Iglesia de San Francisco de Asis

Why it matters. This was the first and largest Franciscan church in Mexico City. The original complex covered more than 32,000 square metres —a monastic city inside the city— and was gradually broken up over the centuries, so what you walk into today is a fragment of what stood here. It was begun on Hernán Cortés's initiative in 1524, which makes this one of the oldest Christian foundations on the American mainland.

What to look at. The present facade belongs to a rebuilding of 1716 and is one of the best churrigueresque fronts in the Centro: carved stone worked almost to the point of lace. Inside, the main altarpiece is the work of Jerónimo Antonio Gil, the engraver who founded the Academy of San Carlos.

Practical notes. On Madero #7, the pedestrian street that runs from the Zócalo to the Alameda, directly opposite the Casa de los Azulejos and beside the Torre Latinoamericana. Open daily 07:30–19:00; entry is free. Avoid mass times if you want to look around, and keep in mind that the floor level sits noticeably below the street —the ground here has been sinking since the lake was drained.