History

The Mexican Valley was already a vital centre for trade long before Christopher Columbus set off on his voyage to the New World. Different peoples had occupied the central area of the Mexican plateau for some 20,000 years, settling along the fertile lakeshores. To facilitate communication and transportation, they built an elaborate system of chinampas (canals), remnants of which exist today in the area south of the city known as Xochimilco.

By the beginning of the 16th century, Tenochtitlán was the capital of a military empire stretching from Texas to Honduras. Hernán Cortes conquered the Aztec territory in 1521 for Spain but it wasn't until 1821 that Mexico regained its sovereignty, after the bloody War of Independence of 1810. Mexico City, now the capital of the country, is its economic and cultural epicentre. The Centro Histórico is a centuries old neighbourhood surrounding the main square, Zócalo Plaza de la Constitución. Once a site of ceremonies in the former Gran Tenochitlán, it is now where the seats of national power are found and has been witness to untold generations of change and development as well as a public gathering spot for both protests and celebrations. The Catedral Metropolitana also situated here, reflects the colonial architecture of New Spain, with its baroque and neo-classical façade, five naves and an invaluable collection of paintings. Next to the cathedral, the Palacio Nacional, from the era of the Viceroyalty is the seat of civil government, comprised of beautiful patios and halls decorated with Diego Rivera murals, portraying Mexican history and culture.

Close to the city centre, in the Bosques de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Woods), the Alcazár of the Castillo de Chapultepec can be found. A castle built on the former foundations of the Palacio de Axayácatl—Moctezuma's palace. This was once the official residence of Hernán Cortes and the viceroys that succeeded him. Later, it became the imperial palace of Maximilian of Hapsburg during the French intervention.

Tlatelolco, once the main Aztec market and the largest in America is located half a kilometre north of the centre. It is known today as the Plaza de las Tres Culturas (Plaza of the Three Cultures), for its architectonic triad of pre-Hispanic roots, colonial period church influence and the modern condominiums currently surrounding it. The Museo del Templo Mayor is the crowning jewel of the Centro Histórico. The Temple is one of the most important archaeological findings in recent years and consists of a double pyramid built to Tláloc, the god of rain and water, and Huitzilopochtli, the god of war. Many significant artifacts of Aztec culture were uncovered here, including a Coyoxautli symbol of the fertility goddess carved in stone. Xochimilco, located south of the city and surrounded by springs and canals, seems to have been lost in time.