Mexico, Mexico
Registration Year
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Historical Function
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Location and site
Historical Reference
- In 1325 the Aztecs, who settled in the Valley of Mexico in the 14th century, erected their capital, known as Tenochtitlan (later Mexico City), in the midst of the islands and swamps of the lagoon of Lake Texcoco. A holy city surrounded by ramparts was then integrated into the ensemble and a network of canals and floating gardens was laid out.
- The heyday of this Aztec tribe, known as the Mexica, occurred in the 15th century, when the Empire, which had reached its maximum size, controlled trade routes extending as far as the Gulf of Mexico. This was also a time of religious reform, when human sacrifice was advocated.
- In 1519 Cortés and his troops crossed the pass leading to the valley in search of gold. At that time, the city of Moctezuma II was the most prestigious centre in the New World. In collaboration with tribes who were hostile to the Aztecs following their religious reform, Cortés subdued and sacked Tenochtitlan in 1521.
- The construction of the new capital, Mexico City, was undertaken following the Spanish victory on the site of the Tenochtitlan and its adjoining holy city. The drainage of the lagoon was not undertaken until the 18th century.
Urban Morphology
The Zocalo, a quadrangular esplanade in the historic centre of Mexico City, adjacent to Templo Mayor, was superimposed on the earlier urban square of Tenochtitlan, and the gardens of Xochimilco testify to the lacustrine works of the Aztecs. The heart of Mexico City was conceived according to a rectilinear plan, the arteries of which were traced on the earlier dikes. The new Spanish city possessed no ramparts as the waters surrounding it provided its defense. The colonial architecture of the centre of Mexico City presents a coherent ensemble which is enhanced by the use of "tézontle," a vocanic material. The facades of the buildings that border the Zocalo Esplanade vary in style from Baroque (and Churrigueresque) to Neoclassical. The nearby ruins of the Templo Mayor testify to the different stages of the expansion of Tenochtitlan, as well as to its Aztec past.
Registration Criteria
Between the 14th and 19th centuries, Tenochtitlan and Mexico City exerted a decisive influence on the development of architecture and the monumental arts and the organisation of space. (II) The Templo Mayor presents an exceptional testimony to the traditions of a lost civilisation. (III) The capital of New Mexico - with its rectilinear plan, the regularity of its squares and streets, the splendour of its civic and religious architecture - is an eminent example of the Spanish foundations of the New World. (IV). The lacustrine landscape of Xochimilco constitutes the only remaining testimony to the Pre-Hispanic occupation. (V)
Contact
| Lic. Marcelo Luis Ebrard Casaubon Jefe del Gobierno del Distrito Federal de Mexico | Gobierno del Districto Federal de Mexico Plaza de la Constitución 2, 1er Piso México, Del. Cuauhtémoc, México 06820 | Tel: +52.55 552.10028, 552.22855, ext. 100, 116 Fax: Email: veromar@df.gob.mx |
| Arq. Felipe Leal Fernández Secretario | Secretaría de Desarrollo Urbano y Vivienda (SEDUVI) San Antonio Abad No. 32, 1er piso, Col. Tránsito, Del. Cuauhtémoc México, D.F., México CP 06820 | Tel: +52(55)51302100 Ext.2140 Fax: Ext. 2200 Email: |
| M. en arq. Veronica Martínez Robles Directora de Sitios Patrimoniales y Monumentos | Secretaría de Desarrollo Urbano y Vivienda Plaza de la Constitución No. 2 Primer Piso Col. Tránsito, Del. Cuathémoc México, D.F., México CP 06820 | Tel: +52.55 5130.2100 Ext. 2277 y 2106 Fax: Email: veromar@df.gob.mx |
| Sr. Inti Muñoz Santini Director General | Fideicomiso Centro Histórico de la Ciudad de México Netzahualcóyotl No. 120 piso 16, Col. Centro México, 2do Piso, Col. Hipódromo, Delegación Cuauhtémoc, DF, México 06080 | Tel: 5709 9464 Fax: 5709 81154 Email: |