Â鶹APP

Una mañana nublada en el Zócalo capitalino photo by Deny Denisse-

Top 9 Fascinating Facts about Historic center of Mexico City

The historical center of Mexico is a central neighborhood in Mexico, focused on the main plaza extending in all directions.

The plaza is also known as a Zocalo which is the largest plaza in Latin America and can hold up to nearly 100,000 people.

The center protects more than 1500  buildings that have been declared of historical importance, the sites were constructed between the 16^th century and 20^th centuries.

Here, the Spaniards began to build what is now a Modern Mexico City on the ruins of the conquered Aztec Empire.

The center has been the stage of power and has fragments of the history of not only the Aztec era but also the Spaniards, and was declared a world heritage.

Here are the Top 9 Fascinating Facts about the Historic center of Mexico City.

1. The center was built on the ruins of the ancient Aztec city

During the pre-Hispanic era, the city was developed in a planned fashion, with streets and canals aligned with cardinal directions, leading to orderly square blocks.

The Aztec city was bulging with exotic palaces such as the Tlatoani, nobles’ palaces, and the demons’ houses.

The glory and the architecture of the city were spanked with a harsh reality during the Spanish conquest, as the city was subjugated to destruction.

The major design of the city remained intact, mostly due to the efforts of Alonso Garcia Bravo, who was the supervisor of the rebuilding of the city. Most of the center of Mexico was built with the rubble of the destroyed Aztec city.

 2. The center has become a venue for popular cultural events

The historic center of Mexico’s mains plaza, Zocalo has been the main center for fine and popular cultural events.

While it’s no wonder that the site is irresistible to events, here are examples of significant events and movements that have shaped the popularity of the site; The festival de festival is an annual event with programs dedicated to the art of all kinds and academia. The skateboarding /BMX event collected 50,000 young people on August 24^th,2008.

The center has also watched national protests such as those staged by Lopez Obrador after the 2006 presidential elections, and the nationwide protest against crime held on August 30, 2008.

3. The center has a Metropolitan Cathedral

One cannot mention the history of Mexico without referencing the most beloved virgin Mary. The Cathedral was built to honor her and it occupies the north end of the Zocalo.

The site was originally an Aztec Sacred Precinct and contained a rack for the skulls of sacrifice victims. The first church was erected on the site between 1524 and 1532. It was elevated to the ranks of Cathedral by Pope Clement V 11.

4. The center has the Templar Mayor

Former_Temple_of_Corpus_Christi,_historic_center_of_Mexico_City photo by Jonathan Cardy-

It’s the wish of many travelers advancing to Mexico to catch a glimpse of ancient ruins, the historical center provides a display of ancient ruins in the city.

The Templar mayor was the main temple of the Mexica people in the capital city of Tenochtitlan.

The ancient temple is today an archaeological site and museum, located northeast of the central square.

The structure was demolished by Hernan Cortes in the 1520s and its location was erased from the minds of people.

The site was late rediscovered at the beginning of the 20^th century and the excavation unearthed a pyramid built in multiple layers. According to Aztec legends, this was where they saw their sign to settle from wanderings.

5. The center has the largest second-hand shops in the world

Nat MontePiedadZocalo photo by Thelmadatter-

The national Monte de Piedad building is a renowned national pawn shop founded in 1775 and one of the world’s largest second-hand shops.

The pawnshop is a non-profit institution that was part of a movement to provide interest-free loans to the poor.

The site of the pawnshop once housed the palaces of the last Aztec ruler, Moctezuma 11, which was later hogged by Hernan Cortez after the conquest.

 6.The centre has the Palacio Artes

Palace of Fine Arts photo by Rhododendrites-

Known for its magnificent ombre yellow and orange roof tiles, is the Palacio de Bellas Artes. The palace includes a large theatre, a National Museum of Architecture, a concert hall, and a palace of fine arts.

The structure was built to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of Medico’s independence from Spain and has come to be known as the greatest house of culture in Mexico.

6. The Palace of the Iturbide was a wedding gift

The large palatial residence located in the heart of the historic center of Mexico was built by a count of San Mateo Valparaiso as a wedding gift for his daughter.

Today the palace is known as the “Palacio de Cultura Banamex” and it hosts numerous art exhibitions as well as artworks for adults and children.

7. The center has the Mexican National Museum

San_carlos_fachada photo by YoelResidente-

The historical center of Mexico City houses the National Museum of the country. The museum is housed in a neoclassical building and guards a collection representing the history of Mexican art from the late pre-Hispanic era to the early 20^th century.

8. The Alameda central was the marketplace of the Aztec people

The Alameda Central is a public park adjacent to the Palacio de Bellas Artes, and is full of a green garden with paved paths and decorative fountains and statues, and is the center of the civic century.

What’s interesting about the park is that despite the modern pride it portrays, the site was once the dazzling marketplace of the ancient Aztec kingdom.

After the Spanish conquest, it was used for the burning and condemning of heretics and witches, the site is no doubt a center amalgam of the ancient and modernity.

9. The center was included in the world Monument watch

The historical Center of Mexico was subjected to deterioration over the years as well as natural disasters and many of its fine architectural buildings were been swallowed in a vacuum of destruction.

In the early 2000s, the government infused 500 million Mexican pesos into the Historic Center Trust, to rehabilitate the old buildings.

The significance of the efforts was applauded and recognized, and in 2006 the Historic Center was included in the 2006 World Monuments Watch by the World Monument Funds.