El Zócalo Square in Mexico City
Plaza de la Constitution, Palacio Nacional, Cathedral, Templo Mayor
The Zocalo square, or Plaza de la Constitution, in Mexico City is lined by the Cathedral, Templo Mayor Museum, Palacio Nacional, and government and commercial buildings.
The Zócalo, officially Plaza de la Constitution, in the heart of Mexico City, is one of the world’s largest urban public squares. It measures over 240 by 240 m (800 x 800 ft).
Fiestas, protest marches, political events, and national celebrations usually end up at the Zócalo. It is also frequently used for free special events, concerts, and exhibitions - the record attendance, as estimated by Mexican police, was 210,000 when Shakira performed in May 2007.
- The large Mexican flag at the center of the plaza is lowered every evening at 6 pm in a ceremony best observed from the restaurants on the top floors of hotels on the west side of the square.
What is a Zócalo?
“El Zócalo” is used in Mexican Spanish to describe the main public square in town – almost all Mexican towns have a Zócalo even if the official name of the plaza is almost without exception different. However, zócalo is a Spanish-Arabic term derived from socle meaning plinth or pedestal, as in the base of a statue.
During the 19th century, Mexican dictator Santa Ana – he who lost Texas and half of Mexico to the United States – had a statue of Spanish King Carlos IV removed from Mexico City’s main plaza and planned to built a Monument to the Independence in its place. For many years, only a base (el zócalo) was at the center of the plaza and the square was known soon enough as El Zócalo. The name eventually spread throughout Mexico.
- Historians argue over whether the zócalo in question was the base of the original statue, or of the never finished monument. Either way, the pedestal is long gone but the name stuck.
The Historic Buildings on Mexico City’s Zócalo
The main buildings lining the Zócalo are from the north clockwise:
- The Metropolitan Cathedral
The Catedral Metropoplitana is one of the largest churches in the Americas. It was built between 1563 and 1813 and thus shows a mix of styles but the overwhelming impression is Baroque.
- Museo Templo Mayor
During the 1970s, large parts of the Templo Mayor (Main Temple) of the Aztecs where excavated. Parts of the pyramids, a chac mool, and other statues can be explored.
The Museum of the Main Temple has some very interesting pieces including the Coyolxauhqui offering stone and almost intact statues of the eagle warriors.
- Between the Cathedral and the Templo Mayor is a 3D map of Tenochtitlan, the original Aztec capital on islands in Lake Texcoco.
- Palacio Nacional
The Palacio Nacional (National Palace) runs the full length of the squares’ eastern side. The palace is mostly late 17th century but the third story was only added during the 1920s when much of the palace received a makeover.
The main reason to visit the interior of the palace is to see the murals by Diego Riviera of Mexico’s history and culture.
- Mexico City Government Offices
Most of the buildings on the south side of the Zocalo are used by the government of Mexico City and not open to the general public. Statues along Pino Suárez Street show the legend of the Aztecs discovering the eagle on a cactus eating a snake which led to the founding of Tenochtitlan, the original Aztec name for Mexico City.
- The Commercial West Side of the Zocalo
The buildings on the western side of the square are mostly used by commercial enterprises – jewelers feature prominently. Many buildings have restaurants on the top floor with lovely views of the square. It is worth entering the Gran Hotel de la Ciudad to see its Art Nouveau interior and Tiffany stained-glass ceiling.
- In addition to the Zócalo, many other sights in the historical center and in the rest of Mexico City are worth exploring.
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