National Palace - Rivera Paints a Nation

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

This long facade of red volcanic stone fills the whole east side of the Zocalo, and it stands on very old ground: the palace of the Aztec ruler Moctezuma II. After the conquest Hernan Cortes rebuilt on the site, and the Spanish Crown later bought it as the home of the viceroys. Today it holds government offices, so security checks are part of any visit.

The reason to go in is Diego Rivera. Between 1929 and 1935 he covered the walls of the main staircase with a sweeping history of Mexico. The right wall shows the ancient world around the feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl, the huge central wall crowds the conquest, independence and revolution into one dense scene, and the left wall gives Rivera's own vision of the 20th century. Upstairs, a corridor of later panels shows Aztec life in rich detail, including a bustling market in Tenochtitlan.

Entry has been free but on limited days; bring an original photo ID and check current visiting times before you go.

Getting here: Walk back past the cathedral and cross to the long red facade on the east side of the Zocalo.

Did you know?: The bell above the central balcony is the one Miguel Hidalgo rang in 1810 to call for independence; it was brought here from the town of Dolores in 1896.

Photo op: Step back toward the middle of the Zocalo to fit the whole facade, centered on the main balcony and its bell.

More on Wikipedia: National Palace · Diego Rivera · Moctezuma II · Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

National Palace - Rivera Paints a Nation

Stops on this tour