Zocalo - The Square on Top of an Empire

A stop on Mexico City: Centro Historico Walk, a free self-guided tour.

You are standing in one of the largest public squares in the world, a paved expanse roughly 240 meters on a side that everyone simply calls the Zocalo. Its official name is Plaza de la Constitucion, after the Spanish constitution of 1812. The nickname means plinth: in the 1800s a grand monument to independence was planned here, but only its base was ever built, and people began naming the whole square after the empty pedestal.

Seven centuries ago this was the heart of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec island capital rising out of a lake. Temples, palaces and canals surrounded the spot where you stand. After the Spanish conquest of 1521, the newcomers laid their own city directly on top, often reusing the very same stones. That layering of one world over another is the story of this whole walk.

Look up at the enormous flag in the center. Soldiers raise and lower it each day in a ceremony that draws a crowd, so ask locally for the times if you want to watch.

Getting here: Start at the giant flagpole in the middle of the square.

Did you know?: In 1790, workers repaving this square dug up the famous Aztec Sun Stone, often called the Aztec Calendar, which is now a star of the National Museum of Anthropology.

Photo op: Stand near the flagpole and face north to frame the cathedral's twin bell towers with the flag in the foreground.

More on Wikipedia: Zocalo · Tenochtitlan · Aztec sun stone

Zocalo - The Square on Top of an Empire

Stops on this tour