My Introduction to Mexico

Life has been marching along since I last wrote here. I purchased a small mobile home in Florida, replacing the travel trailer. My father at 94 passed, which has had a profound influence on me. Ray broke his same femur (left thigh) twice and managed to acquire a nasty infection in the bone. My travel schedule has largely been between Costa Rica, Long Island, Florida and occasional visits to North Carolina - which is enough. (Although I could add a dose of hospital visits to the list!) But I did travel to Mexico City with a friend on a guided tour recently.

Paddy and I overlooking the Zocalo

It seems fitting to me to begin with my recent Mexican visit. My good friend, Paddy asked me if I'd be interested, and I jumped at the chance. We signed up with a group, Road Scholar, which adds educational elements to “just” being a tourist. The trip focused on the history, arts and the culture of CDMX (Mexico City).

Our rather modern hotel, owned by a Spanish hotel chain, was central located in the Historic District. And boy was it historic!  My very limited history education of over fifty years ago certainly did not include much Mexican history. Once again, I am reminded of how insular many of us from the US are when it comes to other cultures. Another reason travel is so good! 

 

Alma Lilia Roura - our extremely
 knowledgeable historian

Our hardworking guides taking a well deserved break

Some Basics

After the conquest of the Aztecs in 1521, Mexico City became the heart of New Spain. It is thought that Aztecs, joined the Mexicas, eventually settling in the Valley of Mexico, now Mexico City, by the early 14th century.  At that time a large lake, Texcoco, provided food and water. They were experienced agriculturalists who constructed and planted raised fields using reclaimed land by scooping sediment from the bottom of Lake Texcoco to use as mulch. 

Artists view of the lake

The Aztecs built a temple to Huitzilopochtli, their god of war, on the island of Tenochtitlán. They began expanding their island-city into the surrounding marshes. Their economy and social life depended on water. They constructed aqueducts to supply fresh water and canals to allow canoes to travel throughout the city, and to control flooding they built a series of flood-control levees. The nearby twin city of Tlatelolco, named after their god of water and agriculture, emerged along the north shore of the lake. These people ruled the area around Mexico City for almost 200 years. 

Tlaloc statue in the Museum of Anthropology

Upon arriving at the island of Tenochtitlán, Aztec priests reportedly found an eagle on a rock devouring a snake. This became such an important symbol to Mexican culture that it is portrayed on the national flag of Mexico.

Stained glass from the Palace of Chapultepec

The Aztecs believed that the sun god needed daily nourishment, human blood and beating hearts,  and that as “people of the sun,” they were required to provide Huitzilopochtli with his sustenance. Four years after their gruesome death, victims - usually prisoners of war, slaves and sometimes women who died in childbirth -  went to live forever in the bodies of hummingbirds.

Huitzilopochtli often depicted as a god of war

Huitzilopochtli’s high priest, the Quetzalcóatl is usually shown as a hummingbird,  or a warrior with armour and helmet made of hummingbird feathers.

The Presidential Palace

Located along the east side of the Zocalo is the national palace, built in 1522, It was the second private residence of Hernán Cortés. Later it became the official home for the Spanish viceroys, and is now the residence of Mexico’s President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, also known by his initials AMLO.  Inside are murals painted by Diego Rivera, depicting the history of Mexico from 1521 to 1930 which he created between 1929 and 1935 Unfortunately, we were not allowed to go in there because the president was in residence.

 

Colegio de San Ildefonso

One of the many spectacular religious structures in the historic section is the Colegio de San Ildefonso. Built by the Jesuits in 1588, it initially offered both religious and secular education to elite scholars. the Jesuits were expelled from all Spanish lands in 1767 and the school was then given to non-monastic clergy still functioning as the College between 1767 and 1867.

In 1867, President Benito Juárez began reforming the educational system, a government function, converting it into the National Preparatory School. 

In the 1920s, soon after the Mexican Revolution, the government sponsored mural paintings with themes centering on Mexico's history and politics of the post-Revolution era. San Ildefonso was one of the first public buildings to be painted this way. The artwork was commissioned to muralists including, José Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, and David Alfaro Siqueiros. 

Renovated in the 1990’s the College is now an important cultural center and museum.

Templo De Mejor

Templo Mayor, the twin Temple pyramid, which is joined to the central plaza, was destroyed by the Spanish and buried for centuries between the colonial city base. It was uncovered in the 70s, along with hundreds of artifacts now at the Museum of the same name.  Site of the main temple, it regarded as center of the world by Aztecs. 

A model of the Templo Mejor complex at the Museum

Excavation is ongoing amidst the surrounding newer buildings

A walkway enables visitors to observe the remains

Under the tin roofs archaeologists continue their studies. Notice how
the entire site is sloping downward as the structures have sunken
at uneven places over the centuries

The original serpent in the foreground was an important symbol

Original built around 1325 and enlarged by successive rulers, the Temple/pyramid eventually reached about 60 meters high, with two staircases leading to temples of the God of war and sun, the other to Tlaloc, the god of rain and agriculture .

This enormous stone was excavated from the Templo Major
site. The lower photo shows it from the second floor of
the museum.

Using the stones from the fallen Mexican temples the Spanish constructed their own churches and palaces. The Templo Major was dedicated to the god, Huitzipochtli, the god of war and Tlaloc, god of rain and agriculture.

Artifacts found at the temple site

As proof of human sacrifice these human skulls

and jawbones are arranged lie necklaces below

And finally, lunch in a restaurant overlooking the ruins of the Temple

 

Ancient Mexico City (and Modern)

Our rather modern hotel, owned by a Spanish hotel chain, was central located in the Historic District. And boy was it historic!  My very limited history education of over fifty years ago certainly did not include much Mexican history. Once again, I am reminded of how insular many of us from the US are when it comes to other cultures. Another reason travel is so good! 

First Day

The Zócalo is one of the largest public squares in the world, where people come to gather for festivals, events, concerts and demonstrations. It was built on the ruins of the Mexica/Aztec people’s ceremonial centre, the Templo Mayor, at the heart of Tenochtitlan, their capital city.The Zocalo is bordered by the presidential palace, the grand Metropolitan Cathedral, Federal buildings and hotels and businesses. 

On the northern edge of the Zocalo is the enormous Metropolitan Cathedral. Initially, there was a modest church built there in 1520 on the rubble of Tenochtitlán by the Spanish.  In 1553 the first stone was laid in the construction of the Cathedral. It took 243 years for completion. 25 multi-ton bells are still run by hand in the two towers.

Fourteen of the cathedral's sixteen chapels are open to the public and each chapel is dedicated to a different saint or saints. It is home to two of the largest 18th-century organs in the Americas. There is a crypt underneath the cathedral that holds the remains of many former archbishops. The cathedral has approximately 150 windows.

The first and most impressive interior structure is the Altar of Forgiveness  at the rear of the Cathedral. For seven years Spanish architect Balbás, built the alter from cedar beginning in 1718. It was then gilded and finished by Francico Martínez in 1736.

One of two grand pipe organs

Mexico City, has been sinking into the lakebed from the day it was built. Now that the city is a megalopolis with over 18 million people drawing water from underground sources the water tables have dropped considerably, especially during the latter half of the 20th century and any older buildings appear crooked.

Reconstruction of this section of the Cathedral is ongoing to
shore up sinking.