The is a high

pyramid A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilat ...

in northern

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...

. It is located in the intersection of Avenida de los Insurgentes,

Circuito Interior The Circuito Interior Bicentenario ("Bicentennial Inner Loop") or more commonly, Circuito Interior or even more simply Circuito, is a 42-km-long (26 mi) urban freeway (in parts) and at-grade boulevard (in others), forming a loop around the centra ...

and Calzada Vallejo, in the

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 ...

borough. The monument consists of three superimposed truncated pyramids decorated with several sculptures on the sides and an eagle on the tip. The pyramid was designed by Francisco Borbolla and the stone sculptures and its layout by Luis Lelo de Larrea. The copper-and-steel eagle was cast by French

animalier An animalier (, ) is an artist, mainly from the 19th century, who specializes in, or is known for, skill in the realistic portrayal of animals. "Animal painter" is the more general term for earlier artists. Although the work may be in any genre ...

Georges Gardet, and the bronze high reliefs were created by Mexican sculptor

Jesús Fructuoso Contreras Jesús Fructuoso Contreras Chávez (January 20, 1866 – July 13, 1902) was a Mexican sculptor. He has been called the most "representative sculptor of late 19th century Mexico". Biography Jesús Fructuoso Contreras was born in Aguascaliente ...

. The eagle was originally intended to be placed on top of the never-completed

Federal Legislative Palace The Palacio Legislativo Federal (Federal Legislative Palace) was a never-completed building for the legislative bodies of the Mexican Federal Republic. History By the end of the 19th century, the government of President Porfirio Díaz, decided ...

—later replaced with the ''

Monumento a la Revolución The Monument to the Revolution ( es, Monumento a la Revolución, links=no) is a landmark and monument commemorating the Mexican Revolution. It is located in the Plaza de la República, near to the heart of the major thoroughfares Paseo de la R ...

'' in downtown Mexico City—, while the reliefs were based on those created for the Aztec Palace, presented in the Mexican pavilion of the

1889 Paris Exposition The Exposition Universelle of 1889 () was a world's fair held in Paris, French Third Republic, France, from 5 May to 31 October 1889. It was the fourth of eight expositions held in the city between 1855 and 1937. It attracted more than thirty-two ...

. Its construction started in 1930 and was completed ten years later. It was inaugurated in 1940, on the '' Día de la Raza'' (Columbus Day), and it is dedicated to ''

la Raza The Spanish expression ('the people' or 'the community'; literal translation: 'the race') has historically been used to refer to the Hispanophone populations (primarily though not always exclusively in the Western Hemisphere), considered as ...

''—the

indigenous peoples of the Americas The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the A ...

and their descendants.

Background

At the beginning of the 20th century, Mexico was in a period of transformation. President Porfirio Díaz governed the country intermittently from 1876 to 1911. During his term, known as the ''

Porfiriato , common_languages = , religion = , demonym = , currency = , leader1 = Porfirio Díaz , leader2 = Juan Méndez , leader3 = Porfirio Díaz , leader4 ...

'', Díaz boosted the

economy An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the ...

through the improvement of the railroad network and international businesses. This benefited the upper class and ''

hacendado An ''hacienda'' ( or ; or ) is an estate (or ''finca''), similar to a Roman ''latifundium'', in Spain and the former Spanish Empire. With origins in Andalusia, ''haciendas'' were variously plantations (perhaps including animals or orchards), ...

s'' (landowners) but affected the middle, working, and underclasses. The

indigenous population Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

was seen as a problem for the country's modernization and the government sought means to facilitate their integration into the Porfirian society. In 1911, Diaz was forced to resign after the Mexican Revolution broke out. The conflict lasted until 1920 and the Europhile government was replaced with one that promoted ''

indigenismo ''Indigenismo'' () is a political ideology in several Latin American countries which emphasizes the relationship between the nation state and indigenous nations and indigenous peoples. In some contemporary uses, it refers to the pursuit of great ...

''—a political ideology that exalts the Latin American indigenous population. At the start of the 20th century, Spain adapted the

Columbus Day Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas and elsewhere, and a federal holiday in the United States, which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492. ...

into the '' Día de la Raza'' to celebrate the arrival of

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

the Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

on 12 October 1942. Faustino Rodríguez-San Pedro y Díaz-Argüelles, president of the promoted it and multiple Latin American countries adopted it. In 1925,

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 ...

(1882–1959), Mexican philosopher, published the essay " The Cosmic Race", where he wrote that as the Native American genes were the last ones to be mixed with the other

human races A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

, a new race would surge to create Universópolis, where the distinctions of race and nationality would be suppressed. Three years later, the ''Día de la Raza'' was officially celebrated in the country.

Name and dedication

The monument is dedicated to and is named after ''

'', a Spanish-language term referring to the

and their descendants, and used by Hispanophone Western populations that spread after the end of the Mexican Revolution and with the beginning of the

Chicano Movement The Chicano Movement, also referred to as El Movimiento, was a social and political movement in the United States inspired by prior acts of resistance among people of Mexican descent, especially of Pachucos in the 1940s and 1950s, and the Black ...

in the United States. ''La Raza'' is literally translated to English as "the race", but the phrasal sense is "the people". Thus, the ''Monumento a la Raza'' is known in English by different names, including "Monument to the Race", "Monument to the People", "Monument to La Raza", and "La Raza Monument".

History and construction

The construction of the ''Monumento a la Raza'' started in 1930. The project was sponsored by the government and was designed by the engineer Francisco Borbolla and the architect Luis Lelo de Larrea. Borbolla intended to reflect the

history of Mexico The written history of Mexico spans more than three millennia. First populated more than 13,000 years ago, central and southern Mexico (termed Mesoamerica) saw the rise and fall of complex indigenous civilizations. Mexico would later develop ...

in the monument; Lelo de Larrea was advised by Mexican architect Augusto Petriccioli. It was completed in 1940 and it was inaugurated on that 12 October—the '' Día de la Raza''. In late July 2022, the monument was graffitied. Neighbors in the area reported that it has no surveillance at night.

Location

The monument lies on the

median strip The median strip, central reservation, roadway median, or traffic median is the reserved area that separates opposing lanes of traffic on divided roadways such as divided highways, dual carriageways, freeways, and motorways. The term also a ...

of Avenida de los Insurgentes, near

and Calzada Vallejo, in the '' colonia'' (neighborhood) San Simón Tolnáhuac, in the

borough. The monument can be visited daily from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Access to the monument was temporarily closed during the

COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico The COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico is part of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was confirmed to ha ...

Description

Pavilion of Mexico, Paris Exposition, 1889

The ''Monumento a la Raza'' is a high

built with three superimposed truncated pyramids made of

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...

. It has four sides, each built with sloped smooth walls over the

rafter A rafter is one of a series of sloped structural members such as wooden beams that extend from the ridge or hip to the wall plate, downslope perimeter or eave, and that are designed to support the roof shingles, roof deck and its associated ...

s, and that are decorated as well with

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

s based on the

Xochicalco Xochicalco () is a pre-Columbian archaeological site in Miacatlán Municipality in the western part of the Mexican state of Morelos. The name ''Xochicalco'' may be translated from Nahuatl as "in the house of Flowers". The site is located 38 ...

's Feathered Serpent. The sculpture of the eagle on top is placed on a pedestal and it is made of copper and steel. It has the wings spread; the wingspan is long and it stands 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 ...

plant while devouring a long snake. The sculpture was designed by Georges Gardet, for the Porfirian

. By the time Díaz was removed from the presidency, only the foundations had been built. Years later, Mexican architect

Carlos Obregón Santacilia Carlos Obregón Santacilia (1896–1961) was a Mexican art déco architect. He trained at the Academy of San Carlos during the Mexican Revolution. He claimed a distinguished Mexican heritage, as great grandson of Benito Juárez and grand n ...

replaced the project with the ''

''. Each side of the pyramid at the top features one

high relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

created with

bronze casting Lost-wax casting (also called "investment casting", "precision casting", or ''cire perdue'' which has been adopted into English from the French, ) is the process by which a duplicate metal sculpture (often silver, gold, brass, or bronze) ...

s by

. They represent the ''

Tlatoque ''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 variousl ...

Itzcoatl Itzcoatl ( nci-IPA, Itzcōhuātl, it͡sˈkoːwaːt͡ɬ, "Obsidian Serpent", ) (1380–1440) was the fourth king of Tenochtitlan, and the founder of the Aztec Empire, ruling from 1427 to 1440. Under Itzcoatl the Mexica of Tenochtitlan threw off t ...

(1380–1440), ruler of

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 ...

; Nezahualcoyotl (1402–1472), ruler of Texcoco; (), ruler of

Tlacopan Tlacopan, also called Tacuba, was a Tepanec / Mexica altepetl on the western shore of Lake Texcoco. The site is today the neighborhood of Tacuba, in Mexico City. Etymology The name comes from Classical Nahuatl ''tlacōtl'', "stem" or "rod" and ...

; and the last

Aztec The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl ...

Emperor,

(). Contreras cast them for the Aztec Palace, presented in the Mexican pavilion at the

. At the base, there are two staircases: the south one connects with the top of the monument; the north one with the main door. At the start of each staircase, there are sculptures of Tenochtitlan-inspired

serpent Serpent or The Serpent may refer to: * Snake, a carnivorous reptile of the suborder Serpentes Mythology and religion * Sea serpent, a monstrous ocean creature * Serpent (symbolism), the snake in religious rites and mythological contexts * Serp ...

heads. On the remaining sides, there are two sculptures by Lelo de Larrea: ''Grupo de la fundación de México'' on the east and ''Grupo defensa de Tenochtitlán'' on the west.

Gallery

File:El águila republicana, en la Exedra de la Plaza patria de Aguascalientes 02.JPG, A replica of the eagle on top of the monument, alt=Picture of an eagle sculpture. File:Altorrelieve de Izcoatl en bronce, por Jesús F. Contreras.JPG, A

(north side), alt=A bronze casting of the ruler Itzcoatl. File:TotoquihuatzinGardenDF.JPG, A bronze casting of Totoquihuatzin (west side), alt=A bronze casting of the ruler Totoquihuatzin. File:NezahualcoyotlGardenTADF.JPG, A bronze casting of Nezahualcoyotl (south side), alt=A bronze casting of the ruler Nezahualcoyotl. File:Esculturas de Jesús F. Contreras en el Museo Aguascalientes 01 (Cuauhtémoc).jpg, A bronze casting of

(east side), alt=A bronze casting of the Emperor Cuauhtémoc. File:MAF 000856-001 (33099576910).jpg, ''Grupo de la fundación de México'' (east side), alt=A sculpture of several people standing is surrounded by several wooden beams and construction workers. File:ESQUINA DEL MONUMENTO A LA RAZA.jpg, Detail of the relief based on the Feathered Serpent, alt=A corner of the monument.

Reception

Santacilia called the ''Monumento a la Raza'' "ridiculous" and said it was a caricature of the Pre-Columbian architecture. Mexican writer (1918–2003) thought it was "''espantoso''" ("dreadful"). According to historian Mauricio Tenorio-Trillo, the monument is an irony, because it tries to depart "from the old regime's

Francophilia A Francophile, also known as Gallophile, is a person who has a strong affinity towards any or all of the French language, French history, French culture and/or French people. That affinity may include France itself or its history, language, cuis ...

", yet it recycles many of the symbols and materials "created by the

Porfirian The written history of Mexico spans more than three millennia. First populated more than 13,000 years ago, central and southern Mexico (termed Mesoamerica) saw the rise and fall of complex indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous civilizations ...

years of experimenting in modernity and nationalism". Writer Donald R. Fletcher described it as an "imposing

Mayan pyramid Mesoamerican pyramids form a prominent part of ancient Mesoamerican architecture. Although similar in some ways to Egyptian pyramids, these New World structures have flat tops (many with temples on the top) and stairs ascending their faces. The l ...

La Raza metro station La Raza (Mexican ; Spanish ; ) is a Mexico City Metro transfer station in the Gustavo A. Madero borough of Mexico City. It is a combined underground and at-grade station with two side platforms each, served by Lines 3 (the Olive Line) a ...

, located nearby the monument, depicts the monument in its

pictogram A pictogram, also called a pictogramme, pictograph, or simply picto, and in computer usage an icon, is a graphic symbol that conveys its meaning through its pictorial resemblance to a physical object. Pictographs are often used in writing and ...

and is named after it.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * *

External links

* * {{Authority control 1940 establishments in Mexico 1940 sculptures Buildings and structures completed in 1940 Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City Indigenous peoples in Mexico City Monuments and memorials in Mexico City Outdoor sculptures in Mexico City Pyramids in Mexico Vandalized works of art in Mexico