National Palace — Attraction in Mexico City

As you might heard, Palacio Nacional has a vast and interesting murals paired by Diego Rivera, which I’ll describe in a moment, but the National Palace, has a fascinating important history...

It turns out, that it used to be:

Moctezuma's "New Houses"

The site and much of the building material of the current building is of what were called Moctezuma II's "New Houses". This palace functioned as the Aztec tlatoani's residence and performed a number of official functions as well. The building was divided into two sections and decorated with marble and painted stucco. The main façade contained the shield of the monarchy, an eagle with a snake in its claws. It has three patios surrounded by porticos, indoor sanitary facilities, fountains and gardens. The bedrooms had tapestries of cotton, feathers and rabbit fur painted in bright colors. The floors were of polished stucco and covered in animal furs and finely-woven mats. There were rooms for servants, administrative staff, and military guards, along with kitchens, pantries and storage rooms. The richness of the palace surprised Cortés, which he relayed in letters to Charles I of Spain.

Part of Diego Rivera's mural depicting Mexico's history in the main stairwell

Left panel of Rivera's History of Mexico mural in the main stairwell A number of changes were made during the rule of Porfirio Díaz. The English-made clock on the parapet was moved to the tower of the Church of Santo Domingo. The façade was cemented over and etched to look like stone block. Cloth awnings were placed on the windows of the upper floors. On pedestals near the main door, statues of female forms were placed. Inside, the ambassador's room, the dining room, the kitchens, the lounge, the garages and the stables were all refurnished. This was done at a time when French style was popular in Mexico.

Between 1926 and 1929, the third floor was added during the term of President Plutarco Elías Calles by Alberto J. Pani, an engineer and then finance minister and designed by Augusto Petriccioli.1 Merlons were placed on the towers and parapet and decorative caps were placed on all three doors. The Dolores Bell was placed in a niche flanked by atlantes above the balcony above the central door. The façade was covered with red tezontle stone and installed stone frames on the doors, windows, cornices, and parapets. In the interior, a grand staircase of marble was installed in the central patio (where Diego Rivera would later paint The History of Mexico mural) and constructed stairs to the internal revenue department and the offices of the General Treasury in the north wing. The old Chamber of Deputies, abandoned after a fire in 1872, was reconstructed and re-inaugurated as a museum to the centennial. A statue of Benito Juárez was placed in the north wing near his old quarters. This statue was made with bronze from the cannons of the Conservative Army during the Reform War and from French projectiles from the Battle of Puebla. This caused the Palace to lose its Baroque (and French) appearance and give it the appearance it has today.

Palace as presidential residence

All the viceroys that ruled New Spain during the colonial period lived in this residence except for Antonio de Mendoza and Juan O’Donojú, the first and last viceroys. After independence, the palace was home to the two emperors who ruled Mexico during brief periods: Agustin de Iturbide and Maximilian I of Mexico. The first president to live in the building was also Mexico's first president, Guadalupe Victoria, and its last occupant in the 19th century was Manuel González, president from 1880 to 1884. After that, the presidential residence was Los Pinos, but the National Palace became the official residence once again with Andrés Manuel López Obrador, president since 2018. Famous people who stayed here include Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Mateo Alemán, Friar Servando de Mier (he also died here), Alexander von Humboldt and...

Here are the directions and instructions you'll need. First, the entrance to the Palacio Nacional is NOT in front, not part of Zocalo, but down the side street. If you're standing in front of the Palacio Nacional, it's the street that goes down the left side of the building.

Two things occur at the entrance.

1. If you're with a group, one person will have to provide a form of ID to hand over. This ID can be a US drivers license (I recommend your license) or a passport. This is your ticket into the Palace. You will pick your ID up upon exiting.

2. The entrance guard will check your belongings. Any large bags, hats (baseball, large floppy hats, etc), sunglasses, nor water is permitted and you'll be asked to place it within a locker. You'll give your items over to the guard standing behind the desk and they will give you a number. It's fine and I received everything back once exiting.

Once you're inside take your time in each of the rooms and the outdoor space. It's well kept and the history is lovely. On the bottom level, where the grassy space opens up, the palace houses a bunch of cats! A few are people-friendly and will come up to you, but the others are spending their time away from humans, sleeping or venturing into the...

The National Palace (Spanish: Palacio Nacional) is the seat of the federal executive in Mexico. It is located on Mexico City's main square, the Plaza de la Constitución (El Zócalo). This site has been a palace for the ruling class of Mexico since the Aztec Empire, and much of the current palace's building materials are from the original one that belonged to the 16th century leader Moctezuma II. Used and classified as a Government Building, the National Palace, with its red tezontle facade, fills the entire east side of the Zócalo, measuring over 200 metres (660 ft) long. It is home to some of the offices of both the Federal Treasury and the National Archives. On the eve of Mexican Independence Day, the National Palace is the star of the show. The original bell Father Hidalgo rang is here and the President himself gives the Grito de Dolores from its main balcony. He also notes one such Independence Eve, in 1964, when General Charles de Gaulle, then-President of France, spoke to the crowd in Spanish from the Palace. He notes this to assert that the Palace is not only a place but also a destination where friends of the country can...