The formal name of the main square in Mexico City popularly called Zocalo is Plaza de la Constitucion. It is the venue of every important Mexican event from the times of the Aztecs. At first the Zocalo was the center of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan and extended in front of the palace of the Aztec ruler Moctezuma II. After the destruction of Tenochtitlan, the Spanish conqueror, Cortes built a church that is now the cathedral of Mexico City. The plaza in front of the cathedral was paved with the stones from the palace of Moctezuma after its destruction by the Spanish. The square through history has been frequently flooded and periodically became a marketplace with makeshift stalls. The plaza was also paved and decorated several times over by different rulers and demolished and ransacked by their successors. Extensive repairs and beautification efforts are underway to improve the ambience of the square. The Zocalo has an area of 57,600 square meters that makes it one of the largest public squares in the world second only to the Red Square in Moscow. The square is an empty space with a large Mexican flag in the center. The flag is lowered every evening at 6 pm and visitors come to view the ceremony. Large gatherings, events and concerts take place at the Zocalo. Recently the largest attendance was for the 2007 performance by Shakira that attracted 210,000 fans.

The Palacio National, a large building flanking the entire eastern part of the Zocalo in Mexico City, is the seat of Mexico’s national executive. The building stands on the location from where rulers of Mexico from the times of the Aztecs wielded power. Hernan Cortes, the Spanish Governor demolished the palace of the Aztec King Moctezuma II to build this symbol of the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The Palacio Nacional is a large building with countless rooms, courtyards and brass balconies. The second floor has vast expanses of murals by Diego Rivera portraying the history of Mexico. Construction of the building began in 1692 and at first it was the home of Hernan Cortes. Later, the building became the residence of the Spanish Viceroys. The Palacio Nacional played a significant role in Mexican Independence and it houses a bell that was rung by Padre Miguel Hidalgo to proclaim independence from Spain in 1810. Hidalgo’s cry declaring independence is called the historic Grito Dolores. On September 15th, the Independence Day of Mexico, crowds of Mexicans and foreigners gather at the Zocalo to hear the president of Mexico repeat the Grito Dolores from the balcony before the national anthem is sung. Visitors can use the services of a guide to understand the historical details portrayed in Diego Rivera’s murals on the 2nd floor of the building.

Dominating the Zocalo in Mexico City, the Cathedral Metropolitana, is the oldest and largest cathedral in Latin America. The church is also called the metropolitan cathedral of the Assumption of Mary of Mexico City. Over the centuries the cathedral’s foundations have sunk into the soft soil beneath as a result the cathedral and the nearby chapel did not have a level floor. The efforts of the administration of Mexico City led to its extensive reconstruction and in the year 2000 the structure was removed from the World Monuments Fund’s list of the 100 most endangered sites.
Cathedral Metropolitana was built over the location of the destroyed Aztec palace of Moctezuma. The material used during its construction was from the destroyed palace. The design of the cathedral has several architectural styles including baroque, neoclassic and Churrigueresque. Spanish architect Claudio de Arciniega drew up the initial plans for the structure. The foundations of the building were laid in 1567 and completed in 1788.
The church is filled with paintings, altarpieces and colored statues by well known Mexican artists and sculptors. The cathedral has two bell towers with 25 bells and two of the largest 18th century organs in the Americas. A sound and light show, with a focus on choral music takes visitors on a candle lit walking tour around the cathedral.

The Templo Mayor located near the Zocalo in the Historic Center of Mexico City contains the ruins of an ancient Aztec temple and a museum containing its artifacts. The temple was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec God of war and Tlaloc, the God of rain. The site became part of the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987. The remains of the ancient Templo Mayor were discovered when an electric company found a pre Hispanic monolith in 1978. The monolith had a relief with the image of the moon goddess Coyolxauhqui from the 15th century. From 1978 to 1982, archeologist Eduardo Moctezuma and his team of experts worked to excavate the area that forms the present location of the temple. 13 buildings had to be demolished for the excavation and more than 7000 objects from the ancient Aztec temples were recovered from the site. A museum designed by architect Ramirez Vazquez was constructed to house the discoveries made during the excavation of the remains of the Templo Mayor. Eight exhibition halls dedicated to different themes make up the museum. Some themes represent different Aztec Gods while others showcase the flora and fauna and the ancient agricultural technology used in the land that now is modern Mexico. Notable remains of the Aztec civilization include the Wall of Skulls, two life size figures of Aztec warriors dressed in Eagle costume and a large pot with a Gods face in blue paint that has not faded through the centuries. The museum is open from Tuesdays to Sundays and admission on Sunday is free for all. Visitors can make reservations for a guided tour in English.

Plaza Manuel Tolsa features a rectagular open space, located right in front of the old Tacuba Street. This plaza is famous for its masterpiece – an equestrian sculpture of Charles IV of Spain, known as El Caballito. It is a bronze piece of work made by the famous Manuel Tolsa. Around the square can also be seen several amazing architectural buildings, like Mining Palace, National Museum of Art and Postal Palace.

The Palacio de Correos de Mexico is located in the Historic Center of Mexico City and was built in the early 20th Century during the reign of President Porforio Diaz.
The main post office building was inaugurated in 1907 when the Post office department became a separate government entity in Mexico. Till 1907, the post office was a division of the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation. The design was by Italian architect Adamo Boari and Gonzalo Garita y Frontera, a Mexican military engineer constructed the building. The framework of the structure consists of steel frames on a large grid of steel beams. This engineering design has enabled the building to withstand earthquakes effectively compared to other buildings in Mexico City. The interiors have a combination of European and Mexican architectural styles. The building is constructed using a light translucent stone called Chiluca. In 1987, after extensive restoration work, the palace was declared an Artistic Monument.
The Palacio de Correos houses two museums. Downstairs is a museum that traces the history of the postal services in Mexico. Here visitors can also view interesting philately exhibits. On the 4th floor is the Naval Museum showing the history of navigation in Mexico using maps, models, photographs and maritime paintings by famous Mexican artists.

This ornate structure in Mexico City called the Casa de Azulejos or The House of Tiles has a unique façade of blue and white tiles. The Casa was built as the palace of the Counts of Orizaba in 1793. The family decorated the façade of the building with these tiles to show off their immense wealth.
Two theories exist about the origin of the tiles that form the façade of the Casa de Azulejos. It is commonly thought that the tiles were blue and white Talavera tiles made in the nearby State of Puebla. The other theory is that the tiles were made in China and shipped to Mexico on the Spanish Galleons. The building changed hands several times in the 19th Century. In 1919, two American brothers, Walter and Frank Sanborn saw the potential in renovating the property and converted the building into a café cum departmental store after extensive restoration. The result was a successful store that grew to become a chain of distinctive stores in Mexico. Today the Sanborn chain belongs to Carlos Sim, one of the world’s richest men.
The Casa de Azulejos is located near the pedestrian corridor Gante in Mexico City. The building has a central courtyard with a Moorish fountain that is now a quaint Sanborn café and a 1925 mural by the social realist painter Jose Clemente Orozco.

Located between Juarez Avenue and Hidalgo Avenue in Mexico City lies a green oasis called the Alameda Central Park. The paved park has landscaped gardens, fountains and statues and is the venue for many civic events held by the city. The site of Alameda Central Park was once an Aztec marketplace. The location became a park in 1592 under the orders of the then Spanish viceroy, Luis de Velasco. The park was named after the poplar trees, Alamo in Spanish, that were planted to provide shade for visitors. At first the venue was half its present size. Expansions in 1770 and 1791 resulted in the present extent of the Alameda Central Park. The park has been the center of celebrations in Mexico City especially the grand revelry on the day when Mexico attained independence in 1821. Alameda Central Park has five fountains designed by the French in Greco Roman style. Statues were added to the park in the 19th and 20th centuries. The central kiosk was installed in the late 19th century. The park was lighted in 1868 with gas lamps before electric lamps were installed. Two well known statues at Alameda Central Park are a monument dedicated to Beethoven, donated by the German community, and the Despoire and the Malgre Tout statues sculpted by artist Jesus Contreras. Alameda Central Park is a green recreational space in the midst of Mexico City where all classes of Mexicans and international visitors can enjoy quiet moments in tranquil surroundings.