Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Zócalo
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Templo Mayor
Plaza de la Constitución, also
known as Zócalo, was one of the
city's main market areas from
the days of Tenochtitlán. In the
1860s, Emperor Maximilian I
banned merchants and created a
Parisian park, with tree-lined
walkways and benches. Follow-
ing the Mexican Revolution the
plaza was cleared of all the
trees, grass, and ornamentation.
The plaza is today the gathering
place for social and political
causes.
d
Monte de Piedad • Map Q3
This was once the largest
and most important temple in
the ceremonial complex at the
heart of the Aztec empire, until
the Spanish destroyed it after
their conquest and used the
rubble for their own construction.
In 1978, city workers digging
near the Catedral Metropolitana
discovered a carved stone disk,
over 10 ft (3 m) in diameter, that
enabled archeologists to deter-
mine the location of the temple.
A major archeological project
ensued covering several city
blocks. Today, visitors can follow
a winding walkway through the
excavated ruins and visit the
excellent museum which dis-
plays many of the artifacts
recovered here
(see pp16-17)
.
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Catedral Metropolitana
The largest cathedral in the
Western Hemisphere, it took 240
years to complete. This is
reflected in the dazzling array of
Baroque and Neo-Classical
styles. Built on soft, marshy soil
the cathedral was sinking until
engineers used a variety of
techniques to stabilize it. The
cathedral still has a visible tilt,
but a huge pendulum hung from
the dome marks the slow move-
ment towards the perpendicular.
An exceptional collection of
paintings, religious furnishings,
and glittering altars adorn the
interior
(see pp12-13)
.
Military ceremony at the Zócalo
@
Palacio Nacional
This huge government
edifice extends along the length
of the Zócalo. Cortés built his
palace on the site of the Aztec
Emperor Moctezuma II's castle
in 1563. The current palace was
constructed in 1693 following
fires in 1659 and 1692 which
destroyed much of the earlier
building. Emperor Maximilian I
modified the architecture intro-
ducing European flair. President
Calles added the third floor in
1926. Today, most visitors come
to view the brilliant murals of
Diego Rivera, especially his
Epic
of the Mexican People
, which
surrounds the central staircase
(see pp14-15)
.
Altar Mayor, Catedral Metropolitana
67
A huge Mexican national flag is raised and lowered every day
from a towering pole in the Zócalo with much military ceremony
