Monuments, Mexico City

Favorite thing: ...more than any other. The Monument to the Heroes of Independence. Not to overstate the obvious then, but this one honors those who lost their lives in the fight for, mmmm, independence. It's the perfect landmark at which to arrange to meet your friends if you should become separated in the melee of Mexico City. Thank goodness, that never happened with us. Phewww.

Fondest memory: Just find the grand Reforma blvd. If you're not standing in front of this monument at the time, just turn one direction or the other, you soon will be.

Favorite thing: This modern monument is named El Caballito (little horse). It is 28 meters high and weight : 26 tons. Note also that in the font of the picture, you see people selling all kind of stuff along the streets.

Favorite thing: The first thing we saw, as we left our hotel the first morning was the monument of Christoffel Columbus, or Christobal Colon, as they name him here in Mexico. Well that was a good reference point for all our further walking tours we would make in the coming days.

Favorite thing: September 19th 1985 at 7.20 a.m. was a black day for Mexico City as an earthquake made many victims. This earthquake had killed 20,000 people, injured over 40,000 people, and left 50,000 to 90,000 homeless. This earthquake had the magnitude of 8.1. The two plates that were involved were the Coco's Plate and the North American Plate. The Coco's Plate had slipped under the lighter North American Plate. It snapped 19 kilometres below the Earth's surface. Mexico City sits on top of a dried up lakebed. This made the ground softer which had caused more destruction. In addition, the constant shaking of the ground might explain why residents ignored the foreshock that preceded the earthquake. The day after on September 20th 1985 another earthquake followed. Behind the Alameda Park, standing five or six hotels (if my information is right) that destroyed until the ground. The solidarity under the people was so big to help each other, because almost everyone lost some family member or a friend. After a month, the hope on survivors was lost and the government decided to make a square over the several bodies that were still under the ruins. They called the square “Square of Solidarity”, and now still homeless people live there on the square in tents. The picture you see here is the “Monument of Solidarity”. I do not know the whole story yet, but I gave it here as much as I know. It was even hard to take pictures of this square and was thinking by do this or not. Finally, I was thinking that even it was not a terrorist attack like in New York (11 September 2001) but a natural disaster; the world may not forget these victims either. More pictures and info you find in my Solidarity travelogue.

Favorite thing: On the left side of the Alameda Park you find the Hemicycle, a monument that was build in honour of Benito Juárez. The architect, Guillermo Heredia, choose with Carrara marble for it.

Note: Carrara is a city in Italy, region of Toscana and is famous about their marble.

See more pictures of this monument in my Hemicycle travelogue please.

Favorite thing: The Alameda Park near the Palace of Fine Arts is a very nice place to relax and having a good walk. It is in the middle of the centre, so it is not far walking to have a bit of peace and sunbathing after a good lunch or other activity. It is much closer then the new Chapultepec Park that have more facilities (see further).

Favorite thing: Now, before “El Caballito” placed in front of the National Museum it was standing first on the busy crossing of Reforma, Bucarelli, Guerrero and Juárez streets. It was under pressure of the people that “El Caballito” removed to the front of the National Museum. The “Little Horse” went on this corner a modern monument, called. “Torre El Caballito”. Well, the first time I saw it I thought it was a chicken, my girlfriend was thinking about an elephant. If this is modern art, give me the classical art please ;-)

Favorite thing: In front of the National Museum (formally the Palace of Communications), you find the equestrian monument to King Charles IV of Spain. This work of Tolsá, was cast in 1803. The statue was originally intended to stand on the centre of the Plaza Mayor. Ever since it was unveiled, it has been popularly known as “El Caballito” (Little Horse).