Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral

Image: Wikimedia Commons

On the north side of the Zócalo, beside the ruins of the Templo Mayor of the Aztecs, the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary is the largest cathedral in Latin America and the seat of the Primatial Archdiocese of Mexico. Built over nearly two and a half centuries, from 1573 to 1813, on the sacred ground of ancient Tenochtitlan, it layers Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical styles, from the golden blaze of the Churrigueresque Altar of the Kings to its massive twin bell towers. Heart of the faith of the Mexican people at the very centre of their capital, it stands within the UNESCO-listed historic centre and celebrates its dedication to the Virgin of the Assumption.