are many green areas with Chapultepec as the largest close to the center. Chapultepec is a must see place in the form of the anthropological museum.
Of the buildings, Mexico City’s cathedral is among the most famous. It is located on the square Zócalo, which is a good starting point for city walks. From the time of the Aztecs lies the ruins of the magnificent Templo Mayor, and one can also walk in Moctezuma’s footsteps to the place where the emperor first met Spanish Hernán Cortés.
Mexico City is one of the world’s largest cities, and there are also impressive museums and beautiful church buildings. Mexico City’s parks and squares are small oases that tie the metropolis together if you don’t take the subway system, which is one of the world’s largest.
Plaza de la Constitución is the name of Mexico City’s central square in the Old Town. It is a status it already had in the time of the Aztecs. In everyday speech, the square is simply called El Zócalo, which means the foundation. The name refers to a piece of marble in the square that should have carried a planned pillar sculpture, but it only became the plinth and the name. The official name is Plaza de la Constitución and it refers to the Spanish Constitution of 1812.
Before the Spanish era, the Aztec rulers had their palaces around the square, which was close to the absolute center of what was then Tenochtitlan, which was the religious complex around the Templo Mayor. This can be seen today as excavations a little to the north and northeast from the Plaza de la Constitución.
After the Spanish conquest of the country, Hernán Cortés had a new urban plan designed, where a new square became the central element from which the streets could emanate. The demolition of the sacred center of the Aztecs provided building materials for the paving, and around the square arose the most important buildings of the colonial power, with the church and Hernán Cortés’ residence palace as the most important.
The square was characterized by market trade in the 1600s and 1800s, and this led to such chaos that the authorities cleared the square several times. Plaza de la Constitución was also flooded several times by the water on which the city was built in its time.
In 1789, King Charles IV of Spain decided that the square should be cleared, and the Viceroy of Mexico had a new pavement replace the old one. Fountains were also installed in the corners. During this work, the famous Solsten/Piedra del Sol was found, which can be seen today at the city’s national anthropological museum. The market people were given a place in the Mercado de Volador building, which was located where today you can see the country’s supreme court, the Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación.
Over time, the Plaza de la Constitución has been the center of numerous events such as public gatherings for the Aztecs, appointments of Spanish viceroys, military parades as well as battles and ceremonies in connection with Mexico’s independence.
With El Zócalo’s 240×240 meters, it is one of the world’s largest squares, and on it you can see the well-known flagpole with the colossal Mexican flag, which is one of the city’s landmarks. In the north-west corner you can also see the 0 kilometer stone, which determines all distances in Mexico.
The Templo Mayor is the site of one of the great temples of the Aztecs in the capital Tenochtitlán. The central part consisted of a twin temple dedicated to the war god Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc, god of rain and agriculture. Physically, the facility was built so that they each had a temple on top of a common pyramid. The location of the temple was said to be precisely where Huitzilopochtli revealed to the Mexica people, the Aztecs, that they had reached the Holy Land. The symbol was an eagle on a cactus with a snake in its mouth.
It is estimated that the temple was built in the first half of the 14th century after the town was founded in 1325, and that it was remodeled and expanded several times thereafter. In total, seven temples were built one after the other, and the temple grounds consisted of quite a few buildings.
The Templo Mayor was destroyed by the Spanish in 1521, and they built on top of the temple with the city of the new colonial power. The approximate location of the temple was known, but an actual excavation did not take place until 1978, when an electricity company was carrying out construction work.
A few meters down they found a monolith from before the Spanish era. It turned out to be a round, ornate stone disk 3.25 meters in diameter. The stone depicts the Aztec moon god Coyolxauhqui, who according to mythology was beheaded by his brother Huitzilopochtli. He threw the severed head into the sky like the moon so that their mother could see her daughter every night. The stone dates from the late 15th century and formed the foundation for the temple’s staircase.
In the years after 1978, a number of buildings were demolished so that larger parts of the temple area could be excavated. During the work, thousands of effects from Tenochtitlán were found. The stone found, together with interesting information and models of the temple, is on display at the Templo Mayor’s museum. You can also see the excavated rooms and buildings that originate from various temple complexes over time.
Catedral Metropolitana is the name of Mexico City’s great cathedral, which is the country’s religious center. A church was already built here in the early 16th century, but with the city’s growth and status, it was soon after decided to build a new large cathedral, which was to become the largest in South and Central America.
The construction of the current Catedral Metropolitana started in 1562, and construction lasted until 1813. The inspiration came from various cathedrals in Spain, such as Seville’s famous cathedral. The style of the time and the church was and is mainly baroque, but you can also see features from the Renaissance and neoclassicism, which is natural with the long construction period.
The dimensions of the cathedral are approximately 55×110 meters in ground plan. The south facade forms the main entrance, of which the middle of three doors is the noblest. Above it you can see statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Other decorations on the facade include other saints, the Mexican state symbol, etc. On the cathedral’s western facade you can see figures of the four evangelists as well as Jesus giving the key of Heaven to Saint Peter. The Evangelists are also depicted on the eastern facade, while the facade to the north has the distinction of being the oldest of the cathedral’s sides.
You are greeted by a magnificent interior when you enter the church. You can see, for example, two large altars, choir, sacristy and most of the church’s sixteen chapels, each of which is an experience. There is also a crypt in the cathedral, where many former archbishops are buried, and you can also see two of the 18th century’s largest organs in the American continents.
The two large altars are seen from the main entrance to the south, respectively the Altar of Forgiveness/Altar del Perdón and the main altar, which is also called the Altar of the Kings/Altar de los Reyes. The Altar of the Kings was created 1718-1737 with magnificent ornamentation and use of gold. It measures an impressive 25 meters in height, 13.75 meters in width and 7.5 meters in depth.
Seen from the square El Zócalo, the cathedral itself is the double-towered church building, and next to it is the tabernacle building, which dates from the years 1749-1760. The tabernacle forms, among other things, the baptistery of the complex, and there is also a beautiful altar in this building.
The Palacio de Bellas Artes is Mexico’s premier art palace. It was built from 1904 by the Italian architect Adamo Boari on the site where the National Theater had been located until 1901. The palace should have been completed by 1910 for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Mexican independence. However, the ground turned out to be soft and unstable, and for this reason, among other things, construction was stopped in the years 1913-1932. After that, construction continued, and the Palacio de Bellas Artes was completed in 1934.
The facade of the building was built in Carrara marble, and the exterior style was Art Nouveau with elements of Neoclassicism. Inside, the late completion has resulted in furnishings in the contemporary art deco style. You can enjoy murals by, among others, Rufino Tamayo and Diego Rivera, and in the great hall you can enjoy the famous glass curtain that was made of glass from Tiffany’s in New York.
The glass curtain weighs 24 tons and is decorated with Mexican motifs. In the center of the carpet you can see the volcanoes Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, and they are surrounded by landscapes from Mexico. Also depicted are sculptures from Oaxaca and Yautepec.
The Palacio de Bellas Artes forms the setting for various cultural events, not least of which are theater performances and operas. As a curiosity, it was here that Maria Callas made her debut in 1950 in the opera Norma. The building also houses the Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes and the National Architecture Museum/Museo Nacional de Arquitectura.
Paseo de la Reforma is Mexico City’s central and grand boulevard, which was planned by Emperor Maximilian I in the 1860s, when he and Empress Carlota had taken up residence at Castillo de Chapultepec. Chapultepec was on the outskirts of the city, and the boulevard was to connect the site with the city center.
The boulevard is 12 kilometers long and was designed by Ferdinand von Rosenzweig on a European model. It was originally called the Empress Boulevard/Paseo de la Emperatriz, and that name came from Carlota. The boulevard got its current name after President Benito Juárez’s reforms in the years after the establishment of the Republic in 1867.
The central stretch of Paseo de la Reforma is the stretch from the area of Alameda Central in the east past the Zona Rosa neighborhood to the ridge of Chapultepec in the west. Along the boulevard there are many squares where there are monuments to personalities in the history of Mexico and of the American continents. Among other things, large banks, prestigious hotels, embassies and other prominent buildings are located here.
Castillo de Chapultepec is a castle that was built on the ridge of Chapultepec. It is a name that comes from the Náhuatl word chapoltepēc, which means hill of the locusts.
In the 18th century, the construction of the castle was started following Viceroy Bernardo de Gálvez’s decision. It was built as a palatial residence but was not completed until the Crown wanted it sold. In 1806, the site was purchased by Mexico City’s city government.
The unfinished facility was abandoned and stood as such in the years 1810-1833. At first it happened as a result of the country’s war of independence, but that changed in 1833, when it was decided to establish the Colegio Militar military academy here. In 1847, the castle became famous when the so-called Drengehelte/Niños Héroes fell in battle defending the hill against the US troops in the Battle of Chapultepec.
After the establishment of the Mexican Empire, Emperor Maximilian I and Empress Carlota chose to use Chapultepec as their residence castle in 1864. They had several Mexican and European architects rebuild the castle, and it was done in the neoclassicism of the time. It was during this time that Chapultepec roughly took on the appearance you can see today. The emperor also bought a lot of furniture from Europe, which is still in the castle, and he had the gardens around Chapultepec laid out.
Maximilian’s castle was on the outskirts of Mexico City, and the emperor therefore had the boulevard Paseo de la Emperatriz, today’s Paseo de la Reforma, built on the model of Paris and Vienna, among others. In this way, a direct and monumental access was created between the castle and the city centre.
In 1867, the Mexican Empire fell, and after serving as the presidential residence and accommodation for distinguished state guests until 1939, Castillo de Chapultepec was converted into Mexico’s National History Museum.
The historical museum depicts the country from the Spanish colonization to the Mexican Revolution, and among the many effects are the coach of Emperor Maximilian and the gun used in his execution. The museum’s walls feature paintings depicting various themes in the country’s history, such as the Niños Héroes battle in 1847.
With its impressive collection and exciting exhibition area, the Museo Nacional de Antropologia is considered one of the world’s finest anthropological museums. The museum building itself is worth seeing in itself. It was designed in 1964 by Pedro Ramírez Vázquez with the Umbrella/El Paraguas, a decorated concrete column that forms the central element of the inner open courtyard.
The museum opened in 1964, and here are a multitude of themes and effects from different cultures such as the Olmecs, the Mayans and the Aztecs. One of the highlights of the museum is the Sala Mexica, where Aztec art is exhibited. This is where you can see the famous Piedra del Sol, found at El Zócalo in central Mexico City in the late 1700s.
At the museum you can also see exhibitions of Olmec sculptures, which are not least known for their colossal heads. The Mayan culture is of course also separately reviewed with many finds, and all in all the museum is a cornucopia of Mexican history.
The Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is a basilica that is one of the world’s most visited Catholic pilgrimage sites. The basilica is dedicated to Mexico’s patron saint, the Virgin of Guadalupe/La Virgen de Guadalupe. The background for the church and the many visits is that it is said about this very place that a vision of the Virgin appeared several times to Bishop Juan Diego in 1531. When the bishop saw a portrait of the Virgin, which appeared through the flowers on the stony ground, ordered he immediately the first church erected here.
The construction of the church began in 1531, and the beautiful building was completed in 1709. Over the centuries, the building’s distinguished interior formed the frame for Juan Diego’s cloth with the very image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, but in the 20th century the large building sank into the soft underground of the area, and therefore it became decided to build a new church to house the Virgin.
Next to the old church, a new one was consecrated after two years of construction in 1976. It can accommodate up to 10,000 people at once, and it is necessary with the many pilgrims who make the pilgrimage to the basilica. The round shape of the church is also due to this, as it enables all churchgoers to see the centrally hung cloth. You can also get close to the Virgin portrait through a special visitor loop with rolling sidewalks that transport guests and pilgrims past the cloth immediately below it.
The church was elevated to the status of a basilica in 1904 by Pope Pius X, and in 2002 Pope John Paul II canonized Juan Diego, becoming the first Mexican saint.
In the streets around the basilica, you can experience countless shops and stalls with various religious souvenirs such as portraits of the Virgin. It is evocative in itself and underscores the importance of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and December 12 is the feast day of the Virgin, where there is a special festive atmosphere here.
In the area behind the old and new basilica lies a hilly terrain with beautiful nature, fine facilities and elegant buildings. It is worth a stroll, and you can see, among other things, the small and very beautiful baroque chapel Capilla del Pocito and the old parish church Capilla de Indios.
Along the entire east side of El Zócalo is the Palacio Nacional building, whose size is as impressive as the architectural details of the facade and interior halls. The palace was built on the site of the Aztec leader Moctezuma II’s former palace, which was demolished in the 16th century.
Many of the materials from Moctezuma’s palace were reused in the construction of the Palacio Nacional, and the palace’s long facade was, for example, built with the red stone tezontle, which is widely used in Mexico as a building material.
The palace first functioned as the residence of the Spanish viceroys, and since then it was set up as Mexico’s government building, and thus it has served as the country’s center of power since the Aztecs.
In the palace you can see some of Diego Rivera’s best-known murals. They were painted in the period 1929-1935, and the motifs depict important events and people from the history of Mexico from 1521 to 1930. The large painting by the inner staircase of the palace measures 450 square meters. Here you can also see scenes from the Aztec era, such as the life of the god Quetzalcoatl.
The clock above the palace’s main entrance is a special detail to notice. It was the one that rang the bell at Mexico’s independence from Spain in 1810, and every year on the evening of September 15, the Mexican National Day, the country’s president rings the same bell. The president then calls out, among other things, the most important names from the start of the Mexican War of Independence and ends with a triple “Viva México”, before the whole country celebrates the event with folk festivals everywhere.
The Gran Hotel is a building located on the west side of the Zócalo that, since the Spanish conquest in 1521, has housed various commercial activities. The hotel building then also opened as a mercantile center with one of the country’s first department stores in 1899.
The interior is large, the central room has been kept as it was in the days of the department store, and the style is for the most part in art nouveau. Externally, the building has a neoclassical facade facing the main entrance at 16 de Septiembre street, while the side facade facing El Zócalo was built in the neocolonial style that the regulations attribute to this square.
House of Tiles, called Casa de los Azulejos in Spanish, is one of the city’s finest colonial buildings. The house was built as a noble mansion by a count family from 1793, and it is very characteristic with the later added facade covering of beautiful blue and white tiles from the state of Puebla.
There are tiles on three sides of the building, which is also very interesting inside. The inner courtyard forms a beautiful whole with inspiration from different styles with fountains and wall decorations, including a large peacock painting by Romanian Pacalogue from 1919. Today there is a restaurant in the house, so there is plenty of opportunity to enjoy the atmosphere of the place.
The Museo de la Ciudad de México is a city museum that was founded in 1960. Its collection fascinatingly depicts the history of the city from Aztec times to the present day. The main division of the exhibition is the life and development of the city in the pre-Hispanic period, in the colonial period and the period under independent Mexico. At the museum you can see archaeological finds, maps, furniture and much more.
The museum building is a former noble mansion, which was built on land donated by Hernán Cortés to the co-conqueror Juan Gutierrez Altamirano, whose descendants had a fine residence built in the 17th century in place of the then house. It happened after an appointment as Count Santiago de Calimaya as decided by the Spanish King Philip II in 1616. The residence was to emphasize the newly acquired status.
The mansion’s chapel was built in the years 1778-1781. Many well-to-do families built one of these in connection with their homes, so that the women of the families did not have to go to the streets for the daily fairs. Today, the chapel and much of the original interior have not been preserved, as the house was furnished as apartments before the city government’s purchase in 1960. During a visit to the museum, however, you get an impression of one of the city’s distinguished historic homes.
Alameda Central is Mexico City’s largest park in the historic center. In the past, the place was a market place in the Aztec city and the scene of executions during the Spanish Inquisition. These took place in the western half of the area, which was then called El Quemadero and was devoid of vegetation.
Alameda Central was laid out as a public park in 1592 under the viceroy Luis de Velasco. In the park there are fountains of French design and sculptures inspired by Greek and Roman statues. You can see fountains for Mercury/Fuente de Mercurio, Najaderne/Fuente de las Náyades, Neptune/Fuente deNeptuno and Venus/Fuente de Venus, as well as a central plant in the middle of the park.
The park’s layout of paths was laid out in the decades around the year 1900. The most famous structure is the monument to former president Benito Juárez, called the Hemiciclo a Juárez. It lies to the south, and to the east you can see a monument to Ludwig van Beethoven. It was erected on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his 9th Symphony.
Museo Mural Diego Rivera is a museum of the artist Diego Rivera, which is built around one of his most famous murals, Sunday Afternoon Dream in Alameda Central/Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central. The artwork originally adorned the lobby of the Hotel del Prado, which was destroyed during the earthquake that struck the city in 1985.
The 15×4.8 meter painting was created by Diego Rivera in the years 1947-1948, and it depicts a Sunday walk in the Alameda Central park. The painting shows a number of well-known figures from Mexican history; among others Diego Rivera himself as a child, Frida Kahlo and the skeleton figure la Calavera Catrina.
Plaza de la República is Mexico City’s large Republic Square, which, according to Pofirio Diaz’s plan, was to be laid out as a splendid square with Parisian-style buildings. In the center of the square, the grand Federal Legislative Palace/Palacio Legislativo Federal was to be built with models such as the Reichstag in Berlin. However, only the foundation, a steel skeleton and an empty shell of a dome, was completed before the political upheavals that took place in 1910.
In the 1930s, the distinctive and architecturally exciting art deco monument that can be seen today was built around the dome. In two of the monument’s columns are buried the remains of the revolutionary presidents Francisco Madero and Venustiano Carranza. Francisco “Pancho” Villa is also located here, and later presidents Plutarco Elias Calles and Lazaro Cárdenas were also laid to rest here.
In the square you can also visit the National Revolution Museum/Museo Nacional de la Revolución, where you can see an interesting depiction of Mexico in the period 1857-1920.
Plaza Hidalgo is the central square of the district of Coyoacán, where the administration of the city and the district has had its seat over time. Already at the beginning of the 1520s, when the destroyed city of the Aztecs was rebuilt as Mexico City, Hernán Cortés had government buildings built here.
In 1521-1522, Cortés himself lived in Coyoacán, but not in the so-called Cortés’ House/Casa de Cortés, located on the north side of Plaza Hidalgo. It is believed to be here, however, that the Spanish took the Aztec emperor Cuauhtémoc with them after his capture. The current Casa de Cortés dates from the middle of the 18th century.
The dominant building in Plaza Hidalgo is the 16th-century Church of Saint John/Iglesia San Juan Bautista. It was completed in 1552 and is one of the oldest churches in Mexico City. Different styles are represented in the architecture, as extensions were continuously made after the completion of the original church.
In the middle of Plaza Hidalgo you can see a kiosk from the early 1900s. It is typical of the period and crowned by a glass dome with a bronze eagle on top.
Museo Frida Kahlo is a museum for Frida Kahlo, who was the wife of the artist Diego Rivera. At the same time, she was and still is highly recognized for her art, which you can get an insight into at the museum, which is set up in Rivera and Kahlo’s house.
The artist couple also collected historical jewelry and ceramics from the time of the Spanish colonization. These items are on display at the museum, which also features a fine garden with displayed sculptures. The museum is also called The Blue House/La Casa Azul due to its characteristic colour.
Xochimilco is a neighborhood in Mexico City where you can get an impression of the historic floating gardens that the Aztecs created in the area. The city was located on the south side of the now historic Lake Xochimilco, which was part of the large lake system that surrounded the island with the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan.
The Aztecs built miles of canals and small artificial islands were created to grow vegetables that were sold in the markets of Tenochtitlan. After the Aztec era, the Spanish Mexicans continued to cultivate the gardens for centuries.
Today, only small parts of the original lake and canal system have been preserved, and countless boats sail on them, which are festive and brightly colored in every way. You sail around between other boats, which are, for example, floating restaurants or music boats with the traditional mariachi, which is the symbol of Mexican music.
Many Mexicans from the big city go here at the weekend to sail around the peaceful green surroundings, and this provides a good opportunity to experience real Mexican folk life.
Teotihuacan is a large and world-famous ruin area that is one of Mexico’s absolute greatest sights. According to the Aztecs, it was the place where the gods created the Sun and the Moon, and in Aztec, Teotihuacan also means “the place where people become gods”.
The ruins of Teotihuacan are located along the Alley of the Dead/Calzada de los Muertos, which is two kilometers long and 45 meters wide. The avenue leads from the area’s main entrance to the Pyramid of the Moon/Pirámide de la Luna, which is 46 meters high and stands with a ground surface of 150×129 metres.
At the main entrance is the Ciudadela, which was formerly a marketplace surrounded by official residences. The Teotihuacan museum and the Templo de Quetzalcóatl temple are located here as places to see in this part of the large area.
When you walk towards the Pyramid of the Moon, the world’s third largest pyramid lies along the right side of the avenue. It is the Pyramid of the Sun/Pirámide del Sol, which has a base of 225×220 meters, and the top is 65 meters. Behind the pyramid is the Palacio de Tepantitla, which has been a priest’s residence. Here you can see the beautiful fresco of the rain god Tláloc’s paradise.
Between the two large pyramids you can see several buildings with frescoes such as the Palace of the Feathered Butterfly/Palacio de Quetzalpapálotl, which symbolizes those who have fallen in battle.
The entire site of Teotihuacan is large and impressive, and it is impressive to walk between the colossal buildings. You can get a special impression from the top of the Pyramid of the Sun, which is accessed via some relatively easy-to-climb stairs.
Tepotzotlán er en by, hvor der er rig mulighed for at opleve en række fine bygningsværker fra den spanske kolonitid. Et af dem er byens smukke kirke, der blev viet til San Francisco Javier. Kirken blev bygget i årene 1760-1762, og den står som et af landets bedste eksempler på den mexicanske barok, der kaldes churrigueresk.
Kirkens facade er rigt ornamenteret, men alligevel er det kirkens indre, der imponerer mest. De overdådige altertavler ser med alle deres små figurer, søjler, malerier og ornamentering nærmest levende ud, og med herlighedens forgyldning er det nærmest som at beundre et eventyr. Selve altertavlen viser Jomfruen af Guadalupe, der er den nationale skytshelgen i Mexico.
Kirkens tilhørende kloster er meget elegant anlagt, og det rummer et museum, Museo Nacional del Virreinato. Det skildrer blandt andet stedet, Jesuiterordenen og diverse effekter fra kolonitiden.
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Central Mexico has been inhabited for more than 20,000 years. Funds from the millennium BC are found in the area, among other offerings and effects from various ceremonies.
During the period 100-900, the area was under the control of the city of Teotihuacan, located northeast of Mexico City. In the latter part of this time several important cities such as Cholula and Cacaxtla emerged, which eventually made the Teotihuacan rank unmatched as the area’s leading urban community.
Until the 13th century, when the Aztecs came to the country, power shifted between different groups in the region. In 1299 the new Aztecs settled in Chapultepec, and in 1325 they were given a religious vision of precisely the place where they founded Mexico City as the Aztecs capital Tenochtitlan.
The city of the Aztecs flourished over the following two centuries. Culturally and commercially, the city quickly became a factor of power and the surrounding communities of the surrounding tribes became subject to Tenochtitlan.
In the Aztec city large buildings were erected, not least the central Templo Mayor, which was a distinguished double pyramid. Templo Mayor was the cosmic center of the Aztecs and constructed as a city in a lake based on the myth of the god city Aztlan.
In 1519, Tenochtitlan was the absolute center of the Aztec Empire, and the city was at its peak when Spanish colonists arrived. Led by the conqueror Hernán Cortés, an attack on the city was initiated. After hard battles and 75 days of siege, among others, the city fell in 1521. After the protracted battles, the once mighty city had been reduced to ruins.
The year after the Spanish conquest, Hernán Cortés became the first governor of New Spain, Nueva España. Cortés founded the Spanish capital as Mexico City, Ciudad de Mexico, on the ruins of the Aztec city.
From the outset, Mexico City was built in Spanish-European style, and Hernán Cortés sought to expand the Spanish colonial empire from the beginning. The reigning Cortés was replaced by a broader administrative system from 1528, and in 1535 Antonio de Mendoza was deployed as the first of a total of 61 Mexican deputies.
Throughout the 1500s to 1700s, New Spain developed into a large, prosperous and well-run colonial empire that stretched from the Caribbean to the Philippines. Mexico City was the capital of the kingdom and major buildings were erected, including Latin America’s largest cathedral and a number of mansions. Culturally, the city flourished with frequent theatrical performances, Spanish bullfighting and other entertainment.
It was a time of steady progress, although there were challenges for the city – not least with its location on a soft, often flooded subsoil, including a five-year period from 1629.
An ever-increasing social divide led to a growing desire for independence from Spain, and in 1810 a revolt began at Miguel Hidalgo’s request. The rebellion ends with the establishment of an independent Mexico in 1821.
Long political settlements marked the first decades after independence, and here Mexico experienced a turbulent time when large tracts of land were lost to the United States.
With Porfirio Diaz’s takeover of power in 1876, the country entered a stable and economically prosperous era that lasted until the turn of the century. Large-scale buildings and facilities are now being rebuilt in Mexico City, such as the Art Palace. The time ended with a rebellion in 1910, where the country again became the scene of political strife.
In the latter half of the 20th century, the city’s population increased dramatically. In 1950, about 3 million people lived here. At the turn of the century, 18 million lived in Mexico’s built-up area. The population explosion was started by the Mexican economic miracle, which produced high growth rates from the 1950s.
With the positive economic development many large plants were launched in the city. Mexico City’s metro, which today is the world’s third busiest, was built, and as a result of the country’s great efforts, the Olympic Games were held in the city in 1968.
In the 1970s, the city and the country’s economic deroute began, culminating in Mexico’s suspension of payments in 1982. The crisis was clear, and it worsened in 1985, when Mexico City was hit by an earthquake that cost more than 5,000 lives and the collapse of a number of buildings.
Today, Mexico is part of the North American Free Trade Area NAFTA, which has opened up new market opportunities for the country’s industry and large services sector, which include the tourism industry, which today offers, for example, a number of events and fine collections at museums. Modern Mexico goes hand in hand with its Spanish colonial background.
Mexico City, Mexico
Overview of Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital of Mexico and a true mega-city of which were built in charming Mexican-Spanish style on the foundations of the Aztecs old capital. That alone makes it an achitectural mix that provides the breeding ground for many interesting sights.
Cozy pitches and boulevards with good atmospheric environments are part of what’s waiting in Mexico City. Next to these urban spaces there are many green areas with Chapultepec as the largest close to the center. Chapultepec is a must see place in the form of the anthropological museum.
Of the buildings, Mexico City’s cathedral is among the most famous. It is located on the square Zócalo, which is a good starting point for city walks. From the time of the Aztecs lies the ruins of the magnificent Templo Mayor, and one can also walk in Moctezuma’s footsteps to the place where the emperor first met Spanish Hernán Cortés.
About the Whitehorse travel guide
Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
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Author: Stig Albeck
Publisher: Vamados.com
Language: English
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Along the entire east side of El Zócalo is the Palacio Nacional building, whose size is as impressive as the architectural details of the facade and interior halls. The palace was built on the site of the Aztec leader Moctezuma II’s former palace, which was demolished in the 16th century.
Many of the materials from Moctezuma’s palace were reused in the construction of the Palacio Nacional, and the palace’s long facade was, for example, built with the red stone tezontle, which is widely used in Mexico as a building material.
The palace first functioned as the residence of the Spanish viceroys, and since then it was set up as Mexico’s government building, and thus it has served as the country’s center of power since the Aztecs.
In the palace you can see some of Diego Rivera’s best-known murals. They were painted in the period 1929-1935, and the motifs depict important events and people from the history of Mexico from 1521 to 1930. The large painting by the inner staircase of the palace measures 450 square meters. Here you can also see scenes from the Aztec era, such as the life of the god Quetzalcoatl.
The clock above the palace’s main entrance is a special detail to notice. It was the one that rang the bell at Mexico’s independence from Spain in 1810, and every year on the evening of September 15, the Mexican National Day, the country’s president rings the same bell. The president then calls out, among other things, the most important names from the start of the Mexican War of Independence and ends with a triple “Viva México”, before the whole country celebrates the event with folk festivals everywhere.
The Gran Hotel is a building located on the west side of the Zócalo that, since the Spanish conquest in 1521, has housed various commercial activities. The hotel building then also opened as a mercantile center with one of the country’s first department stores in 1899.
The interior is large, the central room has been kept as it was in the days of the department store, and the style is for the most part in art nouveau. Externally, the building has a neoclassical facade facing the main entrance at 16 de Septiembre street, while the side facade facing El Zócalo was built in the neocolonial style that the regulations attribute to this square.
House of Tiles, called Casa de los Azulejos in Spanish, is one of the city’s finest colonial buildings. The house was built as a noble mansion by a count family from 1793, and it is very characteristic with the later added facade covering of beautiful blue and white tiles from the state of Puebla.
There are tiles on three sides of the building, which is also very interesting inside. The inner courtyard forms a beautiful whole with inspiration from different styles with fountains and wall decorations, including a large peacock painting by Romanian Pacalogue from 1919. Today there is a restaurant in the house, so there is plenty of opportunity to enjoy the atmosphere of the place.
The Museo de la Ciudad de México is a city museum that was founded in 1960. Its collection fascinatingly depicts the history of the city from Aztec times to the present day. The main division of the exhibition is the life and development of the city in the pre-Hispanic period, in the colonial period and the period under independent Mexico. At the museum you can see archaeological finds, maps, furniture and much more.
The museum building is a former noble mansion, which was built on land donated by Hernán Cortés to the co-conqueror Juan Gutierrez Altamirano, whose descendants had a fine residence built in the 17th century in place of the then house. It happened after an appointment as Count Santiago de Calimaya as decided by the Spanish King Philip II in 1616. The residence was to emphasize the newly acquired status.
The mansion’s chapel was built in the years 1778-1781. Many well-to-do families built one of these in connection with their homes, so that the women of the families did not have to go to the streets for the daily fairs. Today, the chapel and much of the original interior have not been preserved, as the house was furnished as apartments before the city government’s purchase in 1960. During a visit to the museum, however, you get an impression of one of the city’s distinguished historic homes.
Alameda Central is Mexico City’s largest park in the historic center. In the past, the place was a market place in the Aztec city and the scene of executions during the Spanish Inquisition. These took place in the western half of the area, which was then called El Quemadero and was devoid of vegetation.
Alameda Central was laid out as a public park in 1592 under the viceroy Luis de Velasco. In the park there are fountains of French design and sculptures inspired by Greek and Roman statues. You can see fountains for Mercury/Fuente de Mercurio, Najaderne/Fuente de las Náyades, Neptune/Fuente deNeptuno and Venus/Fuente de Venus, as well as a central plant in the middle of the park.
The park’s layout of paths was laid out in the decades around the year 1900. The most famous structure is the monument to former president Benito Juárez, called the Hemiciclo a Juárez. It lies to the south, and to the east you can see a monument to Ludwig van Beethoven. It was erected on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his 9th Symphony.
Museo Mural Diego Rivera is a museum of the artist Diego Rivera, which is built around one of his most famous murals, Sunday Afternoon Dream in Alameda Central/Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central. The artwork originally adorned the lobby of the Hotel del Prado, which was destroyed during the earthquake that struck the city in 1985.
The 15×4.8 meter painting was created by Diego Rivera in the years 1947-1948, and it depicts a Sunday walk in the Alameda Central park. The painting shows a number of well-known figures from Mexican history; among others Diego Rivera himself as a child, Frida Kahlo and the skeleton figure la Calavera Catrina.
Plaza de la República is Mexico City’s large Republic Square, which, according to Pofirio Diaz’s plan, was to be laid out as a splendid square with Parisian-style buildings. In the center of the square, the grand Federal Legislative Palace/Palacio Legislativo Federal was to be built with models such as the Reichstag in Berlin. However, only the foundation, a steel skeleton and an empty shell of a dome, was completed before the political upheavals that took place in 1910.
In the 1930s, the distinctive and architecturally exciting art deco monument that can be seen today was built around the dome. In two of the monument’s columns are buried the remains of the revolutionary presidents Francisco Madero and Venustiano Carranza. Francisco “Pancho” Villa is also located here, and later presidents Plutarco Elias Calles and Lazaro Cárdenas were also laid to rest here.
In the square you can also visit the National Revolution Museum/Museo Nacional de la Revolución, where you can see an interesting depiction of Mexico in the period 1857-1920.
Plaza Hidalgo is the central square of the district of Coyoacán, where the administration of the city and the district has had its seat over time. Already at the beginning of the 1520s, when the destroyed city of the Aztecs was rebuilt as Mexico City, Hernán Cortés had government buildings built here.
In 1521-1522, Cortés himself lived in Coyoacán, but not in the so-called Cortés’ House/Casa de Cortés, located on the north side of Plaza Hidalgo. It is believed to be here, however, that the Spanish took the Aztec emperor Cuauhtémoc with them after his capture. The current Casa de Cortés dates from the middle of the 18th century.
The dominant building in Plaza Hidalgo is the 16th-century Church of Saint John/Iglesia San Juan Bautista. It was completed in 1552 and is one of the oldest churches in Mexico City. Different styles are represented in the architecture, as extensions were continuously made after the completion of the original church.
In the middle of Plaza Hidalgo you can see a kiosk from the early 1900s. It is typical of the period and crowned by a glass dome with a bronze eagle on top.
Museo Frida Kahlo is a museum for Frida Kahlo, who was the wife of the artist Diego Rivera. At the same time, she was and still is highly recognized for her art, which you can get an insight into at the museum, which is set up in Rivera and Kahlo’s house.
The artist couple also collected historical jewelry and ceramics from the time of the Spanish colonization. These items are on display at the museum, which also features a fine garden with displayed sculptures. The museum is also called The Blue House/La Casa Azul due to its characteristic colour.
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