El Zócalo Essay

El Zócalo is the heart of Mexico City, it beats with history and pride of Mexico. El Zócalo of Mexico City has been a host to major events throughout each of the diverse eras in Mexican history. El Zócalo is a town square that can be dated all the back to the time of the Mexicas, the rulers of the Aztec Empire. Where it stands was at one time the epicenter of the one greatest civilizations of all time. El Zócalo is an icon to the Mexicans because of its rich history and being at the very heart of Mexico City. El Zócalo forms part of the Historical Center of Mexico City since it was built upon Aztec ruins, the massive landscape provides open space for citizens to gather for national protests or celebrations and el Palacio Nacional showcases mural that tell Mexico’s story through the eyes of Diego Rivera.

First of all, el Zócalo is so significant and rich in history because it stands on what used to be the political and religious center of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec nation. This plaza once sat on Lake Texcoco, where the emperor Moctezuma had his palace, pyramids and main temples. After the Spanish conquest, the once center of the Aztecs was destroyed and all that was left were the stones used to build it. The

In my opinion, the most beautiful aspect about El Zócalo that although it is in the middle of a major metropolitan city the buildings that encompass it are still the originally Baroque. The fact that the buildings that are part of El Zócalo were built to represent the Spanish Conquest yet were built with the stone that once held the Aztec structures is just fascinating. If El Zócalo was never built maybe Mexican citizens would not have place to protest or have cultural events, it could be that Diego Rivera’s murals would not send as a strong message if they were not done within the walls of Palacio