Home Page

I. Work Citied
    1. Ileanna Mercado
    2. Aleyah Santos
    3. Emily Hernandez
    4. Zaria Funchess
II. Ileanna Mercado
    1. Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City
    2. Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City
    3. Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption, Mexico City
III. Aleyah Santos
    1. El Castillo
    2. Merida Cathedral
    3. Ek Balam
IV. Emily Hernandez
    1. The Angel of Independence
    2. The Basilica de Guadalupe
    3. The Pyramid of the Sun
V. Zaria Funchess
    1. Temple of San Felipe Neri
    2. Chichen Itza
    3. Copper Canyon

Works Cited - Ileanna Mercado

Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption, Mexico City: 
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/mexico/mexico-city-cathedral
http://www.mexicocity-guide.com/attractions/cathedral%20.htm
http://www.delange.org/MetCath/MetCath.htm

Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City:
http://www.historvius.com/castillo-de-chapultepec-174/
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/chapultepec-castle
http://www.mexicocity-guide.com/attractions/chapultepec_castle.htm

Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City:
http://www.visitmexico.com/en/bellas-artes-palace-in-mexico-city
http://www.viator.com/Mexico-City-attractions/Palace-of-Fine-Arts-Palacio-de-Bellas-Artes/d628-a3268
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/mexico/mexico-city/sights/museums-galleries/palacio-de-bellas-artes

Works Cited- Aleyah Santos

El Castillo

http://www.exploratorium.edu/ancientobs/chichen/HTML/castillo.html
http://www.mysteriousplaces.com/mayan/ElCastillo.html

Merida Cathedral
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/mexico/yucatan-peninsula/merida/sights/religious/catedral-de-san-ildefonso
http://www.visitmexico.com/en/merida

Ek Balam
http://havecamerawilltravel.com/balam-mayan-ruins-mexico-yucatan-photos
http://www.yucatantoday.com/en/topics/ek-balam

Works Cited -Emily Hernandez

For " The Angel of Independence"

• http://www.mexicocity-guide.com/attractions/angel.htm

For " The Basilica de Guadalupe"

• http://www.sancta.org/basilica.html
• http://www.sacred-destinations.com/mexico/mexico-city-basilica-guadalupe

For " The Pyramid of the Sun"

• http://www.ehow.com/info_7912331_pyramid-sun.html

Works Cited - Zaria Funchess

Temple of San Felipe Neri:

https://plus.google.com/104924000397044001819/photos?gl=us&hl=en

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_San_Felipe_Neri_%22La_Profesa%22

Chichen Itza:

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-heritage/chichen-itza/

http://www.chichenitza.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichen_Itza

Copper Canyon:

http://www.coppercanyoninsider.com

http://www.visitmexico.com/en/copper-canyon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_Canyon

Palacio de Bellas Artes (Mexico City)

One of the most prestigious and grandiose places in Mexico. The location of Palacio de Bellas Artes is by the east of Alameda Park. The building was the first National theater of Mexico but the government wanted to build something more significant. In 1904, an Italian architect Adamo Boari undertook the design and construction, however how Mexico was having political problems the project ended. In 1934, the construction started again with a mexican architect named Federico Mariscal. It's facade is made from marble and its interior has a crystal curtain. It has many frescos and murals. Something interesting is that it has two early 1950's artwork by Rufino Tamayo. This beautiful building is definitely a sight to see.

Chapultepec Castle (Mexico City)

One of the most historic locations in Mexico. In 1780, Viceroy Matias Galvez planned the construction by 1863 the construction was completed. It was built for Viceroy Matias Galvez because he ordered it to be built for him only. There was many architects involved which included: Eleuterio Méndez, Ramón Cruz Arango ity, Julius Hofmann, Carl Gangolf Kayser, and Carlos Schaffer. It is located on top of the Chapultepec hill and in the middle of Chapultepec park in Mexico City. The height of this royal castle is 220 feet but on top of the hill the height is 2,325 meters. The Chapultepec Castle is known for being a place where emperors and presidents have lived and governed Mexico. The Chapultepec hill was sacred for the Aztecs. During the Chapultepec battle in the Mexican American war, the United States tried to take hold of the castle however "hero children" died in order to protect it. The castle is absolutely beautiful and now it is open for the public to view because it is the Museo Nacional de Historia.

Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption (Mexico City)

Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral is the largest cathedral in the Americas. The location is in downtown Mexico City. The construction started in 1573 and was finally built in 1813. A Spanish architect Claudio de Arciniega planned and drew the construction. The cathedral is built from stone and its length is 110 m. It was built on the Aztecs scared precinct. Inside it has two bells towers that contain 25 bells and the cathedral has also four facades. The cathedral has many paintings and sculptures. A fun fact it has two 18th century organs. The interior is beautifully designed and it has a gothic style. The cathedral is extremely important to Mexico and their culture. It has been focus on Mexican cultural identity and an extremely religious church. One of the most important area in the cathedral is "Kings" altarpiece and the royal Chapel. Hernan Cortes, a famous warrior, used stones from the an Aztec temple that was destroyed to build the church.

El Castillo, Chichen Itza (Yucatan, Mexico)

       This landmark located in Yucatan, Mexico was built around the 9th to12th century CE by the pre-Colombian Mayan civilization to the god Kukulkan, who is related to one of the major gods of the Aztecs. This step pyramid is 98 inches high and on on the very top of the pyramid is a temple that can be reached by walking stair cases. There are a total of 365 steps. During certain times of the year, a series of shadows are depicted on the pyramid of a feathered serpent crawling. In the early nineteenth century, the Carnegie Institution of Science asked the Mexican government if they could take on explorations around the Chichen Itza area. It is believed that the structure of the pyramid relates to the Mayan calendar. It was called "El Castillo" by the Spanish as they thought it was a fortress. This is a very popular tourist attraction.

Merida Cathedral (Yucatan, Mexico)

     

     This prestigious cathedral began to be built in 1561 and was finally completed in 1598. As the Spanish kept trying to spread Christianity, they entered upon Mexico to Christianize the natives building churches and religious centers, while simultaneously destroying Indian culture and centers of worship. It was built on the top of the city of T'ho with structures taken from this city to build the immense cathedral. Merida Cathedral was the first cathedral to be constructed on the American mainland. This cathedral does not have much ornaments and is rather "plain" compared to other cathedrals. It was built as a devotion to Saint IIdefonsus. It is known for its large crucifix behind the altar. Diego Velazquez de Cuellar, a leader in this state of Mexico, urged the building of a diocese. This cathedral holds one of the most famous artifacts in the city: Christ of the Blisters Statue. Furthermore, it is the second oldest cathedral in the New World.

Ek Balam (Yucatan, Mexico)

      

 Construction of this archaeological site was in the Classical Period to the Late Classical Period. It was constructed by the Mayans and became a growing kingdom. From wall paintings to defensive walls, the Mayans were quite civilized compared to many other groups of people. They are also well known for a large acropolis and lasting "kingdom." After the Late Classical Period, this site became less prosperous. Being a city, it provides us with the knowledge of the advancements of the Mayans at such an early time period. Being a city, it was very large and consisted of many structures that portrayed the achievements of the natives. Many of the structures were profound temples. It had been inhabited until the 16th century. Today American archaeologists are there digging into the history of this once thriving city. It was recently "probed" by Desire Charnay. 

The Angel of Independence (Mexico City)

       

    The Angel of Independence is a simple gold angel that is on top of a raised mount. The statue almost reminds me of the Statue of Liberty, not because of the appearance but of its meaning; both of the statues have the similar meaning, virtue. The Angel of Independence was built in 1902 by Porfirio Díaz. This statue was built to pay tribute to the people who helped win the independence of Mexico; Commonly called the heroes.
     What is so amazing about this statue is that some known remains of the famous leaders and heroes of the state of Mexico is inside the base of the angel statue. Some of the people who are "inside" the base of the statue are ; Miguel Hidalgo, Vicente Guerrero and Ignacio Allende.
      Like I have said earlier, the Statue of Liberty and the Angel of Independence have almost the same meaning. When immigrants came into America they saw a huge copper woman who guaranteed freedom and independence of whatever issue they had, whether it was religious or political. The same goes for the Angel of Independence. When made, the angel was a promise to it's people that they would gain and keep their independence.

The Basilica Of Guadalupe (Mexico City)

         This church holds the most prized procession of Mexico. The prized procession? It is the original portrait of the Virgin Guadalupe. (Others know the saint as the Virgin Mary). The story about the portrait goes like this; A man named Juan Diego was a recently converted into the christian religion and was on his way to mass, he met a woman who called herself the virgin Mary- otherwise known as the Virgin Guadalupe. She asked him to do her a favor of building a site where they where at and to make it a church. Her face magically appeared on his cloak and it is said that it was a miracle, no one painted it onto his cloak, it just appeared on it. There are other stories that say that Juan Diego was not a religious person and was going through a rough time, he even thought about committing suicide. While he was taking a walk he saw the Virgin Mary and she told him to give life another chance and to go back to his village with his cloak which a miraculously had Mary's face on it. 
     At least 30 masses are celebrated every day of the year. This church is located in Mexico City as well. The church is visited by many tourists and citizens of mexico included. 

Pyramid of the Sun (Mexico CIty)

      


   The Pyramid of the Sun is obviously an ancient pyramid created by native Mexicans ancestors- Aztecs. The Pyramid of the Sun is in Mesoamerica, which is now part of mexico. It is also one of the most famous pyramids there."The Mexican city of Teotihuacan and the Pyramid of the Moon were built along with the Pyramid of the Sun between 1 A.D. and 250 A.D. The pyramid was discovered in the early 1900's. In the early 1970's, a cave was discovered under the Pyramid of the Sun, leading down a long corridor to a room with artifacts. The artifacts suggest the room was used as a religious shrine before the pyramid was built."
   It is said in mexican folklore, that the pyramids were built in honor and respect of the gods- both sun and moon. In order to honor the gods, priests were said to perform daily ceremonies at the pyramids. "The location of the pyramid and its design are thought represent the three levels of their cosmos: celestial, terrestrial and subterranean."

Temple of San Felipe Neri (Mexico City)

The Temple of San Felipe Neri, commonly known as "La Profesa", is a Roman Catholic parish church that was established by a community of professed Jesuits. 

The church was built between 1597 and 1610 with Juan Pérez de Soto as architect. 

This church was nearly completely destroyed by the Great Flood of 1629 in Mexico City. 

All that remains of the original construction is the Moorish-style roof. 

The church was rebuilt in 1720.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, notable historical events took place at the church. In the early part of the 19th century, during the Mexican War of Independence, the movement known as the “La Profesa Conspiracy” took shape here. This movement was instrumental in the coronation of Agustín de Iturbide becoming emperor of Mexico after the war ended in 1821.

Another movement associated with the church was called the “Polkos Rebellion.” This occurred when two regiments of young aristocrats refused to defend the port city of Veracruz from the 1847 U.S. invasion.  The church also has a significant art collection. An art gallery was eventually opened so that the public could enjoy the collection.

Chichen Itza (Yucatan, Tinum)

Chichen Itza was a large pre-Columbian city built by the Maya people of the Terminal Classic period. The archaeological site is located in the municipality of Tinum, in the Mexican state of Yucatán.

Chichen Itza was one of the largest Maya cities.  Dominating the north area of Chichen Itza is El Castillo (Spanish for "the castle").  Also known as the Temple of Kukulkan, it is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza archaeological site.  This step pyramid stands about 30 metres (98 ft) high.  Built by the pre-Columbian Maya civilization sometime between the 9th and 12th centuries, El Castillo served as a temple to the god Kukulkan, known to the Aztecs and other central Mexican cultures of the period.The ruins of Chichen Itza are federal property, and the site  is maintained by Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History).  Chichen Itza is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico; an estimated 1.2 million tourists visit the ruins every year.

Copper Canyon (Chihuahua)

Copper Canyon is a region in Northwest Mexico providing some of the most spectacular scenery in all of Mexico. The Copper Canyon area is a series of 20 canyons, formed over the years by six rivers. The Copper Canyon area is sometimes compared to Arizona's Grand Canyon, although the Copper Canyon region is at least seven times the size of the Grand Canyon. Mexico established the Parque Nacional Barranca del Cobre (Copper Canyon National Park) for the canyon.  Piedra Volada, at a height of 1,486 feet (453 meters), is the tallest waterfall in Mexico and is located in Copper Canyon. The canyon is the traditional home of the indigenous Raramuri (Tarahumara) people and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.   Copper Canyon spans more than 600 km (372 mi) in length and 250 km (155 mi) in width. The Copper Canyon system can be explored by the Chihuahua al Pacífico railroad, known by the nickname "Chepe." It is both an important transportation system for locals and a draw for tourists. The railway is a 400 mile train ride that traverses 37 bridges and 86 tunnels.