El Palacio Nacional in Mexico

El Palacio Nacional in Mexico City

The National Palace - Palacio Nacional - was commissioned by Hernan Cortes, a Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec empire in the early 16th century. In fact, the Palace is thought to have been built on the remains of the Moctezuma palace. In fact, one very interesting aspect related to the building is the fact that much of the materials used in its construction come from the former Aztec palace. At present, the National Palace houses the Mexican federal executive including the offices of the president. The building does not only have functional purposes; it is also a place of celebration. Every year, on September 15, the president of Mexico rings a bell from the central balcony of the Palacio, and shouts "Viva Mexico" to the crowd that gathers in the Plaza de la Constitucion - commonly known as the Zocalo - to celebrate Mexican independence on the country's national day. The interior of the Palace is remarkable. Diego Rivera painted the murals which adorn the walls of the Palace in the period between 1929 and 1952. The murals are colorful depictions of Mexico City's history. The episodes depicted here date back from before the Spanish conquests and up to the workers' movement of the early 20th century. Rivera's work is divided into three panels. The right-hand mural was inspired by pre-Hispanic Mexico, and depicts the story of the Aztec god, Quetzalcoatl. It is interesting to note here that by putting the god's story into images, Rivers attempts to forge a Mexican national identity centered on its pre-Hispanic heroes. The middle panel is the largest in the Palace and depicts the horrors of the Conquest and the Mexican battle for Independence. The left-hand panel illustrates the artist's contemporary realities seen through the communist eyes of Rivera who depicts a sort of Marxist utopia. The significance of the building erected by the Spanish between 1521 and 1530 is very interesting. On the one hand, the Palace represents the conquering Spanish culture, but on the other hand, the Palacio Nacional is a very Mexican building, a mixture of Spanish and Aztec civilizations.