Plaza de las Tres Culturas

Plaza de las Tres Culturas - (the Square of the three cultures )
This is perhaps the one of the most important sites in Mexico City and showcases Mexicos unique cultural heritage. With modern, colonial and aztec building coming together in one place.
In pre-Columbian times it was the centre of the city of Tlatelolco, whose people sided with the Spanards against the Aztecs of Tenochtitlan (mexico city). In colonial times, there was an important church here. Then in 1968, the area was the focus of a horrifying government massacre in the run-up to the Mexico City Olympics. Hundreds are thought to have died, many of them local residents caught up in the crossfire. There is now a monument to the dead in the square, with a beautiful poem by Rosario Castellanos. Anyone interested in the history of the city should check out the square.


Address : Eje Central esquina Eje Uno Norte Mexico City Mexico

Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral

The Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción de María) is the largest and oldest cathedral in the Americas and a must see for visitors to Mexico City.

It is situated atop the former Aztec sacred precinct near the Templo Mayor on the northern side of the Plaza de la Constitución (Zocalo) in downtown Mexico City and can be reached by Metro and Taxi very easily.

The cathedral was built in sections from 1573 to 1813 around the original church that was constructed soon after the Spanish conquest of Tenochtitlán, eventually replacing it entirely. Spanish architect Claudio de Arciniega planned the construction, drawing inspiration from the many gothic styled cathedrals in Spain.

The cathedral has four facades which contain portals flanked with columns and statues and also a bell tower containing a total of 25 bells. The tabernacle, adjacent to the cathedral, contains the baptistry and serves to register the parishioners. There are two large, ornate alters, a sacristy, and a choir in the cathedral.

Fourteen of the cathedral's sixteen chapels are open to the public. Each chapel is dedicated to a different saint or saints, and each was sponsored by a religious guild. The cathedral is also home to two of the largest 18th century organs in the Americas.

Over the centuries, the cathedral has suffered damage. A fire in 1962 destroyed a significant part of the cathedral's interior. The restoration work that followed uncovered a number of important documents and artwork that had previously been hidden. Although a solid foundation was built for the cathedral, the soft clay soil it is built on has been a threat to its structural integrity. Dropping water tables and accelerated sinking caused the structure to be added to the World Monuments Fund list of the 100 Most Endangered Sites. Reconstruction work beginning in the 1990s stabilized the cathedral and it was removed from the endangered list in 2000.

This area of town is generally very busy but with many points of interest you could spend most of the day here in this area. Metro access is by the zocalo or bellas artes a short walk away.

*Kids always seem to love the ruins that are covered by perspex on the floor outside too

LDS Temple in Mexico City

The LDS Temple in Mexico City is pretty impressive. There is a visitors centre and the building and gardens are very beautiful indeed.

With its exterior, a modern take on Aztec and Maya architecture. It is the largest temple outside the United States.

The temple has recently been refurbished and was dedicated in November of 2008.

Location:

Avenida 510 no. 90, Colonia San Juan de Aragón, México City, Distrito Federal, México.

Phone Number: (52) 55-5003-3734/3736.