Since 1325, when the Aztecs established their capital of Tenochtitlan on an island in Lake Texcoco, the area of the Zocalo, Mexico City's huge downtown plaza, has been the seat of government and religion for the entire country. Upon the Spaniards' arrival in 1519, the island (with an area of only 165 square blocks) was linked to the mainland by broad causeways and an aqueduct that brought fresh water from the western shore of the lake. Tenochtitlan had an estimated 80,000 inhabitants.
The conquerors were amazed at the beauty of the palaces, the luxury of their furnishings, and the impressive grandeur of the great ceremonial center immediately north of today's Zocalo. But during their 80 day siege of the capital in 52 , they systematically razed the Aztec structures and, upon the rubble, built a Spanish town.
Your visit to Mexico City, therefore, might well begin where the post Conquest history of Mexico began so many years ago.
Measuring 790 feet on each side and bordered by four broad streets, the Zocalo itself has had a colorful career. After the Conquest it became the very center of colonial life. Market stalls selling wares of every description filled it until 1789. A gallows stood in front of the National Palace; at one time fountains marked the four corners of the plaza. The Zocalo has been the site of a bullring, a park, and until about 30 years ago, the terminal for bus and streetcar lines. Now, because large crowds frequently assemble there, it is a barren expanse of concrete blocks broken only by a flagpole, mobile planters, and a subway entrance.
Coming into the plaza from Avenida Madero, you'll see the Hotel Majestic on the righthand corner. Its roof garden restaurant is a good place to eat or drink while you enjoy the panoramic view of the Zocalo and the historic buildings that face it. For the night of September 15 the eve of Independence Day the hotel is booked far in advance by those wanting a box seat for the spectacle staged in the plaza when as many as 300,000 people gather to hear the President repeat the Grito or call to arms given by Miguel Hidalgo in 1810. Elaborate fireworks and the pealing of the cathedral bells follow the ceremony.
Turning right on the west side of the square, you pass through the Portales, a broad arcade in which merchants maintained permanent stalls from 1524 until some time after Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821. Small shops and cafes now operate there, opening onto the arcade.
The two Municipal Palaces stand on the south side. The Old Palace, built in 1532, was almost destroyed by rioters in 1692. In addition to the city offices and archives, it also housed the Royal Mint established in 1536, the first in America. The New Palace, between 20 de Noviembre and Pino Suarez, was inaugurated in 1948. Both buildings are now devoted to over all administrative functions.
The Supreme Court building at the southeast corner of the square was completed in 1940. Of greatest interest to visitors is Jose Clemente Orozco's powerful mural, a satirical critique of the judiciary.
The National Palace a squat, three story building, occupies the entire east side of the Zocalo where the Palace of Montezuma once stood. The official headquarters of Cortez erected there was purchased by the Spanish king in 1562 to serve as a residence for the viceroys. Maximilian had improvements made, and the building was enlarged when Porfirio Diaz became president. It wasn't until 1927 that the third story was added. The central balcony and the niche above it together form the focal point of the facade. In the niche hangs Mexico's Liberty Bell, rung by the president at 11 P.M. on September 15. Below the balcony, the main entrance gives access to the great stairway where, in 1929, Diego Rivera painted one of his finest murals "Mexico: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow." Behind the Palace, at Moneda 13, is the Museum of the Cultures with exhibits depicting the history of art throughout the world.
A fragment of one of the pyramids that stood in the Aztec ceremonial center may be viewed at the corner of Seminario and Guatemala, across from the rear of the cathedral. Beside it is the small Ethnographic Museum, with a scale model of the ancient ceremonial center.
The magnificent Metropolitan Cathedral, on the north side of the plaza, has detractors who claim that it suffers from an overabundance of architectural styles resulting from a 200 year construction period. Be that as it may, it continues to be the most important Catholic church in the New World, housing a multitude of religious art treasures. Recently it has been totally renovated, from foundations to bell towers, in keeping with its status.
Erection of the first cathedral was begun by Cortez in 1524, 3 years after the Conquest. Foundations for the present cathedral were laid in 1573, and work continued as funds permitted; the aweinspiring Altar of the Kings was not completed until 1737.
First time visitors should take special notice of the cathedral crypts (entrance on the west); the Altar of Forgiveness and the Choir, almost destroyed by fire in 1967, and now restored with painstaking care; the four huge oval paintings by Miguel Cabrera above the two side entrances; and the 85 foot high Altar of the Kings, a glory in gold leaf, at the end of the central nave. Chapels of great artistic merit line the two lateral naves.
The Monte de Piedad or National Pawnshop stands at the northwest corner of the Zocalo, on the site of the palace where Hernando Cortez and his men were housed upon their arrival in 1519. The present mansion was constructed in the early 18th century and, in 1836, became this hemisphere's oldest credit institution. Anything except perishable goods may be pawned; if not redeemed within a specified time, articles are offered for sale here or at one of the numerous branches throughout the country. Good bargains can often be found.
Since 1325, when the Aztecs established their capital of Tenochtitlan on an island in Lake Texcoco, the area of the Zocalo, Mexico City's huge downtown plaza, has been the seat of government and religion for the entire country. Upon the Spaniards' arrival in 1519, the island (with an area of only 165 square blocks) was linked to the mainland by broad causeways and an aqueduct that brought fresh water from the western shore of the lake. Tenochtitlan had an estimated 80,000 inhabitants.
Coming into the plaza from Avenida Madero, you'll see the Hotel Majestic on the righthand corner. Its roof garden restaurant is a good place to eat or drink while you enjoy the panoramic view of the Zocalo and the historic buildings that face it. For the night of September 15 the eve of Independence Day the hotel is booked far in advance by those wanting a box seat for the spectacle staged in the plaza when as many as 300,000 people gather to hear the President repeat the Grito or call to arms given by Miguel Hidalgo in 1810. Elaborate fireworks and the pealing of the cathedral bells follow the ceremony.
The National Palace a squat, three story building, occupies the entire east side of the Zocalo where the Palace of Montezuma once stood. The official headquarters of Cortez erected there was purchased by the Spanish king in 1562 to serve as a residence for the viceroys. Maximilian had improvements made, and the building was enlarged when Porfirio Diaz became president. It wasn't until 1927 that the third story was added. The central balcony and the niche above it together form the focal point of the facade. In the niche hangs Mexico's Liberty Bell, rung by the president at 11 P.M. on September 15. Below the balcony, the main entrance gives access to the great stairway where, in 1929, Diego Rivera painted one of his finest murals "Mexico: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow." Behind the Palace, at Moneda 13, is the Museum of the Cultures with exhibits depicting the history of art throughout the world.
