Mexico City: A bustling metropolis built on top of ancient Aztec ruins.
Located in the heart of Mexico, where you’ll find history, culture, food, and so much more.
In this episode, we’re gonna show you seven sights you can’t miss in Mexico City’s
Historic District.
¡Vamonos!
Las Ruinas del Templo Mayor.
This temple was one of the most important temples for the Aztecs or Mexicas.
It was dedicated to the god of war, Huitzilopochtli, and the god of rain, Tlaloc.
Why dedicate the temple to Huitzilopochtli?
He was the one who had ordered his people to march and look for the place where they
would establish a new society.
But his orders were very specific.
He told them to look for the eagle perched on a cactus, eating a snake;
and after hundreds of years of searching,
that’s exactly what they found in this spot.
The Mexican National Emblem is inspired by this legend.
Construction of the temple began around the year 1325 once the Aztecs found the land
their god had promised.
This temple was rebuilt six times in the exact same spot the Aztecs believed was the center
of the universe.
In 1521, the temple was destroyed by the Spanish who then built the Catedral Metropolitana
over the ruins of the temple.
The Catedral Metropolitana.
Next to and on top of the Templo Mayor is La Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción
de la Santísima Virgen María de los Cielos.
Whoa.
Sounds very important.
Yeah, that’s why most people just call it the Catedral Metropolitana.
This is the largest and oldest cathedral in Latin America.
The original church was built in 1524, when the Spanish took Tenochtitlan and destroyed
the Main Temple.
Stones from the ruined Templo Mayor were used in the construction of the cathedral as a
sign of power over the newly conquered land.
The building we see today was built in stages from 1573 to 1813, replacing the original
church completely.
The Palacio Nacional.
Also located in the main square, known as El Zócolo, you can find the Palacio Nacional;
a beacon of Mexican history.
This place has been home to Mexico’s ruling class since the Aztecs.
In fact, many of the materials in this structure came from a building for Moctezuma II, which
once stood in the same location.
Ever heard of Moctezuma’s revenge?
The urban legend says that Gringos visiting Mexico end up with traveller’s diarrhea
as a form of revenge from the fallen leader of the Aztecs.
That’s this guy.
The palace served as the home of Mexico’s elected presidents from 1824 until 1884.
Benito Juarez, one of the most well known presidents of the country due to his influence
during the consolidation of Mexico, lived and died in this building.
There’s a whole area of the Palacio Nacional dedicated to pay tribute to his life.
For those familiar with the call “¡Viva México!”, this is where you can hear the
echoes of the Grito de Dolores during Mexico’s Independence Day.
Every year the president of Mexico comes here to once again proclaim “¡Viva Mexico!”.
The Palacio de Bellas Artes.
Just a few blocks away from El Zócolo you’ll find one of the most prominent buildings in
Mexico City: The Palacio de Bellas Artes.
Built in the early 20th Century, the Palacio has hosted some of the most notable events
in music, dance, and theatre.
Inside, you can find exhibitions that showcase painting, sculpture and photography.
Diego Rivera, famous Mexican muralist, and Frida Kahlo’s husband,
has left his mark here.
He was known for his works that are rich in history and sociopolitical commentary.
One of the most controversial is “Man, Controller of the Universe” which can be found here
at the Palace.
The Museo Nacional de Arte.
Just a block away from the Bellas Artes Palace is The National Museum of Art.
Founded in 1982, it exhibits and preserves a collection of Mexican works of art from
the second half of the 16th and the first half of the 20th century.
Located in the heart of Mexico City’s Historic District, this building is considered one
of the most beautiful architectural works from the early 20th century.
The Museo Nacional de Arte works on projects to exhibit, study, and conserve the fine arts
of Mexico.
More than 3,000 pieces form the permanent collection of this museum.
The Torre Latinoamericana.
Once known as the tallest building in Latin America, the Torre Latinoamericana is an important
landmark of the city.
It is 44 stories and stands 597 feet tall.
This tower offers some of the best views of the city.
The Palacio Postal.
Also known as the Quinta Casa de Correos, the Palacio Postal is symbolic of the Historic
District in Mexico City.
This building was designed to be the new headquarters of the General Post office in Mexico in the
early 1900’s when the government made the the Post Office a separate branch.
The design of the building is a mixture of different architectural styles.
Complex details decorate the inside and outside of the structure.
The building was modified in the 1950’s to connect with the neighboring Bank of Mexico,
which weakened the structure.
This, coupled with the earthquake of 1985, caused major damage to the Palacio Postal.
Restoration work in the 1990’s returned the building to its former glory, and it still
operates as a Post Office to this day.
Guys, guys guys.
This is too much city to see in one day!
We didn't make nearly enough time to do everything we wanted to do.
I hope we could show you something interesting.
Hopefully you got something out of this.
And when you come to Mexico City make sure you have at least a week to see the most important
things here in the city because it's so big!
We're able to show you a speck of this city.
There are about 9 million people here, and the Centro Historico
is a small part of the city.
Yes, and it's also the biggest Spanish-speaking city in the world.
So you have to come here.
¡Tienes que conocerlo!
Hope you can check it out.
Hope you enjoyed this video, and ¡Nos vemos pronto!
Adios.