Northern Mexico
Central Mexico
Southern Mexico
Northern Mexico
Central Mexico
Southern Mexico
AN AMAZING METROPOLIS SINCE THE GREAT TENOCHTITLÁN
Pre-Hispanic Era
The central area of the Mexican high plateau has been inhabited for 20,000 years, as evidenced by the remains found in Tlapacoya and Tepexpan.
Although the main stream of Mesoamerican civilization came from the Gulf of Mexico region, known generically as the Olmec.
In the Valley of Mexico, the remains found in Tlatilco stand out, dating from 1500 BC to 500 BC. The objects found include representations of women with realistic features, zoomorphic vessels, seals, and other Olmec-type figures. It is believed that the figurines found here were part of burials and symbolized a strong cult of the dead during the pre-Hispanic era, which even continues to influence some contemporary customs.
Later, other peoples settled in the fertile margins of the lakes in the central valley. These civilizations practiced agriculture, hunting, and fishing. Among the most prominent settlements between 500 BC and the first century AD were: Copilco, Tetelpan, and Cuicuilco. The latter is characterized by a circular pyramid covered by the eruption of the Xitle volcano in the first century.
Between 100 and 900 AD, various cultures and settlements flourished in the central area of Mesoamerica, gradually dominated by the city of Teotihuacán, located 50 km from Mexico City. During this time, a social stratification and extraordinary urban planning with defined architectural rules were established, along with arts linked to complex religious cults and daily life. These societies based their development on planned agriculture, extensive commercial activity, and a strong military organization.
However, between 650 and 900 AD, Teotihuacán gradually lost its power, and other cities vied for supremacy, such as Xochicalco, Cacaxtla, and Cholula. The hegemonic site that Teotihuacán had held was taken over by the Toltecs, whose culture survived the wars and adverse circumstances that led to the fall of their most important city, Tula, in the year 1168.
History of Mexico City
Nomadic groups of Nahua origin from the north became sedentary and settled in the central valleys. The Tepanecas to the northwest and the Alcolhuas to the east, the Nahuas, Xochimilcas, and Chalcas to the south, and the Aztecs to the center. These new settlers assimilated the Toltec legacy and founded Tenayuca, Texcoco, and Tlacopan.
In the 13th century, the Mexica group arrived in this area from Aztlán, a place that many consider mythical. This people had Huizilopochtli as their tutelary god, which means "left-handed hummingbird" in Nahuatl, and they were led to this region by the priest Tenoch. Upon arrival and finding the valley inhabited, they fought against the existing settlements to settle in the chosen lands.
Around 1299, they established themselves in Chapultepec, a privileged location due to its strategic position and natural resources, but they were expelled by the Acohuas to an islet in the lake.
And it is here that the pilgrimage of the Mexica concludes, as according to ancient traditions, they found the sign they were seeking to found their city. This sign was an eagle devouring a snake on a cactus. That's how the city of Tenochtitlán was established on June 8, 1325.
The ease of assimilating diverse knowledge and cultural expressions from all the peoples they came into contact with, along with the social, military, and political organization of the Mexica, allowed them to, in a period of just two hundred years, subdue their neighboring peoples, build an extraordinary city, and spread their culture and influence to places as far away as Soconusco, located in the south of what is now Chiapas.
All these feats were guided by brilliant leaders such as Izcóatl, Moctezuma I, Axayácatl, Tizoc, Ahuizótl, and Moctezuma II, and carried out by disciplined groups of warrior-eagle and warrior-jaguar. After the conquest, these warriors were replaced by skilled merchants who maintained another kind of dominance over the conquered peoples. Currently, one can find in codices or on some stelae the names of the countless peoples that were subject to tribute by the Mexica.
To build Tenochtitlán, they used the ancient models of Teotihuacán and Tula: astronomical orientation of the city's axes and a ceremonial enclosure in the center. This complex was delimited by a wall (coatepantli), within which the main buildings were located.coatepantli) dentro del cual se encontraban los principales edificios.
The Templo Mayor (Great Temple) was a double pyramid dedicated to the gods Tláloc and Huitzilopochtli. Tláloc was the god of water and rain and was very important because it formed the basis of the agricultural cycle, while Huitzilopochtli was the god of war, responsible for conquests and tributes. This temple was the axis of the entire city, and it was here that human sacrifices were performed to maintain the balance of the universe.
Other important temples included the Temple of Quetzalcóatl, one of the most important gods in their pantheon, as he was the god of civilization; the Temple of Tezcatlipoca, the god in charge of changing things and destinies; and the Temple of Ehécatl, the god of wind. Other notable constructions included priestly precincts and colleges for nobles, both priestly (Calmécac) and warrior (Telpochcalli).
The small island that had been chosen for the establishment of Tenochtitlán was expanded through a system of filling and parceling called "chinampa," and it was crossed by a network of small canals on whose banks, a large number of houses, palaces, temples, squares, markets, aqueducts, and even a complete zoo were established. All this territory was organized into productive communities called "Calpulli," which were geographically divided as follows: Azacoalco in the northeast, Zoquipan in the southeast, Moyotla in the southwest, and Cuepopan in the northwest.
Tlatelolco was subdued by Axayácatl in 1473 and became a kind of satellite population administratively integrated into the Aztec capital.
The city maintained an intense relationship with the rest of the valley through enormous causeways, bridges, and dams: to the west, it communicated with Tlacopan; to the south, with Xochimilco; and to the north, with Tepeyacac. The traffic of products that reached the city by canoe and human labor filled the markets, called "tiangüis," the most famous of which was the Tlaltelolco market, offering all kinds of products.
To supply the great city with potable water, the Mexica built an aqueduct that brought the precious liquid from the springs of Chapultepec.
On the original island, the Templo Mayor was built at the end of the 14th century. The continuous floods caused by the unevenness of the lakes of Zumpango and Texcoco forced Ahuízotl to build a dike to the east of the ceremonial center, which still protected the capital of New Spain in the 18th century.
By 1925, Tenochtitlán had approximately sixty thousand inhabitants just before the Spanish conquest. By 1519, the city possessed the refinement and magnificence of the most important cities in the world.
Colonial Era
In 1521, the Spanish arrived in Tenochtitlán, and after a series of bloody battles and two months of siege, the conquerors managed to subdue the inhabitants of this city. Hernán Cortés then built a city on the ruins of the great Tenochtitlán.
Antonio de Mendoza, the first viceroy of New Spain in 1535, organized the control of the colonizers over the indigenous population under an organization called the "cabildo." The architecture of this era was characterized by a Baroque style that, in its later stages, was replaced by the Churrigueresque style, the Mexican version of the Rococo.
Despite all the problems of the recent conquest, the capital of the viceroyalty grew rapidly, and by the end of the 16th century, the population approached one hundred thousand inhabitants. Since then, a pattern of constant growth was established.
The colonial economy was based on agriculture, livestock, and mining, with mining being the most important.
War of Independence
On September 16, 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla gave the cry of independence in Dolores, took up the banner of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and was followed by a popular army. The struggle lasted until August 1821, when Viceroy Juan de O'Donojú signed the Treaty of Córdoba, which ratified the Plan of Iguala, and on September 27, 1821, independence was consummated with the triumphant entry of the Trigarante Army, led by Iturbide, into Mexico City.
Iturbide was proclaimed emperor on May 19, 1822, and attempted to govern personally without the intervention of Congress. Without popular and political support, Iturbide was forced to abdicate the country in March 1823.
In November 1823, the Constituent Congress was established, whose function was to draft the new Constitution. In October 1824, the Political Constitution was approved by Congress. Guadalupe Victoria became the first president of independent Mexico. This period was marked by political instability and constant struggles between centralists and federalists.
French Invasion and Reform
In 1864, reflecting the political immaturity of the new country, Maximilian of Habsburg was appointed Emperor of Mexico and settled in Mexico City at Chapultepec Castle. Three years later, he was forced to leave power and was shot in Querétaro.
Thus, in 1867, the Republic was restored with Benito Juárez at the helm.
Porfirio Díaz Era and Revolution
To close the 19th century, Porfirio Díaz came to power and remained in office for over 30 years. During this period, there was an economic boom, and mining and oil exploitation increased considerably. Significant public works were carried out, and foreign investment was encouraged.
Díaz resigned from the presidency in May 1911 and left the country to live in France amid serious political disturbances that triggered the Revolution. On November 6, 1911, Madero became president. In 1913, the Tragic Ten Days took place; it was the ten days when Mexico City was under siege, during which Victoriano Huerta betrayed Madero by signing the pact of the Citadel or the Embassy. Madero and Pino Suárez were arrested and two days later, they were assassinated. On February 5, 1917, the new Constitution was decreed, and Venustiano Carranza was elected constitutional president.
Modern Era
The city continued to be the center of the country's affairs, reflected in the growth of its population, which reached one million inhabitants in 1925. From then on, population growth was unstoppable, driven by the intense centralization of the country's political and economic life.
Mass immigration added to the high growth, and the urban sprawl extended its boundaries to encompass not only Mexico City but also a number of municipalities in the state of Mexico, forming the metropolitan area.
MODERN, FUN, COSMOPOLITAN, DIVERSE…