Downtown Mexico City: Zocalo – Madero street tour

At the center of Downtown Mexico City is the main square, which is officially called “Square of the Constitution”, however it is popularly known as “Zocalo”. Around it you’ll find: the archaeological site of the Aztecs called Mexico-Tenochtitlan (popularly known as “Main Temple”), the official office of the President of Mexico called the National Palace, also the Metropolitan Cathedral, and much more.

The Zocalo square was born after the conquest of the central city of the Aztecs, called México-Tenochtitlan, in 1521. The conqueror Hernan Cortes destroyed the ceremonial site, and designed a central plaza over it, on the southern part of the Main Temple. There were no streets because the Aztec city was on a lake, so there were canals, with canoes. Soon after, the square had a market called Parian. One of the viceroys in the colonial times ordered an equestrian sculpture (the first in the Americas), of a Spanish king. It witnessed the war of independence in 1810, the invading wars of the United States first in 1847, and France later in 1863 that placed an Austro- Hungarian emperor, also two civil wars: the Reform war in 1858 and the Revolution in 1910.

1. Main Temple (Templo Mayor in Spanish). It was the main ceremonial site of the Aztecs, in their capital city of Tenochtitlan, which is now Mexico City. The temple was dedicated simultaneously to two gods, Huitzilopochtli, god of war, and Tlaloc, god of rain and agriculture, each of which had a shrine at the top of the pyramid with separate staircases. The Great Temple devoted to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc, measuring approximately 100 by 80 m (328 by 262 ft.) at its base, dominated the Sacred Precinct. Construction of the first temple began sometime after 1325, and it was rebuilt six times. The temple was destroyed by the Spanish in 1521 to make way for the new city. Today, the archeological site lies just to the northeast of the Zocalo, or main plaza of Mexico City, in the block between Seminario and Justo Sierra streets. The site is part of the Historic Center of Mexico City, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.

2. The National Palace (Palacio Nacional in Spanish) is the seat of the federal executive in Mexico. It is located on the Zocalo Plaza. This site has been a palace for the ruling class of Mexico since the Aztec empire, and much of the current palace’s building materials are from the original one that belonged to Moctezuma II. A 3th floor was added from 1925 to 1929. There are mural paintings of the history of ancient Mexicans till modern day, painted by the famous Diego Rivera.

3. The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven is the largest cathedral in the Americas, and seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico City. It is situated atop the former Aztec sacred precinct near the Templo Mayor on the northern side of the Zocalo Plaza. The cathedral was built in sections from 1573 to 1813 around the original church that was constructed soon after the Spanish conquest of Tenochtitlan, eventually replacing it entirely. Spanish architect Claudio de Arciniega planned the construction, drawing inspiration from Gothic cathedrals in Spain. It was first inaugurated in 1667, and architect Tolsa finished the last works. The baroque building has a Latin cross shape, two bell towers, the facade has relives, the interior has three walk ways, 3 altars, 14 chapels, coir with two organs, and a lot of beautiful paintings.

4. Francisco I. Madero Street. Beginning at the west of the Zocalo square, it has many historical buildings. Originally called Plateros (Silver workers), was the place to find silver art hand crafts. Later at the end of the Mexican War of Independence, it was celebrated with the Trigarante Army of 16,000 troops that marched here, headed by the first head of the new country.

5. The Temple of Saint Philip Neri, commonly known as «La Profesa» (English: the Professed house), is a Roman Catholic parish church located in Francisco I. Madero street. It was established by the Society of Jesus or Jesuits, late in the 16th century as the church of a community of professed Jesuits. The church is considered to be an important transitional work between the more sober or moderate Baroque style of the 17th century and the extremely decorated manifestations of the Baroque of the 18th century in Mexico. Here in 1820 began a conspiration to continue and end the war of independence, here aristocrats met, the descendants of the Spanish born in Mexico, to overturn the viceroy and ask the overturned king of Spain Ferdinand VII (overturned by France: Napoleon Bonaparte), or someone else from the royal house.

6. 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 “Palace of Iturbide” because Agustin de Iturbide lived there and accepted the crown of the First Mexican Empire (as Agustin I) at the palace after independence from Spain. Today, the restored building houses the Fomento Cultural Banamex, is a museum that hosts art and temporary exhibits.

7. Saint Philip of Jesus Temple. Is a Catholic church located in the street Francisco I. Madero. Its architectural style is Neo-Roman. It is the work of Emilio Donde, and its construction took place between 1886 and 1897. In promoting its construction participated Carmen Romero Rubio, wife of President Porfirio Diaz. It was opened on 5 February 1897. Its interior decoration is mostly of mosaics of neo-byzantine style.

8. San Francis Temple. Is located at the western end of Madero Street, near the Torre Latinoamericana and is all that remains of the church and first monastery complex in Mexico. This complex was the first headquarters of the first twelve Franciscan monks who came to Mexico in the early colonial period. At its peak, the church and monastery covered four of today’s blocks. After the Reform War, the monastery of San Francisco, like many others, was disbanded and most of the property seized by the government. Much of the old monastery was demolished for the construction of new roads. All that is still left in church hands is the church itself. The church standing today is the third to be built on the site. The first two sunk into the soft soil underneath Mexico City. This church was built between 1710 and 1716. In the entrance is an atrium with several sets of stairs leading down to the church building because it, too, is sinking. The church’s main facade, dating from 1710, is walled in and cannot be seen. The chapel’s statues were removed when the chapel was in the hands of an Evangelical sect.

9. House of Tiles. In Spanish”Casa de los Azulejos”. Is an 18th-century palace in Mexico City, built by the Count Del Valle de Orizaba family. The building is distinguished by its facade, which is covered on three sides by blue and white tile of Puebla State. The palace
remained in private hands until near the end of the 19th century. It changed hands several times before being bought by the Sanborn’s brothers who expanded their soda fountain/drugstore business into one of the best-recognized restaurant chains in Mexico. There are photographs of the Mexican Revolution leader Zapata having a meal here.

10. Latin American Tower. The skyscraper called the Latin American Tower was designed by the architect Augusto H. Alvarez in 1956. Its 45 stories high, and 204 meters high. Located at the corner of Madero St. and Eje Central.

11. Palace of Fine Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes). Across the street from the Latin American Tower is a prominent cultural center in Mexico City, next to the Alameda Central Park. The architectural style is Belle Époque / Art Nouveau (exterior), Art Deco (interior). Design and construction started 1 Oct 1904 by architect Adamo Boari, for the Centennial of the Mexican War of Independence. Complications arising from the soft subsoil and the political problem both before and during the Mexican Revolution hindered then stopped construction completely by 1913. Construction began again in 1932 under Mexican architect Federico Mariscal and was completed in 1934. There are murals by Diego Rivera, Siqueiros, and some other famous painters. Its capacity was planned to 1977 people in four stories. Its facades are white marble from Carrara, Italy. Its hight is 52 meters, its front 96 meters, and a width of 116 mts. Its curtain is crystal from Tiffany’s weighing 24 tons (14m width by 12.50m high), built by 206 pieces of crystal.

12. Postal Palace (Palacio de Correos de Mexico). Also known as the «Correo Mayor» (Main Post Office) is located on Eje Central avenue (in the premises of the former Hospital de Terceros) near the Palacio de Bellas Artes. It was built from 1902 to 1907 and inaugurated again in 1910. Its design by Italian architect Adamo Boari (1863 – 1928), as an imitation of the Ducal Palace of Venice, and was the most modern of the time, a very eclectic mixing of several different traditions into a very complex design, Plateresque, Spanish Rococo style, Elizabethan Gothic, Elizabethan Plateresque and Venetian Gothic Revival and Spanish Renaissance Revival. Constructed by a Mexican military engineer Gonzalo Garita y Frontera. The building also has Moorish, Neoclassical, Baroque and Art Deco elements. The palace contains ornaments of marble, plaster of paris and white «cantera» stone from Puebla. The post office is made with a very light-colored, almost translucent variety of a stone called «chiluca». Much of the metal work around the windows and other parts of the facade highly polished brass, was made in Italy. Inside, the marble floors and shelves combine with bronze and iron window frames manufactured in Florence, Italy.

It’s incredible that one plaza and street are such an important witnesses of the history of the whole country, and you’ll never guess that, unless you read the history or hire a tourist guide to get to know it. That’s why you should really visit historical or touristic places, and always read its history or hire a tourist guide. You’ll be amazed and entertained.