Centro Histórico isn’t just the cultural lifeblood of Mexico City; the district also contains a vitally important record of the historical lineage of North America’s oldest metropolis. Unlike most colonial settlements that developed into cities, Mexico City was already a significant population center when the Spanish arrived in the 16th century. The Mexica people founded Tenochtitlan around 1325 CE, and it later became the capital of the Aztec Empire.
Following their conquest of the region, the Spanish built Mexico City over Tenochtitlan. They ruled the area until 1821, when Mexico won its independence from the Spanish Empire. El Zócalo, the spacious square in Centro Histórico that’s shown in my video above, serves as a border for two key structures from Mexico City’s most recent eras: the National Palace where the nation’s democratically-elected president resides; and the Metropolitan Cathedral that was built by the Spanish. Just off the square are the ruins of Templo Mayor, the main temple in Tenochtitlan.
Along with being the oldest city on the continent, Mexico City is also the highest metropolis in North America. It was built at 7,350 feet above sea level (2,240 meters) in the nation’s central valley. Lake Texcoco once filled much of the area, and the Mexica worked with it when constructing their great city: In what was an engineering marvel, Tenochtitlan was comprised of several artificial islands. The Spanish, however, drained the lake when they built Mexico City.
For more information on visiting Centro Histórico, check out “A Weekend Guide to Mexico City’s Centro Histórico.” It’s part of my travel guides section on the Mexico City area.
Related Content
– Click to view my high-resolution photo collection from Templo Mayor.
– Click to read my feature article “Teotihuacán: Down the Avenue of the Dead” for an in-depth look into the pre-Columbian era’s most perplexing mystery: the unknown history of ancient ruins just outside Mexico City.
– Click to read my short story “Beer in Old Mexico” about my reflections on the long historical shadow cast by the Aztecs over modern Mexico City.