Mexico City Attractions

At No. 71 Avenida Ribera de San Cosme, which begins in Tacuba and leads to the centre, stands the House of Masks (Casa de los Mascarones), with the finest Churrigueresque façade on any secular building in the city.

Situated close to the church of San Juan de Dios, at Avenida Hidalgo 45, since 1986, the Museo Franz Mayer exhibits both European and Mexican applied art, and is the only museum in Mexico to do so.

Built by architect Francisco Anotonio de Guerrero y Torres, this building was completed in 1772.

Along Avenida Uruguay stands the Capilla Manzanares, primarily frequented by market folk, with its beautiful 18th c. Churrigueresque façade.

On the Hill of Tepeyac, from which there are fine views of the surrounding area on a fine day, stands the Capilla del Tepeyac, with frescos by Fernando Leal depicting the miracle. It was built in the 18th c. on the spot where the Virgin is said to have appeared to Juan Diego.

Near the old Basilica stands the late 18th c. Capilla del Pocito (Chapel of the Spring), designed by Francisco de guerrero y Torres; the dome is faced with azulejos. Bubbling out of a rock inside the chapel is a spring credited with healing powers, and the faithful come here to fill their bottles with its water.

One block south of the Convent of San Jerónimo on Isabel La Católica lies Avenida José María de Izazaga in which, near the Isabel la Católica underground station, stands the little church of Nuestra Señora de Monserrat. This former convent now houses the Charro Museum (Museo de la Charrería), with exhibits relating to all aspects of horses and equine sports, including traditional Charro costumes and the saddle used by the revolutionary leader "Pancho" Villa.

3km/2mi south of Polyforum Sequeiros lies Ciudad de los Deportes ("City of Sport"), with a football stadium accommodating 65,000 spectators and Plaza México, the largest bullring in the world, with 60,000 seats.

Returning to Calle San Jerónimo and going west along this street we come, just before Avenida Lázaro Cárdenas and on Callejon San Ignacio, to the Colegio de las Vizcainas or Colegio de San Ignacio. This is a Baroque structure built by Miguel José de Quiera between 1734 and 1786 as a Basque girls' school. It boasts a very beautiful Churrigueresque chapel which, like the north front, is attributed to Lorenzo Rodríguez. There is a small religious museum which is open to the public at certain times only.

It is also worth looking in at the 17th c. Convent of La Merced (rebuilt in 1834), at the corner of Uruguay and Jesús María. The fine cloister shows a pleasant mingling of styles, including in particular Mudéjar.

From the Metro station Calle San Jerónimo leads west to the former Convent of San Jerónimo on the square of the same name (No. 47). The great poetess and painter Juana Inés de la Cruz (1651-95) lived and worked here, and her remains were recently discovered in the church. The museum, with its library, film-shows and excavated finds, which is now housed in the building is named after her.

Two blocks north-east of Parliament, on the north side of Calle Belisario Domínguez, lies the Plaza de la Concepción, with an octagonal chapel in the centre. Here, too, stands the Convent of the Conception, the first nunnery to be built in the town and founded by Bishop Juan de Zumárraga in 1540. The building has been added to down the centuries, and now displays a whole range of styles from early Baroque to the Neo-Classicism of the 19th c.

From San Àngel the Calzada del Desierto de los Leones leads to the Desierto de los Leones National Park, some 25km/15mi away. At an altitude of some 3000 m (9800 ft), this magnificent expanse of coniferous forest surrounding a beautiful 17th c. Carmelite convent is a popular resort of the people of Mexico City.

A social club opened in 1903 for Mexican elite, those from Spain, and their families. It is now available for weddings, banquest and special events.

This small plaza houses two churches; San Felipe Neri El Viejo and San Felipe Neri Nuevo. Both are dedicated to Saint Philip Neri. Within San Felipe Neri El Nuevo there is the Miguel Lerdo de Tejada Library.

At the north-west end of Chapultepec Park the Paseo de la Reforma passes the Fuente de Petróleos, a fountain erected to commemorate the nationalisation of foreign oil companies in 1938.

The Paseo now crosses the Anillo Periférico and turns south-west to pass through the elegant residential district of Lomas de Chapultepec.

Returning to the main road from La Virgen de los Remedios, the MEX 57, and going north away from the city we come, at the entrance to the new suburb known as the Ciudad Satellite, to the Goeritz or Functionless Towers (1957) - five coloured prismatic obelisks of different heights which represent an interesting attempt by the Danzig artist and architect Mathias Goeritz to combine sculpture and architecture.

Currently housing the General Archives, this building was previously a prison. Built from stone in the Neoclassical style this former prison was erected in 1900. In 1977 the building become home to the Archives.

To the east of the Palacio de Bellas Artes, at the intersection of Avenida Lázaro Cárdenas and Calle Tacuba, is the Head Post Office (Correo Mayor, Dirección General de Correos), a building in Neo-Renaissance style with Gothic features (1902-8), designed by Adami Boari, architect of the Palacio de Bellas Artes. On the upper floors will be found a Postal Museum (Museo Postal). There is a special counter for the sale of commemorative stamps.

The Annillo Periférico continues north-westward to become Bulevar Avila Camacho; on the left lies the Hipódromo de las Américas, a racetrack which can accommodate 60,000 spectators, followed by the Olympic Sports centre (Centro Olímpico Mexicano). Beyond this, on the right, is the El Toreo bullring, with seating for 35,000 spectators (reconstruction in progress).

This is the first hospital established in the west. It continues to run today.

Operating as a hotel since 1943 this building was built in the 17th c. to house Friars who were passing through the city.

Opposite the Church of San Francisco is the Casa de los Azulejos (House of Tiles), originally built in 1596 and decorated by the Conde del Valle de Orizaba 150 years later with blue and white tiles from Puebla. In 1925 José Clemente Orozco painted murals on the walls of the staircase. The building is now a shop and café belonging to the Sanborn chain, where Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa breakfasted together on arrival in Mexico City. This meeting is marked by a photo which hangs on the wall of the café.

At the corner of Madero and Isabel la Católica, stands the fine Baroque church of La Profesa (1720), once part of a Jesuit convent. The high altar is by Manuel Tolsá.

Farther south, at the corner of Isabel la Católica and Uruguay, is a former Augustinian church which housed the National Library until it was moved to the University City.

At the west end of Calle Izazaga, on Avenida Lázaro Cárdenas, stands the mid 18th c. church of La Purísima, with a richly-decorated doorway. In the square in front of the church can be seen the Salto de Agua fountain, the original of which, dating from colonial times, was removed over sixty years ago to Tepotzotlán.

North-west of the square, at the junction of Lopez and Ayuntamiento, lies the Mercado San Juan, one of the city's oldest and largest markets for foodstuffs, flowers, household articles and folk-art.

A few blocks to the north-east of Mercado de la Lagunilla, around Calle de Toltecas, is the Mercado de Tepito where, around the modern market hall, second-hand articles (some smuggled!) are offered at very reasonable prices.

A short distance east of Plaza Garibaldi, on the north side of the Calle República de Honduras, lies the Mercado de la Lagunilla. Now that most of the stalls are in a modern market hall this has lost much of its old and colourful "flea-market" atmosphere. On Sundays, however, "antiques" (rarely genuine!) are on sale.

In 1929 Juan O'Gorman erected a purpose-built house at the corner of what are now Calles Altavista and Rivera (Palmas), where Diego Rivera stayed from time to time between 1933 and 1957. Today it contains the Museo Estudio Diego Rivera, where visitors can study the artist"s life with the aid of personal documents, clothing, furniture, pictures, drawings and photographs.

Modern art by Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros are housed in this modern building.

This building currently houses the Museo de la Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público. The original building was lost to flood in 1629. The current building was built on top of the original's first floor. This palace once belonged to Fray Juan de Zumárraga and features a baroque façade.

This highly original museum (Museo del Zapato), recently opened above a large shoe shop at Calle Bolivar No. 27, boasts a collection of more than 7500 items of footwear, old and new.

Another museum in the San Àngel quarter is the Museum of Art (Museo de Arte) on Calle Alvar y Carmen T. de Carillo Gil, in which are exibited works by the great muralists as well as those by some lesser-known contemporary Mexican artists such as Gunther Gerzo and Wolfgang Paalen.

Some blocks (cuadras) east of Museo de la Ciudad de México along Avenida del Salvador stands the Mercado de la Merced, a modern market hall designed by Enrique de la Mora y Palmor. Until recently it was the city's largest food market, but this has now moved to Iztalapa and less market business is done here now.

An old Capuchin church now houses a Museum of Religious Art, which displays treasures from the old Basilica and large numbers of votive offerings, mainly of silver.

The Museo Nacional de la Estampa (National Engraving Museum) is housed within a 19th c. building. The exhibits are rotated frequently.

Built in 1907, this building currently houses the Post Office Library and the Philatelic Museum. Of note is the main staircase.

Beyond Casa de los Azulejos, on the right, will be found the Palacio de Iturbide, now owned by the Banco Nacional de México. This excellently restored 18th c. Baroque palace was designed by Francisco Guerrero y Torres in 1780 and until 1823 was the residence of Agustin de Iturbide, later to become the first Emperor of Mexico. The bank arranges exhibitions from time to time in the inner courtyard.

To the north-west of the Palacio de Minería lie the buildings occupied by the two houses of the Mexican Parliament - at the corner of Calles Donceles and Xicoténcatl, the Cámara de Senadores (Senate), with murals by Jorge González Camarena on the staircase; and at the corner of Donceles (north side) and Calle Allende the Cámara de Diputados (House of Representatives).

About 3km/2mi from its junction with the Paseo de la Reforma, on the right of Avenida Insurgentes Sur, lies the Parque de la Lama with the as yet uncompleted Hotel de México, the city's tallest building.

At the end of Insurgentes Norte, on the left, lies the Rancho Grande (Lienzo Grande), where charreadas (the Mexican equivalent of the rodeo) are held regularly. A short distance beyond this stand two bronze statues, one on each side of the road, known as the Indios Verdes ("Green Indians") - the Aztec rulers Itzcóatl (1426-40) and Ahuítzotl (1486-1502). The road then continues to the Glorieta Lindavista roundabout, with Calle Montevideo on the right leading to the pilgrimage site.

Two blocks west of San Hipólito, to the right, lies the Plaza San Fernando, on the north side of which will be seen the church of San Fernando, a mid-18th c. building with a relatively plain Baroque front. In the churchyard are the graves of famous Mexicans, including Benito Juárez.

Avenida Francisco I leads south from the Torre Latinoamericana, and on the right-hand side of the street stands first of all the church of San Francisco, with a handsome Churrigueresque doorway of the early 18th c. This is a remnant of a large convent founded by Cortés in 1524 which was destroyed by the Reform government in 1856. The remains of Cortés are said to have lain in this church from 1629 to 1794.

The Avenido Hidalgo leads west into the Paseo de la Reforma. Just beyond the intersection, on the right, stands the church of San Hipólito - a massive early 17th c. edifice with a Baroque façade - dedicated to Mexico City's patron saint.

Opposite La Santa Veracruz stands the church of San Juan de Dios, built in 1727. It boasts an interesting façade in the form of a huge niche with a conch-like top and several statues in smaller niches around those of the saints. Adjoining the church is a former hospital in which craft goods are now offered for sale.

Built in the 18th c. this building is considered one of the best examples of Mexican baroque. Since 1931, the church has been a National Monument.

The 181 m (594 ft) high, 44 storey Torre Latinoamericana at the corner of Avenida Madero and Lázaro Cárdenas, to the south of the Metro station, is second only in height to the more recently built Hotel de México. The viewing terrace on the 42nd floor affords a magnificent view over the city. The serious earthquake of September 1985 made the tower sway considerably, but thanks to its floating "hydrolastic" foundations it remained undamaged.