Cultural Walk Through Mexico City

History

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The city currently known as Mexico City was created by the Mexica people, later known as the Aztecs, in 1325. The old Mexica city that is now referred to as Tenochtitlan was built on an island in the center of the inland lake system of the Valley of Mexico.

After landing in Veracruz, Hernán Cortés heard about the great city and the long-standing rivalries and grievances against it. Although Cortés came to Mexico with a very small army, he was able to persuade many of the other native peoples to help him destroy Tenochtitlan.

The Spaniards practically razed Tenochtitlán during the final siege of the conquest. Cortés first settled in Coyoacán, but decided to rebuild the Aztec site to erase all traces of the old order. Cortés did not establish an independent, conquered territory under his own personal rule, but remained loyal to the Spanish crown. The first viceroy of the new domain arrived in Mexico City fourteen years later. By that time, the city had again become a city-state, having power that extended far beyond the city's established borders. Although the Spanish preserved Tenochtitlán's basic layout, they built Catholic churches over the old Aztec temples and claimed the imperial palaces for themselves. Tenochtitlán was renamed "Mexico", its alternative form name, only because the Spanish found this easier to say.

The city had been the capital of the Aztec empire and in the colonial era, Mexico City became the capital of New Spain. The viceroy of Mexico or vice-king lived in the viceregal palace on the main square or Zócalo. The Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral, the seat of the Archbishopric of New Spain was constructed on another side of the Zócalo, as was the archbishop's palace, and across from it the building housing the City Council.

A famous late seventeenth-century painting of the Zócalo by Cristóbal de Villalpando depicts the main square, which had been the old Aztec ceremonial center. The existing central place of the Aztecs was effectively and permanently transformed to the ceremonial center and seat of power during the colonial period, and remains to this day in modern Mexico, the central place of the nation.

Mexico City

Mexico City is one of the largest, most populated, multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world. It’s Mexico’s epicenter for politics, finance and culture; where there is a balance between respect, rights, liberties and opportunities for both residents and all those who visit.

It is a city that not only embraces, but encourages, diversity and freedom of expression. Mexico is certainly worth experiencing.

This capital has numerous archaeological sites and lakes, museums and palaces, some of which have been declared World Heritage Sites. It has historical landmarks that allow visitors to trace back Mexico’s history from the pre-Hispanic times and the colonial era with magnificent, iconic architecture to modern day time with vanguard designs.

Location

Mexico City is located in the Valley of Mexico, sometimes called the Basin of Mexico. This valley is located in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt in the high plateaus of south-central Mexico.

It has a minimum altitude of 2,200 meters (7,200 feet) above sea level and is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes that reach elevations of over 5,000 meters.

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Let’s start

Mexico City has different activities for all the people, in this little guide, we’ll try to recommend you places to visit according with your interests.

Business Destination

Mexico is the most important business center of the country where there are important professional associations, as well as national and international corporations.

It has flourishing commercial infrastructure, connectivity and communications technology, and offers a superior quality of world class services.

Its competitiveness is due to the concentration of business in the service and manufacturing industries for both the domestic market and for exporting. It is the center of education and for the development for new technologies. It is also the second largest city in the world that generates patents and trademarks.

Considered one of the best cities to have meetings, conventions and exhibits, the City has numerous modern facilities with ideal capabilities for international events.

Another important aspect of Mexico City is its connectivity to the rest of the world. The Benito Juarez Airport is considered one of the most important in Latin America, with 26 million passengers annually and 362,967 flight operations from around the world. The city has a modern and convenient public transportation with 12 subway lines and 4 Metrobus routes.

Sports

As a first-class destination with impressive infrastructure, Mexico City is home to numerous international sporting events that range in disciplines like motor racing, basketball, baseball and gymnastics to name a few. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2485/3853343494_2a7662007e_b.jpg

It has three football stadiums to accommodate Mexico’s most popular spectator sport. The city is also home of the Monumental Plaza de Toros Mexico, one of the largest venues for bullfighting with a maximum capacity for 50,000 spectators.

The city has transformed public spaces to suit a growing culture of health and physical activity.

Gastronomy

Mexico City is the gastronomic center of the country, in which different