Zócalo

The Plaza de la Constitución (German: " Constitution Square "), even Zócalo: called (German " base ") is the central square of Mexico City.

The Zócalo of Mexico City is one of the largest and most famous city squares in the world. Measured between the building edges bounding it be its dimensions about 235 meters east -west and 215 m in a north -south direction. Unlike many other mega-cities of Mexico has a unique center, which is not only the center of the city region of over 20 million inhabitants, but the center of the national identity of the whole country.

On the origin of the name Zócalo there are several legends. The most common states that after the beginning of Mexico's War of Independence against Spain (1815 ), the base was all that remained of the hitherto dominant place the statue of the hated Spanish king Charles IV left.

At the Zócalo, some of the most important institutions of the country, including the residence of the President of Mexico ( Palacio Nacional, 1792), the Cathedral of Mexico City are ( Catedral Metropolitana, from 1573 to 1667, the country's largest cathedral and largest Baroque church in the world ) and the Town Hall ( Palacio Municipal, 1720, seat of the governor of the Federal District (Distrito Federal) and the city council ).

Before the conquest and destruction of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, Mexico City predecessor, by the Spaniards (1521 ) was the palace of the king Moctezuma II ( 1465-1520 ) at this point.