Home

The Zócalo is the conceptual center of the city. The Metropolitan Cathedral, National Palace (formerly the Viceroy's), the old city hall, and the old supreme court all face it. It is one of the biggest metropolitan squares in the world, and was denuded of ornamentation in the 1930s in homage to Moscow's Red Square. These pages show the square and some places near to it.

Coming up to the square from the airport.	Now in the street that circles the square, facing the cathedral.	The cathedral from the side of the square.	The old city hall.
Panoramic view from the roof of the cathedral: far left.	Left.	Right.	Far right.
The flag is lowered with great ceremony at 6pm every day.	It's a very large flag.	These are there to make sure nobody messes with the flag.
The flag is borne into the National Palace.	This is a part of the National Palace, facing the square.	Mexico City's coat of arms, granted by the emperor Carlos V.	I was told that no monument to the conqueror Hernán Cortés exists. I didn't see any statues of him, but this coat of arms is on the facade of the ground floor of the old city hall, which faces the square.

Home