The historic center of Mexico City ( es, Centro Histórico de la Ciudad de México), also known as the Centro or Centro Histórico, is the central neighborhood in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, focused on
Zócalo
The Zócalo () is the common name of the main square in central Mexico City. Prior to the colonial period, it was the main ceremonial center in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. The plaza used to be known simply as the "Main Square" or "Arms Sq ...
or main plaza and extending in all directions for a number of blocks, with its farthest extent being west to the
Alameda Central
Alameda Central is a public urban park in downtown Mexico City. Created in 1592, the Alameda Central is the oldest public park in the Americas. It is located in Cuauhtémoc borough, adjacent to the Palacio de Bellas Artes, between Juárez Aven ...
.
The Zocalo is the largest plaza in Latin America.
It can hold up to nearly 100,000 people.
This section of the capital lies in the municipal borough of
Cuauhtémoc
Cuauhtémoc (, ), also known as Cuauhtemotzín, Guatimozín, or Guatémoc, was the Aztec ruler ('' tlatoani'') of Tenochtitlan from 1520 to 1521, making him the last Aztec Emperor. The name Cuauhtemōc means "one who has descended like an eagle ...
, has just over nine square km and occupies 668 blocks. It contains 9,000 buildings, 1,550 of which have been declared of historical importance. Most of these historic buildings were constructed between the 16th and 20th centuries. It is divided into two zones for preservation purposes. Zone A encompasses the pre-Hispanic city and its expansion from the Viceroy period until Independence. Zone B covers the areas all other constructions to the end of the 19th century that are considered indispensable to the preservation of the area's architectural and cultural heritage.
This is where the Spaniards began to build what is now modern
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
in the 16th century on the ruins of the conquered
Tenochtitlan
, ; es, Tenochtitlan also known as Mexico-Tenochtitlan, ; es, México-Tenochtitlan was a large Mexican in what is now the historic center of Mexico City. The exact date of the founding of the city is unclear. The date 13 March 1325 was ...
, capital of the
Aztec Empire
The Aztec Empire or the Triple Alliance ( nci, Ēxcān Tlahtōlōyān, Help:IPA/Nahuatl, jéːʃkaːn̥ t͡ɬaʔtoːˈlóːjaːn̥ was an alliance of three Nahua peoples, Nahua altepetl, city-states: , , and . These three city-states ruled ...
.
As the centre of the ancient Aztec Empire and the seat of power for the Spanish colony of
New Spain
New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Am ...
, the Centro Historico contains most of the city's historic sites from both eras as well as a large number of museums. This has made it a World Heritage Site.
History
![FountainGarciaBravoDF](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/FountainGarciaBravoDF.JPG)
What is now the historic downtown of Mexico City roughly correlates with the ancient Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, which was founded around 1325. During the prehispanic era, the city developed in a planned fashion, with streets and canals aligned with the cardinal directions, leading to orderly square blocks.
The island that the city was founded on was divided into four calpullis or neighborhoods that were divided by the main north-south roads leading to
Tepeyac
Tepeyac or the Hill of Tepeyac, historically known by the names Tepeyacac and Tepeaquilla, is located inside Gustavo A. Madero, the northernmost ''delegación'' or borough of Mexico City. According to the Catholic tradition, it is the site where ...
and
Iztapalapa
Iztapalapa () is a borough (''demarcación territorial'') in Mexico City, located on the east side of the entity. The borough is named after and centered on the formerly independent municipality of Iztapalapa, which is officially called Iztapalapa ...
respectively and the west-east road that lead to
Tacuba
Tacuba is a municipality in the Ahuachapán department of El Salvador.
Church Of Tacuba
It is located in Villa of Tacuba. It is head of the municipality of the same name in the department of Ahuachapán, at about 14 Kilometers of the city of Ahu ...
and to a dike into the lake, respectively. The calpullis were named Cuepopan, Atzacualco, Moyotla and Zoquipan, which had subdivisions and a "tecpan" or district council each. The intersection of these roads was the center of the city and of the Aztec world. Here were the Templo Mayor, the palaces of the
tlatoani
''Tlatoani'' ( , "one who speaks, ruler"; plural ' or tlatoque) is the Classical Nahuatl term for the ruler of an , a pre-Hispanic state. It is the noun form of the verb "tlahtoa" meaning "speak, command, rule". As a result, it has been various ...
or emperors, palaces of nobles such as the "House of the Demons" and the "House of the Flowers". Also located here were the two most renowned Aztec schools: the Telpuchcalli for secular studies and the Calmecac for priestly training. When the Spaniards arrived, the city had aqueducts built by
Moctezuma I
Moctezuma I (–1469), also known as Moteuczomatzin Ilhuicamina (), Huehuemoteuczoma or Montezuma I ( nci, Motēuczōma Ilhuicamīna , nci, Huēhuemotēuczōma ), was the second Aztec emperor and fifth king of Tenochtitlan. During his reign, the ...
lhuicamina and
Ahuizotl
Ahuitzotl ( nah, āhuitzotl, ) was the eighth Aztec ruler, the '' Huey Tlatoani'' of the city of Tenochtitlan, son of princess Atotoztli II. His name literally means "Water Thorny" and was also applied to the otter. It is also theorized that mo ...
as well as a large dike constructed to the east of the city.
After the Spanish conquest, this design remained largely intact, mostly due to the efforts of
Alonso Garcia Bravo, who supervised much of the rebuilding of the city. This reconstruction conserved many of the main thoroughfares such as Tenayuca, renamed Vallejo; Tlacopan, renamed México Tacuba, and Tepeyac, now called the Calzada de los Misterios. They also kept major divisions of the city adding Christian prefixes to the names such as San Juan Moyotla, Santa María Tlaquechiuacan, San Sebastián Atzacualco and San Pedro Teopan. In fact, most of the centro historicos is built with the rubble of the destroyed Aztec city.
A number of people during this time, all Spaniards, accumulated vast wealth mostly through mining and commerce in the 17th and 18th centuries. This wealth is reflected in the various mansions scattered in the centro such as the
Palace of Iturbide
The Palace of Iturbide (1779 to 1785) is a large palatial residence located in the historic center of Mexico City at Madero Street #17. It was built by the Count of San Mateo Valparaíso as a wedding gift for his daughter. It gained the name '' ...
and
Casa de Azulejos (House of Tiles). This house was built in the 16th century in Arab style but its namesake tiles were added in 1747 when the Count of the Valley of Orizaba ordered the
Talavera tiles from
Puebla
Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...
.
In the early part of the 20th century, as a result of the Latin American posture of then-Minister of Public Education
José Vasconcelos
José Vasconcelos Calderón (28 February 1882 – 30 June 1959), called the "cultural " of the Mexican Revolution, was an important Mexican writer, philosopher, and politician. He is one of the most influential and controversial personalities ...
, many of the streets to the north and west of the Zocalo were renamed after Latin American countries.
The Zócalo and surrounding sites
Historically, the Zócalo, or main plaza, has been a venue for fine and popular cultural events. Some example of events held here recently are
Spencer Tunick
Spencer Tunick (born January 1, 1967) is an American photographer best known for organizing large-scale nude shoots. Since 1994, he has photographed over 75 human installations around the world.
Life and career
Spencer Tunick was born in Middl ...
's photo shoot,
the
Ashes and Snow
''Ashes and Snow'' by Canadian artist Gregory Colbert is an installation of photographic artworks, films, and a novel in letters that travels in the Nomadic Museum, a temporary structure built exclusively to house the exhibition. The work explores ...
Nomadic museum
and a skateboarding/BMX event that drew 50,000 young people on 24 August 2008.
The ''Festival de México'' is an annual event with programs dedicated to art (popular and high) and academia. In 2008, was the 24th Festival with 254 performances and shows from over 20 countries in 65 plazas and other locations in this section of the city.
It is central to national level protests such as those staged by Lopez Obrador after the 2006 Presidential Elections
and the nationwide protest against crime held on August 30, 2008.
Just off the Zócalo are the Palacio Nacional, the Cathedral Metropolitana, the Templo Mayor with its adjoining museum, and
Nacional Monte de Piedad
The Nacional Monte de Piedad is a not-for-profit institution and pawnshop whose main office is located just off the Zócalo, or main plaza of Mexico City. It was commanded to be built between 1774 and 1777 by Don Pedro Romero de Terreros, the Cou ...
building. The Palacio Nacional borders the entire east side of the Zocalo and contains the offices of the
President of Mexico
The president of Mexico ( es, link=no, Presidente de México), officially the president of the United Mexican States ( es, link=no, Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the Co ...
, the Federal Treasury, the National Archives as well as murals depicting pre-Hispanic life and a large mural filling the central stairway depicting the entire history of the Mexican nation from the Conquest on. This palace was built on the ruins of Moctezuma II's palace beginning in 1521, using the same
tezontle
Tezontle ( es, tezontle) is a porous, highly oxidized, volcanic rock used extensively in construction in Mexico. It is usually reddish in color due to iron oxide.
Tezontle is a well-cemented, agglomeritic and scoriaceous rock.
Uses Construction ...
stone used to build the Aztec palace. It was originally in the
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquess of the Valley of Oaxaca (; ; 1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of w ...
family until the king of Spain bought it to house the
viceroys
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning " ...
of New Spain and remained so (despite being destroyed and rebuilt again in 1692) until Mexican independence. Facing the Zócalo above a central balcony is the Campana (Bell) of Dolores, which is rung by the president each 15th of Sept to celebrate Independence.
The Metropolitan Cathedral, dedicated to the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, occupies the north end of the Zócalo. The site originally was part of the Aztec Sacred Precinct (called the Teocalli) and contained the main
tzompantli
A () or skull rack was a type of wooden rack or palisade documented in several Mesoamerican civilizations, which was used for the public display of human skulls, typically those of war captives or other sacrificial victims. It is a scaffold-l ...
, or rack for the skulls of sacrifice victims. The first church was erected between 1524 or 1526 and 1532 and was elevated to the rank of cathedral on 2 September 1530 by
Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII ( la, Clemens VII; it, Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the ...
. The foundations for a new cathedral were begun in 1562 and the foundation stone was laid in 1573 in the time of Archbishop Pedro Moya de Contreras and of the 4th Viceroy. Although the works had not been concluded, the cathedral received its first dedication on 2 February 1656. The completion in 1813 of the neo-classical additions designed by
Manuel Tolsa was celebrated on 15 August 2013 by
Cardinal Carrera who opened and entered through the
Holy Door
A Holy Door ( la, Porta Sancta) is traditionally an entrance portal located within the Papal major basilicas in Rome. The doors are normally sealed by mortar and cement from the inside so that they cannot be opened. They are ceremoniously ope ...
in the center of the façade prior to celebrating
Pontifical High Mass
A Pontifical High Mass, also called Solemn Pontifical Mass, is a Solemn or High Mass celebrated by a bishop using certain prescribed ceremonies. Although in modern English the word "pontifical" is almost exclusively associated with the pope, an ...
in the cathedral.
Between 1989 and 2000 extensive engineering works were conducted to arrest and rectify damage and distortions caused to the structure by the uneven rate and extent of the sinking of the building provoked by the continuous settlement of the ground on which it stands. This began with the drainage of the lake of the Valley of Mexico initiated in 1607 and has continued with the reduction of the water-table caused by the pumping of water for use by Mexico City's rapidly expanding population. The last of the temporary props which had disfigured the interior of the building during the engineering works were removed on 28 November 2000.
![Templo Mayor 2007](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Templo_Mayor_2007.JPG)
The
Templo Mayor
The (Spanish: Main Temple) was the main temple of the Mexica people in their capital city of Tenochtitlan, which is now Mexico City. Its architectural style belongs to the late Postclassic period of Mesoamerica. The temple was called ' in ...
archeological site and museum, is the center of the ancient teocalli, located now just northeast of the Zócalo. It was demolished by Hernán Cortés in the 1520s and its location forgotten. The exact site was determined in the beginning of the 20th century, but the decision to excavate was not made until 1978, when electrical workers chanced upon an eight-ton stone disk depicting the Aztec goddess
Coyolxauhqui. Excavation unearthed a pyramid built in multiple layers. This is the spot where, according to legend, the Aztecs saw their sign to settle from their wanderings, an eagle perched on a
nopal
Nopal (from the Nahuatl word for the pads of the plant) is a common name in Spanish for ''Opuntia'' cacti (commonly referred to in English as ''prickly pear''), as well as for its pads.
There are about 114 known species in Mexico, where it i ...
cactus with a snake in its beak, which is still the symbol of Mexico today.
The
Nacional Monte de Piedad
The Nacional Monte de Piedad is a not-for-profit institution and pawnshop whose main office is located just off the Zócalo, or main plaza of Mexico City. It was commanded to be built between 1774 and 1777 by Don Pedro Romero de Terreros, the Cou ...
building is the national pawn shop, founded in 1775 and one of the largest second-hand shops in the world.
On this site were houses that belonged to the last Aztec ruler, Moctezuma II, which Hernán Cortés took for his own after the Conquest. These houses originally stretched from modern-day Isabel la Catolica, Madero, Tacuba and Monte de Piedad streets, prompting one chronicler, Cervantes de Salazar to comment that the residence was not a palace but rather another city.
Notable sites north of the Zócalo
![ChurchSantoDomingoDF](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/ChurchSantoDomingoDF.JPG)
''
Santo Domingo
, total_type = Total
, population_density_km2 = auto
, timezone = AST (UTC −4)
, area_code_type = Area codes
, area_code = 809, 829, 849
, postal_code_type = Postal codes
, postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional)
, websi ...
'' refers to the Church of Santo Domingo and the adjoining plaza. Both are located three blocks north of the
Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral
The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven ( es, Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción de la Bienaventurada Virgen María a los cielos) is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mex ...
following Republica de Brasil Street with Belisario Dominguez Street separating the two.
Officially known as the Señor de la Expiación Chapel, the church is located on the north side of Belisario Dominguez and faces the plaza. It is all that is left from the first
convent
A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...
to be established in
New Spain
New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Am ...
.
To the south of the church is Plaza San Domingo. It is flanked to the west by the Portal de Evangelistas,
which is a Tuscan colonnade with round arches.
Scribes with typewriters and antique printing machines work in this Portal.
Scribes offer their services to illiterate clients, often offering services similar to that of lawyers, counselors, and financial consultants. A statue of
Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez
María Josefa Crescencia Ortiz Téllez–Girón, popularly known as Doña Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez or ''La Corregidora'' (8 September 1768 – 2 March 1829) was an insurgent and supporter of the Mexican War of Independence, which fought ...
, a heroine of the
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de México, links=no, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, co ...
stands in a fountain in the middle of the plaza.
![Museo de la Luz](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Museo_de_la_Luz.jpg)
The
San Ildefonso College
Colegio de San Ildefonso, currently is a museum and cultural center in Mexico City, considered to be the birthplace of the Mexican muralism movement. San Ildefonso began as a prestigious Jesuit boarding school, and after the Reform War it gai ...
currently is a museum and cultural center considered to be the birthplace of the
Mexican muralism movement.
San Ildefonso began as a prestigious
Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
boarding school, and after the
Reform War
The Reform War, or War of Reform ( es, Guerra de Reforma), also known as the Three Years' War ( es, Guerra de los Tres Años), was a civil war in Mexico lasting from January 11, 1858 to January 11, 1861, fought between liberals and conservativ ...
, it gained educational prestige again as National Preparatory School. This school and the building closed completely in 1978, then reopened as a museum and cultural center in 1994. The museum has permanent and temporary art and archeological exhibitions in addition to the many murals painted on its walls by
José Clemente Orozco,
Diego Rivera
Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, known as Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957), was a prominent Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the ...
and others.
The complex is located between San Ildefonso Street and Justo Sierra Street in the
historic center of
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
.
*
Secretaría de Educación Pública
The Mexican Secretariat of Public Education ( in Spanish ''Secretaría de Educación Pública'', ''SEP'') is a federal government authority with cabinet representation and the responsibility for overseeing the development and implementation of ...
at Calle Argentina
* Centro Cultural de España (Cultural Center of Spain), located on Republica de Guatemala street just north of the Mexico City Cathedral
*
Museum Archive of Photography, located at the corner of Republica de Guatemala and Republica de Argentina Street
*
Lirico Theatre, located on Republica de Cuba street
*
Antigua Escuela de Economía
Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Ba ...
(Old School of Economics), located on Republica de Cuba Street
*
Colegio Nacional, located on The Colegio Nacional Building, located on Luis Gonzalez Obregon Street
*
Old Customs building, on Republica de Brasil just off the Plaza Santo Domingo
*
Palace of the Inquisition (Museum of Mexican Medicine)
The Palace of the Inquisition stands on the corner of República de Brasil and República de Venezuela streets in Mexico City, Mexico. As neither side of the building faces Santo Domingo Plaza, the entrance is placed at a canted corner to face th ...
located on Republica de Brasil
Notable sites south of the Zócalo
![SupremeCourtBldgMexicoDF](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/SupremeCourtBldgMexicoDF.JPG)
The
Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation is located just off the
main plaza of Mexico City on the corners of Pino Suárez and Carranza Streets. It was built between 1935 and 1941 by Antonio Muñoz Garcia. Prior to the
Conquest
Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms.
Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, t ...
, this site was reserved for the ritual known as "
Dance of the Flyers" which is still practiced today in
Papantla
Papantla () is a city and municipality located in the north of the state of Veracruz, Mexico, in the Sierra Papanteca range and on the Gulf of Mexico. The city was founded in the 13th century by the Totonacs and has dominated the Totonacapan regio ...
. Its ownership was in dispute during much of the colonial period, eventually becoming the site of a very large market known as El Volador.
The interior of the building contains four panels painted in 1941 by
José Clemente Orozco, two of which are named "The Social Labor Movement" and "National Wealth." There is also one mural done by American artist
George Biddle
George Biddle (January 24, 1885 – November 6, 1973) was an American painter, muralist and lithographer, best known for his social realism and combat art. A childhood friend of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, he played a major role in establi ...
entitled "War and Peace" at the entrance to the library.
*
Temple of Saint Augustine Located on Avenida Republica de El Salvador
* The original
El Palacio de Hierro
El Palacio de Hierro (officially ''El Palacio de Hierro S.A. de C.V.''; en, The Iron Palace) is an upscale chain of department stores in Mexico. Its flagship store in Polanco, Mexico City, reopened in 2016 after an extensive renovation of US$300 ...
store located on Carranza and 20 de noviembre streets
* The original
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
department store on Carranza and 20 de noviembre streets
*
Saint Augustine House Located on Republica de Uruguay and 5 de Febrero streets
* The
Chapel of the Most Holy Conception of Tlaxcoaque, one of the oldest churches in Mexico City on Fray Servando de Mier
*
Church of San Bernardo off the Zocalo
Notable sites west of the Zocalo
![FacadeIturbideDF](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/FacadeIturbideDF.JPG)
The
Palace of Iturbide
The Palace of Iturbide (1779 to 1785) is a large palatial residence located in the historic center of Mexico City at Madero Street #17. It was built by the Count of San Mateo Valparaíso as a wedding gift for his daughter. It gained the name '' ...
- this large palatial home, located in the historic center of
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
on Madero Street #17 was built by the Count of San Mateo Valparaíso in the 18th century as a wedding gift for his daughter. It gained the name "Palace of Iturbide" because
Agustín de Iturbide lived and accepted the crown as Mexico's first emperor there after
independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
from Spain.
Today, the restored building houses the Fomento Cultural
Banamex and has been renamed the Palacio de Cultura Banamex.
![TORRE LATINOAMERICANA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/TORRE_LATINOAMERICANA.JPG)
The
Torre Latinoamericana
The Torre Latinoamericana () is a skyscraper in downtown Mexico City, situated in the historic city center. Its central location, height (), and history make it one of the city's most important landmarks. It is widely recognized internationally ...
- This is one of the best-known skyscrapers in Latin America. It was begun in 1948 and completed in 1956 and is 182 meters tall, antennae included.
It is located on the corner of Eje Central and Juarez Streets. It was the tallest tower in Mexico prior to the construction of Torre Pemex. The building has survived two major earthquakes since it was built, one in 1957 and the other in 1985.
The
Museo Nacional de Arte
The Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL) ( en, National Museum of Art) is the Mexico, Mexican national art museum, located in the Centro (Mexico City), historical center of Mexico City. The museum is housed in a neoclassical building at No. 8 Tacuba, C ...
(MUNAL) is the Mexican National Art Museum, located in the
historical center of
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
. The museum is housed in a neoclassical building at No. 8 Tacuba, Col. Centro, Mexico City. It houses a collection representing the history of
Mexican art
Various types of visual arts developed in the geographical area now known as Mexico. The development of these arts roughly follows the history of Mexico, divided into the prehispanic Mesoamerican era, the New Spain, colonial period, with the perio ...
from the late pre-Hispanic era to the early 20th century. It is recognizable by
Manuel Tolsá
Manuel Vicente Tolsá Sarrión (Enguera, Valencia (autonomous community), Valencia, Spain, May 4, 1757 – Mexico City, December 24, 1816) was a prolific Neoclassicism, Neoclassical architect and sculptor in Spain and Mexico. He served as the f ...
's large equestrian statue of Charles IV of Spain who was the monarch just before Mexico gained its Independence. It was originally in the
Zocalo but it was moved to several locations, not out of deference to the king but rather to conserve a piece of art, according to the plaque at the base.
It arrived to its final location in 1979.
The
Palacio de Correos de Mexico
Palacio (''palace'') is a Spanish habitational name. It may have originated from many places in Spain, especially in Galicia and Asturies. Notable people with the surname include:
*Agustina Palacio de Libarona (1825-1880), Argentine writer, story ...
(Postal Palace of Mexico City) also known as the "Correo Mayor" (Main Post Office) is located in the historic center of Mexico City, on the Eje Central (Lázaro Cárdenas) near the Palacio de Bellas Artes. It is an early 20th-century building built in the style of an Italian Renaissance palace. It was designed by Italian Adamo Boari, who also designed part of the Palacio de Bellas Artes across the street.
*
Casa de los Azulejos
The Casa de los Azulejos ("House of Tiles") or Palacio de los Condes del Valle de Orizaba (Palace of the Counts of Valley of Orizaba) is an 18th-century Baroque palace in Mexico City, built by the Count of the Valle de Orizaba family. The buildi ...
a former mansion completely covered in blue and white Puebla tile between Avenida Madero and Avenida Cinco de Mayo
*
Colegio de Minería (College of Mining) on Tacuba Street
*
Mexican Army Museum originally Bethlemites Hospital, located at Tacuba and Mata
*
Garden of the Triple Alliance on corner of Tacuba and Mata
*
Cámara de Senadores on Xicoténcatl Street
*
Museo de Estanquillo (cartoons and magazines) on corner of Isabel la Catolica and Madero
*
Temple of San Felipe Neri "La Profesa"
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
with collection of artwork from the 17th to 20th centuries, and guided tours on Saturdays from 1200 to 1400 hrs
*
Interactive Museum of Economics on Tacuba Street
*
Santa Clara church - Library of Congress on corner of Tacuba and Mata
*
Senate of Mexico
The Senate of the Republic, ( es, Senado de la República) constitutionally Chamber of Senators of the Honorable Congress of the Union ( es, Cámara de Senadores del H. Congreso de la Unión), is the upper house of Mexico's bicameral Congre ...
Chambers on corner of Donceles and Xicotencatl streets
*
Chamber of Deputies
The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures.
Description
Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourbon R ...
on Donceles Street
*
Teatro de la Ciudad
The (Theater of the City) was built as the (Esperanza Iris Theatre) in 1918 and is now one of Mexico City’s public venues for cultural events. The theater is located in the historic center of Mexico City on Donceles Street 36.
The former Espe ...
on Donceles Street
*
Academia Mexicana on Donceles 66
Notable sites east of the Zócalo
The
Museo de la Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público
The Museo de la Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público is an art museum located in the historic center of Mexico City. It is housed in what was the Palacio del Arzobispado (Palace of the Archbishopric), built in 1530 under Friar Juan de Zum ...
is an
art museum
An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own Collection (artwork), collection. It might be in public or private ownership and may be accessible to all or have restrictions in place. A ...
located at Moneda Street #4. It is housed in what was the Palacio del Arzobispado (Palace of the Archbishopric), built in 1530 under Friar
Juan de Zumárraga
Juan de Zumárraga, OFM (1468 – June 3, 1548) was a Spanish Basque Franciscan prelate and the first Bishop of Mexico. He was also the region's first inquisitor. He wrote ''Doctrina breve'', the first book published in the Western Hemispher ...
on the base of the destroyed pyramid dedicated to the Aztec god
Tezcatlipoca
Tezcatlipoca (; nci, Tēzcatl ihpōca ) was a central deity in Aztec religion, and his main festival was the Toxcatl ceremony celebrated in the month of May. One of the four sons of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, the God of providence, he is a ...
. It remained the archbishphoric until 1867 when the Finance Ministry Accountancy Department was established there.
The modern museum houses an exhibit dedicated to this god as well as a large art collection.
La Santísima Church is located at the corner of La Santísima and Emiliano Zapata streets.
Its full name is Temple and Hospital of the Most Holy Trinity (Templo y Antiguo Hospital de la Santisíma Trinidad).
The church was built between 1755 and 1783 as a temple for the adjoining hospital/hospice for priests.
The church still retains its original function but the adjoining hospital and office sites have since moved into private hands with only parts of the original structures still intact and preserved. The church is also noted for the fact that it has sunk almost three meters since it was built.
![CourtyardJLCMuseumDF](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/CourtyardJLCMuseumDF.JPG)
The
José Luis Cuevas Museum
The José Luis Cuevas Museum is located just off the Zócalo within the Historic center of Mexico City, in Mexico City, Mexico. The museum and Church of Santa Inés were built as parts of the Convent of Santa Inés (''Agnes of Rome'') complex. T ...
is located just off the main plaza, or
Zocalo of
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
in a building that was the convent for the neighboring Church of Santa Ines (
Agnes of Rome). This convent was founded in 1600 by Don Diego Caballero and his wife Doña Inés de Velasco. The convent existed until 1861, when, due to the Nationalization of Church Property Act, all convents and monasteries in the country were disbanded. The convent's church and residence hall where separated and the Church of Santa Inés still maintains its original function. The residence hall became private property, functioning mostly as tenements until artist José Luis Cuevas bought the property with the intention to restoring it and establishing the current museum dedicated to his art and art of contemporary Latin America.
The
House of the First Print Shop in the Americas at the corner of Moneda and Licenciado Primo Verdad streets was the home of the first printing press/print shop in the
New World
The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...
.
The house was originally constructed by
Gerónimo de Aguilar
Jerónimo de Aguilar O.F.M. (1489–1531) was a Franciscan friar born in Écija, Spain. Aguilar was sent to Panama to serve as a missionary. He was later shipwrecked on the Yucatán Peninsula in 1511 and captured by the Maya. In 1519 Hernán ...
in 1524 and is located on the outer edge of what was the sacred precinct of the
Templo Mayor
The (Spanish: Main Temple) was the main temple of the Mexica people in their capital city of Tenochtitlan, which is now Mexico City. Its architectural style belongs to the late Postclassic period of Mesoamerica. The temple was called ' in ...
prior to the
Conquest
Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms.
Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, t ...
.
*
Cathedral Nuestra Señora de Balvanera and Sanctuary of San Charbel, built in the 17th century located at Rep Uruguay and Correo Mayor.
*
Palacio de la Autonomia de UNAM, (Palace of UNAM's Autonomy) located off of Moneda Street.
*
Departamento de Estadistica Nacional (Dept. of National Statistics) building on Correo Mayor
Around the Alameda Central
Alameda Central
Alameda Central is a public urban park in downtown Mexico City. Created in 1592, the Alameda Central is the oldest public park in the Americas. It is located in Cuauhtémoc borough, adjacent to the Palacio de Bellas Artes, between Juárez Aven ...
is a public park in downtown
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, adjacent to the
Palacio de Bellas Artes
The Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) is a prominent cultural center in Mexico City. It has hosted notable events in music, dance, theatre, opera and literature in Mexico and has held important exhibitions of painting, sculpture and p ...
, between Juarez Avenue and Hidalgo Avenue. It is a green garden with paved paths and decorative fountains and statues, and is frequently the center of civic events. The area used to be an Aztec marketplace and after the Conquest, the Catholic Church used the area for the burning of heretics and witches. The park was created in 1592, when Viceroy
Luis de Velasco decided to create green space here as a public park. The name comes from the Spanish word ''álamo'', which means
poplar tree, which were planted here. By the late 19th century, the park included a bandstand and gas (now electric) lamps. On the south side of the park, facing toward the street is the Hemiciclo a Juárez, which is a large white semi-circular monument to
Benito Juárez
Benito Pablo Juárez García (; 21 March 1806 – 18 July 1872) was a Mexican liberal politician and lawyer who served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in office in 1872. As a Zapotec, he was the first indigenous pre ...
, who is one of Mexico's most beloved presidents.
*
Palacio de Bellas Artes
The Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) is a prominent cultural center in Mexico City. It has hosted notable events in music, dance, theatre, opera and literature in Mexico and has held important exhibitions of painting, sculpture and p ...
on Juárez Street
*
Teatro Hidalgo on Hidalgo Street north of the Alameda Central
*
Parish of Santa Cruz, Mexico City
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish priest ...
on Hidalgo Street
*
Museo Nacional de la Estampa (National Print Museum) located on Hidalgo Street
*
Franz Mayer Museum on Hidalgo Street
*
Parish of La Santa Vera Cruz de San Juan de Dios
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
on Hidalgo Street
*
Ex Temple of Corpus Christi
The Corpus Christi Church is a former church on Avenida Juárez in the Historic center of Mexico City. It is the only remaining part of the Convent of Corpus Christi, founded in 1724 for Indian women and which was closed as part of the Reform Laws. ...
on Juarez Street
Barrio Chino
![Vistas del Barrio chino de la Ciudad de México 04](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Vistas_del_Barrio_chino_de_la_Ciudad_de_M%C3%A9xico_04.jpg)
Mexico City's Chinatown, known locally as "
Barrio Chino
Chinatowns in Latin America ( es, barrios chinos, singular ''barrio chino'' / pt, bairros chineses, singular ''bairro chinês'') developed with the rise of Chinese immigration in the 19th century to various countries in Latin America as contra ...
", is located on two blocks of Dolores Street, just south of the
Palacio de Bellas Artes
The Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) is a prominent cultural center in Mexico City. It has hosted notable events in music, dance, theatre, opera and literature in Mexico and has held important exhibitions of painting, sculpture and p ...
. It is very small, consisting only of a number of restaurants and businesses that import goods. Its diminished size is because most descendants of
Chinese immigrants to Mexico in the late 19th and early 20th centuries either intermarried with the local Mexican population and/or were expelled from the country in the 1930s. Despite this, it is considered the nucleus of the approximately 3,000 families with Chinese heritage in Mexico City.
Architecture
Even though Spanish colonial buildings make up most of Centro histórico there are examples of different architectural styles
*
Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
: Palacio de Iturbide, Casa de los Azulejos, Palacio Nacional and Palacio de los Condes de Valparaíso
*
Neoclassical: Palacio de Mineria
*
Italiante style: Palacio de Correos
*
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...
Palacio de Bellas Artes
*
Beaux-Arts: Museo Nacional de Arte, Banco de México
*
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
Banco de Mexico, Interior of Palacio de Bellas Artes
*
Functionalist: Torre Latinoamericana
Education
Primary and secondary schools:
*
Colegio de San Ignacio de Loyola Vizcaínas
Colegio de San Ignacio de Loyola Vizcaínas is a non-profit educational institution which was established in the mid 18th century in a Baroque building that occupies an entire city block in the historic center of Mexico City. The school has ma ...
20th and 21st centuries
Deterioration of the area
From Aztec times, the Centro Historico used to be where the wealthy and elite lived. However, in the early 20th century, these classes began to move to areas west and southwest of the Centro, to neighbourhoods such as
Colonia Juárez,
Colonia Cuauhtémoc
Colonia may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*Colonia (music group), a Croatian dance music group
* ''Colonia'' (Autopsia album), 2002
* ''Colonia'' (A Camp album), 2009
* ''Colonia'' (film), a 2015 historical romantic thriller
Places
* Coloni ...
,
Colonia Roma
Colonia Roma, also called La Roma or simply, Roma, is a district located in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City just west of the city's historic center, and in fact is no longer a single '' colonia'' (neighbourhood) but now two officially de ...
and
Colonia Condesa
Condesa or La Condesa is an area in the Cuauhtémoc Borough of Mexico City, south of Zona Rosa and 4 to 5 km west of the Zócalo, the city's main square. It is immediately west of Colonia Roma, together with which it is designated as ...
. The Centro remained the commercial, political and intellectual center through the mid 20th century although it was around this time that
UNAM
The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigge ...
moved most of its facilities to the new
Ciudad Universitaria.
The reason for the decline of the city center was partly man-made and partly natural. In the 1940s, the city government froze rents so that until 1998 when the government repealed the law, tenants were still paying 1950's-level rents. With no financial incentive to keep up their properties, landlords let their buildings disintegrate. The
1985 earthquake took its toll on a number of these structures, which were never fixed or rebuilt, leading to slums and garbage-strewn vacant lots. The result was the loss of about 100,000 residents of the "Colonia Centro", leaving the area almost deserted at night.
By the 1980s, so many had fled the Centro that many of its former mansions were either abandoned or turned into tenements for the poor,
and its sidewalks and streets taken over by
pickpocket
Pickpocketing is a form of larceny that involves the stealing of money or other valuables from the person or a victim's pocket without them noticing the theft at the time. It may involve considerable dexterity and a knack for misdirection. A th ...
s and milling vendors.
For many people, especially international visitors, Mexico City's reputation for pollution, traffic and crime has made the city someplace to "get into and out of as fast as you can", seeing it as little more than an airport through which to make their connecting flights to resort areas like
Cozumel
Cozumel (; yua, Kùutsmil) is an island and municipality in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen. It is separated from the mainland by the Cozumel Channel and is close to the Yucat ...
.
Until recently, many of the restaurants in the area, even the best, would close early to allow employees time to get home because the area was not particularly safe at night.
Deterioration of religious buildings
![ChapelSanDomingoDF](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/ChapelSanDomingoDF.JPG)
Many of historic churches in the oldest parts of the city are in serious disrepair and are in danger of being lost. Efforts to save these churches are hampered by disagreements between the
Church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* C ...
and the
federal government. Because these churches are both active religious institutions and historical landmarks, their legal situation is complicated. By law, religious institutions cannot appeal to the government for financial help, but agencies like the
National Council for Culture and Arts
The Secretariat of Culture ( es, Secretaría de Cultura), formerly known as the National Council for Culture and Arts ( es, Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes or CONACULTA), is a Mexican government agency in charge of the nation's museums ...
(CONACULTA) do have say in how these places are maintained because of their historic value.
Some of the disagreement is over the extent of the deterioration. Conaculta does not believe that any of the 68 religious buildings in the oldest part of city are in imminent danger of collapse. However the
Archdiocese of Mexico
The Archdiocese of Mexico ( la, Archidioecesis Mexicanensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church that is situated in Mexico City, Mexico. It was erected as a diocese on 2 September 1530 and elevated to ...
believes that the structural problems noted constitute a grave danger to both people and to the "incalculable artistic and historic value of the buildings."
One of the churches in imminent danger is called
San Lorenzo Diácono y Mártir, with
Our Lady of Loreto
A shrine to the Virgin Mary (or Marian shrine) is a shrine marking an apparition or other miracle ascribed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, or a site on which is centered a historically strong Marian devotion. Such locales are often the destination ...
,
La Santísima Trinidad and La Santa Cruz also requiring prompt attention to avoid collapse. The San Lorenzo and Loreto churches both have had incidences where large pieces of the building, a stone and a window respectively, have fallen, causing damage but no injuries. Despite efforts by the archdiocese to demonstrate the extent of the damage of many of the churches, Conaculta still maintains that none of the buildings are in danger of coming down. Another problem is that the depopulation of the historic center, which leaves these churches fairly empty and the diocese unable to fund restoration work.
Revitalization
![Paso de cebra en el centro de Ciudad de México](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Paso_de_cebra_en_el_centro_de_Ciudad_de_M%C3%A9xico.jpg)
Starting in the early 2000s, the government has infused 500 million Mexican pesos (US$55 million) into the Historic Center Trust
and entered into a partnership with the ''Fundación Centro Histórico'', an organization established by
Carlos Slim
Carlos Slim Helú (; born 28 January 1940) is a Mexican business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. From 2010 to 2013, Slim was ranked as the richest person in the world by the '' Forbes'' business magazine. He derived his fortune from h ...
, to buy dozens of centuries-old buildings for rehabilitation.
The significance of this effort was recognized when, in 2006, the Historic Center was included in the
2006 World Monuments Watch by the
World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and trainin ...
. Work began with the beautification of 34 blocks just north of the Zócalo, digging up the antiquated drainage system and improving water supply. An architect was put in charge of each of the thirteen main streets to restore the facades of more than 500 buildings.
The latest infrastructure projects of this type have focused on the southwest portions of the area, on República de El Salvador, Talavera, Correo Mayor, Mesones and Pino Suárez streets, mostly focusing on repaving and improving the outdated drainage systems. In the process, artifacts dating from as early as the pre-Hispanic period have been unearthed.
All over the historic center, streets have been pedestrianized, buildings have been restored, and new museums opened. In the 1990s, after many years of controversy, protests and even riots, most street vendors were evicted to other parts of the city.
The impetus to bring things back to the city center included the construction of the new mayoral residence just off the Zócalo.
The government has buried electric and telephone cables in the area, and replaced old asphalt with paving stones. It has also installed nearly 100 security cameras to help with crime issues.
This paved the way for the opening of upscale eateries, bars and fashionable stores.
Also, young people are moving into downtown lofts. To attract more tourists, there are new red double-decker buses.
As of 2004, investment in the city center has climbed to over 5 billion pesos or 438 million U.S. dollars. According to the Historic Center of Mexico City Trust, this has led to the creation of 15,000 jobs and property owners in the area are showing interest in improving on their investments here. It has also attracted outside investment into the area.
Transportation
Tour buses, locally known as "Turibuses", are the most commonly used transportation for tourism in the historical center as well as many other parts of the city. This is a paid service which transports visitors to different tourist attractions and cultural points in the city center. The
Mexico City Metro
The Mexico City Metro ( es, Metro de la Ciudad de México) is a rapid transit system that serves the metropolitan area of Mexico City, including some municipalities in Mexico State. Operated by the Sistema de Transporte Colectivo (STC), it is ...
is the most commonly used means of transport for locals to visit the spaces of the historic center. The area is serviced by several stations. The Zócalo is served by
Zócalo/Tenochtitlan metro station
Zócalo/Tenochtitlan metro station is a station of the Mexico City Metro in the historic center of the city, in the Cuauhtémoc borough. It is an underground station with two side platforms, served by Line 2 (the Blue Line). It lies bet ...
;
Allende station the northern zone;
Bellas Artes,
Hidalgo
Hidalgo may refer to:
People
* Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility
* Hidalgo (surname)
Places
Mexico
* Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico
* Hidalgo, Coahuila, a town in the north Mexican state of Coahuila
* Hidalgo, Nuevo Le ...
and
Juárez stations cover the Alameda area; and
San Juan de Letrán,
Salto del Agua,
Isabel la Católica,
Pino Suárez and
Merced
Merced (; Spanish for "Mercy") is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California, United States, in the San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 86,333, up from 78,958 in 2010. Incorporated on April 1 ...
stations cover the southern zones. The
Mexico City Metrobús
The Mexico City Metrobús (former official name Sistema de Corredores de Transporte Público de Pasajeros del Distrito Federal), simply known as Metrobús, is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system that has served Mexico City since line 1 opened on 1 ...
service also covers the zone with the
Line 4 route. Another commonly used form of transportation is the taxi service. These are regulated by the Mexico City government and can be summoned by the government app "Mi Taxi".
Cycle rickshaws, known in Mexico as "ciclotaxi" (English for cycle taxi) were a commonly used means of transport to visit the spaces of the historic center, however their usage decreased significantly in the late 2010s.
See also
*
List of pre-columbian archaeological sites in Mexico City
This is a list of the preserved Pre-Columbian-era archaeological sites in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico.Article 28 of the federal law on Monuments and archaeological, artistic and historical zones of Mexico
This list does not include objects ...
*
List of colonial churches in Mexico City
This is a list of the preserved Colonial churches in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico.
Aside from being a notable city in colonial times, the city grew in the 20th century enormously in terms of population, adhering to over a hundred of subur ...
*
Barrios Mágicos of Mexico City
The Barrios Mágicos are twenty one areas in Mexico City highlighted by the government in order to attract tourism to them. The program is sponsored by the city government and is patterned after the “ Pueblos Mágicos” (Magical Towns) program ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Historic Center Of Mexico City
Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
Neighborhoods in Mexico City
Shopping districts and streets in Mexico
Tourist attractions in Mexico City
World Heritage Sites in Mexico