The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary is located in the heart of the Mexico City in the Plaza de la Constitución (Zócalo) in the Historic Center of the Mexican capital.
Its style is inspired by the architecture that characterizes Spanish cathedrals. It is approximately 59 meters wide, 60 meters high and 128 meters long.
In 1524, after the return of the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés to Mexico City, a cathedral was built on the exact site of the Templo Mayor of Tenoxchtitlán. The stones that formed the temple of the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli were used for the construction.
Several different styles were also used in the construction, including Baroque, Neoclassical and Renaissance. The cathedral is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The complex has 16 side chapels and is the largest in Latin America.
If it is beautiful on the outside, on the inside it holds many secrets and interesting places to visit. To help you learn more, I have selected some interesting facts about the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City.
Curiosities about the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City
1 – The sacristy was the first room built and the first masses began to be celebrated there in 1926. It was also used for all church activities until the entire temple was completed.
2 – In the central part of the sacristy there is a Philippine ivory Christ. This is the exact place that the Virgin of Guadalupe occupied for six years, but after her apparition she was taken to the old Basilica of Guadalupe. Due to the floods, the Virgin returned to the cathedral, but currently “lives” again in the “Villa” (as the Basilica of Guadalupe is known).
3 – In the cathedral there is a cursed place, in the bell tower. It was there that a young man with little experience died crushed by a large two-ton bell. For this reason, they painted a red cross on the bell and today it is known as the “Punished Bell”.
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The Jewels of Mexico City's Metropolitan Cathedral
There was a time when many treasures arrived at the temple from the Holy Land. So many arrived that they had to build a chapel just to store them. Today, the cathedral has more than 50 reliquaries.
To the right of the Chapel of Relics, hidden beneath a silver cross, is a millimeter-sized sliver that is said to be from the cross on which Jesus was crucified.
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The Archbishops' Crypt
Beneath the Altar of the Kings is the Crypt of the Archbishops. It is built on top of the pyramid dedicated to the God of the Wind. The tombs that lack a shield are of archbishops who resigned from office or died before taking office.
You can also see the figure of Fray Juan de Zumárraga, the first bishop and archbishop of Mexico. The monument is known for being a fusion of two cultures, as it features pre-Hispanic figures (a skull and a sacrificial stone).
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Pre-Hispanic remains underground
Not everyone knows, but the cathedral's basement contains several pre-Hispanic and colonial architectural remains that are hidden from the general public for security reasons. However, you can see everything through four windows placed in the floor.
Thanks to these windows into the past, we can see part of the walls of ancient temples, fragments of columns and much more. It is also possible to contemplate the remains of an old chapel and tiles from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City hides many mysteries within its beautiful walls and it is impossible not to be moved when walking around its facilities.
It is one of the most important temples in Mexico and is well worth visiting and understanding what it means to Mexicans and to world history.
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