1) El Zocalo a.

This enormous paved square, occupies the site of the ceremonial center of MexicoTenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire. Ever since the time of Emperor Moctezuma, the area was surrounded by palaces, temples and other structures. b. Today is the largest public square in the Western Hemisphere, and the third one in the world (after the Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing and the Red Square in Moscow). It is the main square -its formal name is Plaza de la Constitucin- and forms the heart of the city ever since the Aztec rule. i. http://www.delange.org/Zocalo/Zocalo.htm 2) El Palacio Nacional a. The National Palace is the seat of the federal executive in Mexico. b. 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 is from the original one that belonged to Moctezuma II. i. http://zedillo.presidencia.gob.mx/welcome/pages/culture/note_pal.html 3) El Parque Chapultepec a. The zoo may have already been established under the ruler Nezahualcyotl before the Spaniards arrived; it may quite possibly be the first zoo in the world. i. http://www.tripwolf.com/en/guide/show/376180/Mexico/MexicoCity/Chapultepec-Park-Zoo-Parque-Zoologico-de-Chapultepec 4) Teotihuacan a. Teotihuacan was a city from long ago, about 400 BC to 750 AD. It lies about twenty-five miles northeast of present-day Mexico City. The city was a very beautiful city (and still is), with the glory of all of its pyramids and temples. Of these pyramids, there were three main ones that caught the eye. i. http://elpage3.tripod.com/teotihua.htm 5) El Museo de Antopoligia a. Designed in 1963 by Pedro Ramrez Vzquez, helped by Ricardo de Robina, Jorge Campuzano and Rafael Mijares, its architecture alone is magnificent in an area of 79,700 square metre. b. Opened in 1964, by President Adolfo Lpez Mateos, the exhibition halls surround a patio with a small pond and a vast square concrete umbrella supported by a single slender pillar around which splashes an artificial cascade. The halls are ringed by gardens, many of which contain outdoor exhibits. c. Some of the most fascinating exhibits are the Aztec calendar stone, giant stone Olmec heads from the jungles of Tabasco and Veracruz, treasures recovered from the sacred Mayan well in Chicen Itza, a replica of Lord Pacal's Mayan tomb from Palenque and ethnological displays of rural Mexican life as it is still lived today. d. i. http://www.delange.org/ArchMuseum1/ArchMuseum1.htm 6) Xochimilco

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a. With its network of canals and artificial islands, it testifies to the efforts of the Aztec people to build a habitat in the midst of an unfavorable environment. Its characteristic urban and rural structures built since the 16th century and during the colonial period; have been preserved in an exceptional manner. i. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/412 La Basilica de la Virgen de Guadalupe a. The Basilica of Guadalupe is a shrine in Mexico City that is an important Catholic pilgrimage site and one of the most visited churches in the world. The original image of Our Lady of Guadalupe from the 16th Century is housed in this basilica. The Basilica of Guadalupe is one of the top sights to visit on a trip to Mexico City. i. http://gomexico.about.com/od/sights/p/basilica_gdpe.htm La Casa Azul de Frida Kahlo a. There is a special atmosphere in this place, the house where Frida Kahlo was born, where she lived as an artist married to an artist, and where she spent her last days. Behind these tall blue walls, the artist created a world of her own, and the creative spirit of the famous Latin-American artist vibrates in the house. Frida s paintings hang from the walls and at their side stand those ordinary things that made up the everyday life of this woman, a family, and the friends surrounding the couple Kahlo-Rivera. i. http://www.museofridakahlo.org/casaazulingles.html El Castillo de Chapultepec a. In the 1860's, it was greatly transformed and refurbished to be used as an imperial residence by the reigning Mexican Emperor Maximilian I, and his consort Empress Carlota, during the Second Mexican Empire. b. It serves today as the Museo Nacional de Historia i. http://www.mnh.inah.gob.mx/ El Balled Folclorico de Amalia Hernandez a. Founded more than 50 years ago by dancer and choreographer Amalia Hernndez Latin America s most important choreographer to preserve the historical dance traditions of Mexico, Ballet Folklrico de Mxico de Amalia Hernndez is Mexico s oldest and most celebrated folklrico dance company. The ensemble today features a cast of 75 dancers, singers, and musicians that expertly presents songs and dances from many historical eras and from several different regions in Mexico. i. http://www.mondaviarts.org/events/event.cfm?event_id=798&season=2009