Art, Archeology, Monuments, Religious sites, Skyscrapers & viewpoints
+52 (55) 5510 0440
Plaza de la Constitución s/n, Col. Centro. 06066, Historic Center
The Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City is one of the largest centers of worship of Catholicism and is the see of the Archdiocese of Mexico. Its value is not only religious but also architectural and artistic, as it is the summation of viceregal and colonial art.
Three years after the conquest was consumated, Hernán Cortés built a church on what was a temple dedicated to the god Quetzalcoatl. He wanted it to be a similar construction to the cathedral of Salamanca or Segovia in Spain and although the base itself is similar, as its construction took almost three centuries from 1534 to 1813, it ended up a fusion of styles of the time. The main architects involved in its construction were Isidro Vicente de Balbas, José Joaquín de Torres, José Damián Ortiz and finally Manuel Tolsá, who completed it.
It is made of gray stone, with five naves and 16 side chapels. It is an eclectic style that combines ogival, neoclassical, baroque domes on the portals, with churrigueresco and coruscante on the altar of the Kings. Places which stand out for outstanding design and art are the Altar of Forgiveness, the choir, the dome, the side chapels, the Altar of the Kings, the vestry, the crypts and the tabernacle. It houses relics like the throne of Agustín de Iturbide, funeral remains of José Vasconcelos, a collection of Japanese textiles and the Virgin of Guadalupe by Jose Ibarra.
The museum includes a visit to the remains of what was the Temple of Tonatiuh, the ballgame, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the temples of Xochiquetzal and Chicomecóatl, as well as an exhibition of sacred art. You must climb the bell tower and look at the Historic Center of the city. The views from there are one of the best kept secrets of the Mexico City.
