Mexico City – Centro Historico

We arrived in Mexico City a few days after Christmas.  The sheer size of the city and its mass of inhabitants is simply mind-boggling.  Traffic patterns are heart stopping for the uninitiated and one way streets change direction seemingly at the whim of the local traffic cops.  That said, we were greeted with a robust police presence, ensuring that safety and well-being of the visitors to the historic sites.  Amidst the throngs of people you find in the city center, you find a treasure trove of history awaiting you.

Cathedral

Our very first stop upon entering the historic city was to visit the Metropolitan Cathedral, right in the middle of the historic center.  Construction of the old church began in the mid-1500s and took over 200 years to reach its completion.  Its gold plated alters reach floor to ceiling, and there are a variety of side alters to greet you. The kids were impressed by the large crucifix at the entry alter, surrounded by a multitude of pilgrims praying, as the body of Jesus was ebony black, and therefore very different from other images of Jesus encountered in the churches we have visited.   It was quite beautiful and striking amidst the gold alters and copious flowers that surrounded it.

Some other things we noticed about the cathedral is its location and its orientation.  The main alter of the cathedral faces north, instead of the traditional easterly direction.  Also, it is built upon the ruins of the Aztec Templo Mayor, which was destroyed by the Conquistadores as they took over the native populations.  In fact, there have been several “windows” installed in the front patio of the cathedral that allow you to peek below at some of the remains of Templo Mayor.

Templo Mayor

Directly beside the Cathedral, you can visit the archeological site that pays homage to its predecessor, the Aztec Templo Mayor.  Templo Mayor was built in layers, beginning as a smaller temple, and periodically a larger, grander temple was built on top.  The newest layer of the pyramid is the seventh layer.  Despite the destruction by the conquering Spaniards, and miscellaneous subsequent looters, you have an opportunity to see quite an impressive array of artifacts still remaining in the site.  You find numerous images of Quetzaquatil, the feathered serpent at the various corners of the edifice.  

There are also a variety of statues that stand guard between the layers of the pyramid.  You can see the statue of Calak Mool in the center, where ceremonial sacrifices presumably took place.  You can also find some of the old sewer systems that were built by the ancient Aztec, to support daily life.  In the covered areas of the site, you can also still see sections that retain some of the original paint colors that the pyramids were decorated.  It gives you a taste of what an impressive site it must have been when first seen by the Europeans. 

At the end of the walk through the Archeological zone, you enter a fantastic museum of the site.  It is filled with countless artifacts from the site, depictions and explanations of the various Aztec gods and their role in the society that honored them.  The museum also gives a fantastic account of the technological developments that supported Aztec life, the crops they cultivated, how they cultivated them, the various animals in their environment, and so on.  It provides quite an interdisciplinary experience of the Aztec life around Templo Mayor, and is truly a museum worth visiting.

Palacio del Gobierno

To round out the trifecta of sites worth seeing on this downtown block, is the Palacio del Gobierno.  This was the home of the famous indigenous president Benito Juarez, and it is where the current executive branch of the Mexican government operates.  Despite the fact that the President of Mexico’s offices are here, it is open to the public, so long as you leave your government-issued ID at the entry.  So with passports turned in, we went inside to explore the beautiful old building.  You can visit the living quarters of Benito Juarez, and view many of his family’s personal artifacts. 

The Palacio del Gobierno is also the home of a large collection of beautiful murals by Diego Rivera. You can take your time exploring the wide variety historical of themes and political criticisms that were included in the artistic renditions.  It is quite a fantastic experience.  You can find murals about the lives of the ancient indigenous peoples, and the knowledge and learnings they shared with Cortez.  You also see a rendition of the first Meztiso, a baby with green eyes carried on the back of the Malinche, a young indigenous girl who was the translator for Hernan Cortez.  This is considered to have been the first “Mexican” as we know them today.  You can also find the images of the inquisition, the independence movement, and the revolution.  Many battles and much bloodshed occurred on the way to becoming the Mexico of today, and it is all expressed in the murals by Rivera.