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 The
Palacio Nacional (National Palace), which is the present seat of the
Mexican government, is located on the Zocalo Plaza’s eastern side.
Spanish colonial authorities began building the palace in the late 17th
century to replace the residence of the Spanish viceroy and conqueror Hernán
Cortés.
The Metropolitan Cathedral whose vestry represents a synthesis of art forms
in New Spain is located on the northern side of the Zocalo.
Penetrating its imposing baroque and neoclassical facade, the visitor enters
the ethereal half-light of this hallowed shrine, with its five separate
naves, its side chapels and sacred religious icons.
The City's soft clay subsoil, subject to
continuous movement over the years, has propitiated the gradual sinking of
many buildings such as the Cathedral, and sophisticated restoration works,
partially visible, have prevented its collapse.
Slightly to the west of the Zócalo in the heart of the city's
commercial and shopping district is the Alameda, a park of tree-lined walks
laid out in 1592. The park is bordered on the east by the imposing
19th-century Palace of Fine Arts with its theater and murals.
Farther to the west is the Paseo de la
Reforma, an elegant, tree-lined boulevard marked by monuments honoring
Mexico's past. These monuments include landmarks such as the "Angel of the
Independence," a symbol of Mexico's national identity, Cuauhtemoc
Memorial, dedicated to the last Aztec Emperor, and the statue of Diana
Cazadora (Diane The Hunter).
The National Auditorium is situated on
Reforma Avenue in the artistic and cultural section of Chapultepec
Park, which is also home for other theaters including the El Granero,
Orientacion and El Bosque.
The tree-filled Chapultepec Park
features extensive recreational facilities including a lake, fountains,
museums, a zoo and the Chapultepec Castle.
The construction of the Chapultepec
Castle began in 1783. Positioned on the park's highest elevation, the castle
functioned as a fortress during colonial times. It once served as the
presidential residence, was the site of an important battle during the
American invasion in 1847 and now houses the National Museum of History,
which includes murals by 20th-century Mexican painter Juan O'Gorman. Down at
the entrance of the castle limits arises the Memorial to Infant Heroes, a
memorial for those who fought in the battle of 1947.
Los Pinos, the official residence and working
offices of the President, is also on the grounds but is not open to the
general public.
Chapultepec Park contains several museums;
the most important is the National Museum of Anthropology. Other museums
include Mexico's Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Natural History, Snail
Museum, Technology Museum, Papalote, which is a children’s
interactive museum, and the Mexico City Zoo.
Mexico City's major north-south artery is the Avenida Insurgentes, which
stretches 30 km (21 miles). Avenida Insurgentes crosses the Paseo de la
Reforma just north of the tourist area known as the Zona Rosa ("Pink Zone").
Within this neighborhood, there are many of the principal hotels,
restaurants and fashion stores and boutiques which cater to the tourist
trade.
Mexico's leading religious shrine, the
Basilica de Guadalupe, is located north of the city. This area marks the
site of the appearance of the Virgin Mary to an indigenous peasant in 1531.
The Virgin of Guadalupe, as the apparition came to be called, is the patron
saint of Mexico and revered by millions.
Various stages of the city's growth can be
seen southward along Avenida Insurgentes. In Colonia Juárez, just south of
the Paseo de la Reforma, elegant 19th-century mansions from the era of
Mexican dictator Porfirio Díaz can be seen.
At the southern edge of the city, the National Autonomous University of
Mexico straddles the Avenida Insurgentes. On the western part of the campus
is the 60,000-seat Mexico 68 Olympic Stadium, which was the site of the 1968
Olympic Games. East of Avenida Insurgentes is the university's main library.
The building and its famous tile mosaic exterior were designed by Juan
O'Gorman. Three-dimensional murals by Diego Rivera adorn the rectory on the
main campus slightly farther to the east.
There are a number of on-campus museums
including the Universum and the Science and Arts Museum. In addition, the
University’s Cultural Center harbors a number of theaters, film halls and
concert halls.
A visit to Xochimilco and its chinampas floating gardens is
like taking a ride to the past to visit a pre-Hispanic city. In Nahuatl
language, Xochimilco means Flower land. While in Xochimilco,
be sure to visit Santa Cruz Acalpixca, where you will have an
opportunity to see one of the Mexica bas relief, an archaeological find
discovered during the excavations of Xochimilco.
Also in Xochimilco is the Dolores
Olmedo Museum which is housed in a 16th Century estate surrounded by
expansive gardens. On exhibit are Mexican handicrafts as well as the best
works of one of Mexico’s famous artists Diego Rivera.
Coyoacan is a district of deep-rooted
traditions whose cultural and historic value cannot be overstated. The
district has virtually everything to offer it’s visitors including museums,
churches, buildings, shops, entertainment halls, squares, gardens and
streets of all types of pavement.
Among the main attractions of Coyoacan
are the Leon Trotsky House and Museum, the Coyoacan Nurseries, the
Frida Kahlo Museum, the Centenary Garden, the Jesus Reyes Heroles Cultural
House, the San Juan Bautista Parish and former convent as well as the
Conchita Square.
A tour of San Angel is a gratifying
experience where picturesque streets lined with colonial houses and churches
can be visited. San Angel is filled with a variety of restaurants and bars
which will surely please you.
Cuicuilco, probably one of the earliest ceremonial centers
established in the Valley of Mexico, is believed to have influenced peoples
throughout the valley. Atop the base, there once stood a temple. After the
eruption of the Xitle Volcano, which covered the whole of the architectural
complex with lava, the site was abandoned.
TEOTIHUACAN
One and a half hours away located in the state of Mexico is the antique
religious city of Teotihuacán, which was the capital of an ancient
pre-Aztec civilization. Two pyramids face each other on a north-south axis
and are known as the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. Massive
in size and height, they provide an extraordinary view of the surrounding
region.
TAXCO
Another important city located just two hours away from Mexico, is Taxco,
which is known worldwide for its famous silver crafts and beautiful colonial
architecture. The singular outline of its cobble-stoned narrow streets
invites visitors to take a walk around the city with the feeling of going
back to the past while enjoying the comforts of modern services. In Taxco,
you will enjoy shopping for a variety of Mexican handicrafts and silver
articles.
Taxco, which is rich in silver mines, was founded as a mining town. A
European named Jose de la Borda gained an impressive fortune with which he
constructed the famous Parish of Santa Prisca, an architectonic jewel of
churrigueresco style and symbol of the city.
Other wonderful colonial buildings which shouldn’t be missed include the
Convent of San Bernardino de Siena, which was founded in 1592, and La Casa
Borda, which was constructed in 1759 and which lodges the "Taxco Cultural
Center" and the Museum of Virroyal Art, an example of the baroque
architecture of century XVIII.
FOR CULTURE AND HISTORY LOVERS
Our visitors can enjoy countless sites of valuable tradition including the
Historic Center, the Coyoacan and San Angel areas, or any one of the many
museums located throughout the city.
Let us be your guide and introduce you to he heart of our country and our
identity, where history, art and culture combine to create an interesting
kaleidoscope. The Historic Center invites you to visit every corner of the
oldest and most visited walk in the city, in the Alameda or in the many
events that are part of the annual Historic Center Festival. The options are
endless, with over 78 gardens and plazas, 743 historic and cultural valuable
buildings and all kinds of museums and galleries.
All of these attractions will familiarize you with the deeper aspects of the
City’s history which include a variety of historic and cultural epochs as
well as the City’s importance of having been the pre-Hispanic and modern
religious center of the country for you to gain a better understanding of
why Mexico City is today a space for diverse artistic and cultural
expressions which includes the Annual Opera Season, which takes place in "Bellas
Artes" Palace.
In San Angel and Coyoacan, two of the most traditional barrios in the city,
churches, museums, shops, entertaining spaces make both places an
interesting option. The "living" streets, allies and plazas are part of the
history and legends of many famous writers and thinkers who have spent
countless hours inspired by its beauty.
Today, with an abundance of museums, Mexico City is considered to be the
world's most important museum destination. Some of the most important
historical, architectural, social and cultural museums include the
Anthropology Museum, which is the largest in America, the Cathedral Museum,
which shows one of the most important religious art exhibits in the world,
and the Franz Meyer Museum. |
