16th century

After the Spanish conquest of the Mexica empire was concluded, and after the return of Hernán Cortés from the exploration of modern-day Honduras, the conquerors decided to build a church in the place where the Templo Mayor of the city of Tenochtitlán was located; In this way they would consolidate Spanish power over the newly conquered territory. After considering the urban layout made by the Spanish from a central plaza, the area chosen for the church corresponded to the lots that closed the old Mexica complex to the north.[15]​[16]​[17]​[18]​.

The architect Martín de Sepúlveda") was the first director of the project that began in 1524 and was completed in 1532, this in the time of Juan de Zumárraga, the first bishop of the then newly founded diocese of Mexico (1530). The old cathedral was located in the northwest part of what is the current Plaza de la Constitución or Zócalo "Plaza de la Constitución (Mexico City)"). The complexity of the lake area required enormous works. of engineering to settle the building, which, in addition to the long distances, led to the decision to build with some of the remains of the Mexica constructions, made of light and resistant materials, especially the Templo Mayor.

It had three naves separated by Tuscan columns, the central ceiling featured intricate engravings made by Juan Salcedo Espinosa") and gilded by Francisco de Zumaya") and Andrés de la Concha. The main door was probably in the Renaissance style. The choir had 48 seats made by hand by Adrián Suster and Juan Montaño in ayacahuite wood. For construction, they used stones from the destroyed temple of the god Huitzilopochtli, god of war and main deity of the Mexica. Despite everything, this temple was soon considered insufficient for the growing importance of the capital of the viceroyalty of New Spain. This first church was elevated to a cathedral by King Charles I of Spain and Pope Clement VII "Clement VII (pope)") according to the bull of September 9, 1534 and, later, named metropolitan by Paul III in 1547.[19]​[20]​.

This small, austere church, derided by all the chroniclers of the time, who judged it unworthy of such a large and famous city, provided its services for many years. By virtue of the importance achieved by the city, elevated since 1545 to the rank of archdiocese by Pope Paul III, it was soon ordered that a new temple be built, of proportional sumptuousness to the greatness of the growing viceroyalty, however this new factory encountered so many obstacles to its beginning, with so many difficulties for its continuation, that the old temple saw sumptuous colonial ceremonies pass in its narrow naves; and only when the fact that motivated them was of great importance, another church was used, such as that of San Francisco "Temple and ex-convent of San Francisco (Mexico City)"), to build the mound for the funeral honors of Charles V in its enormous chapel of San José de los Indios.

Given that the completion of the new church would take a long time, in the year 1584 it was decided to completely repair the old cathedral, which would be almost ruined, to celebrate the third New Spain Council there.

The church, with a basilica plan, was little longer than the front of the new cathedral; Its three naves did not reach 30 meters wide, separated by two dances of octagonal pillars of the Tuscan order; They were roofed, the central one with a half-scissor truss, those on the sides with horizontal beams. In addition to the Puerta del Perdón, there was another call of the Canons, and perhaps a third that overlooked the marquis' square.[21]​.

It remained in use until 1625 when it was demolished to speed up work on the new cathedral; The main façade was moved to the church of Santa Teresa la Antigua, where it remained until 1691, the year in which the architect Cristóbal de Medina was commissioned to remodel the façade of said church.[22] However, the authorities decided to preserve the old Renaissance façade that had belonged to the Cathedral, so the architect Juan Durán was hired to dismantle the façade, stone by stone, and assemble it on the west façade of the church of the Jesús Nazareno hospital. "Church of Jesus Nazareno (Mexico City)"); where it is currently located, as one of the few vestiges of the century that remain in the city.[23][24]​.

Since 1544, official documents had been published requesting the replacement of the austere cathedral of Mexico City with a larger one, without this going beyond an intention. Finally, on August 28, 1552, the document was issued that regulated and indicated the steps to follow for the construction project. In that same year, an agreement was reached whereby the cost of the new cathedral would be shared by the Spanish Crown, the commanders, and the indigenous people under the direct authority of the archbishop of New Spain.[26] Initial plans for the founding of the new cathedral began in 1562; Within the project for the construction of the work, the then archbishop Alonso de Montúfar would have proposed a monumental construction composed of seven naves and based on the design of the Seville cathedral; a project that, in Montúfar's own words, would take 10 or 12 years. The weight of a work of such dimensions in a swampy subsoil would require a special foundation. Initially, crossed beams were placed to build a platform, something that required high costs and constant drainage. In the end, this project was abandoned in 1565, not only due to the aforementioned cost, but also due to the flooding suffered by the city center. It is then that, supported by indigenous techniques, in 1570 solid wooden piles were injected at great depth, around twenty thousand of these piles in an area of ​​six thousand square meters. The project is reduced from the original seven naves to only five: one central, two processional and two lateral ones for the 16 chapels. Construction began with designs and models created by Claudio de Arciniega and Juan Miguel de Agüero, inspired by the Spanish cathedrals of Jaén and Valladolid.[27]​[28]​.

In 1571, with some delay, Viceroy Martín Enríquez de Almansa and Archbishop Alonso de Montufar laid the first stone of the current temple. The cathedral began to be built in 1573 (when Pedro Moya was archbishop) around the existing church that would be demolished until 1625, when the works advanced enough to house the basic functions of the temple.[18]​.

The work began with a north-south orientation, contrary to that of most cathedrals, due to the subsoil waters that would affect the building with a traditional east-west orientation. Arciniega's original project was similar to that of the cathedrals of Segovia or Salamanca in Spain and considered that the naves would have to be roofed with wood and the bell tower would be located in the apse, but it was later modified, according to the model proposed by Juan Miguel de Agüero, considering the roof with vaults and the inclusion of a main dome and two towers located in front of the temple.[29]​.

The beginning of the works was encountered with muddy and unstable terrain that complicated the work. Due to this, tezontle and chiluca stone were favored as construction materials in several areas, over the quarry, as they were lighter. The site determined for the work was on one side of the front of the Templo Mayor, so it is very likely that the enclosures on which it was built were the temples of Quetzalcóatl or Xitle. In 1581, when the foundation work was finished, the walls began to be raised; The work inside began around the apse, so the chapter house and the sacristy were built first; and in 1585 work began on the first chapel. At that time the names of the stonemasons who worked on the work were: the chapels were carved by Juan Arteaga and the casings by Hernán García de Villaverde, who also worked on the main pillars whose half samples were sculpted by Martín Casillas.[30]​[31]​.

Anticipating future collapses (as would be the historical constant), the builders of the Cathedral solved the problem of the foundation by driving a grid of stakes 3 meters long approximately every 50 centimeters. After driving the stakes, the ground was leveled by burning the heads of the protruding logs. A stonework template was placed on this palisade that served as the base for a 1.60 meter thick embankment, built with large stones bonded with mortar. On this embankment rests the grid of masonry counter beams 3.50 meters high, which receives the columns. This grid forms a single piece, practically monolithic with the embankment.[30]​.

17th century

In 1615 the walls reached half their total height. In 1623 the sacristy was completed, it was used provisionally for religious services, which led to the definitive closure of the old cathedral and its subsequent demolition two years later. On September 21, 1629, the works were interrupted by the flood that the city suffered, in which the water reached two meters high, causing damage to the surroundings of the Plaza Mayor "Plaza de la Constitución (Mexico City)") and other parts of the city. Because of the damage, a project was started to build the new cathedral in the hills of Tacubaya, west of the city, but the idea was discarded and the project continued in the same location, under the direction of Juan Gómez de Trasmonte (replacement of Arciniega and Agüeros, who died in 1593 and 1610 respectively). Among the innovations implemented by Trasmonte was abandoning the roof plan for the stone vaults, opting for tezontle, which was already used on the walls; this to accelerate the pace of construction and facilitate the decoration work with plasterwork and other materials.[32]​[33]​.

From 1629, and during the five years that the flood lasted, until 1634, as an offering, Archbishop Francisco Manso de Zúñiga ordered the transfer of the famous "tilma of Juan Diego", with the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe "Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico)"), to the sacristy of the cathedral.[30]​.

By 1648 the works on the Cathedral had progressed slowly and in the meantime it was noticeable that the land surrounding the construction was invaded by businesses and some buildings; Those that occupied the primitive church became a cemetery. That same year, Archbishop Juan de Mañozca y Zamora had a stone cross placed on a pedestal in the atrium of the cathedral, to try to delimit it, in the face of the threat of irregular buildings. In 1659, envoys from the viceroy Francisco Fernández de la Cueva and Enríquez de Cabrera accompanied by soldiers, demolished the illegal constructions around the cathedral; and the following year a large perimeter wall was built to prevent this from happening again; The average wall was around 40 centimeters thick and two meters high, it was openwork, with battlements on its upper edge; The delimited area doubled that of the current atrium.[30]​.

Archbishop Marcos Ramírez de Prado y Ovando carried out the second dedication on December 22, 1667, the year in which the last vault was closed; provisionally, in the space of the dome, a dome was placed. In the ceremony its official name was established as "Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the Heavens of Mexico City." At the date of consecration (lacking, at that time, bell towers, main façade and other elements built in the century), the cost of what was built was equivalent to 1,759,000 pesos. This cost was largely covered by the kings of Spain Felipe II, Felipe III, Felipe IV and Carlos II.[20]​.

In 1675, the central part of the main façade was completed, the work of architect Cristóbal de Medina Vargas, which included the figure in stone relief of the Assumption of Mary, the dedication to which the cathedral is dedicated, and the sculptures of Santiago el Mayor and San Andrés guarding it. During the remainder of the century, the first body of the eastern tower was built, the work of architects Juan Lozano and Juan Serrano. The east and west portals were completed in 1688 and 1689 respectively; In that last year, the six buttresses that support the structure on the side of its main façade, the buttresses that support the vaults of the main nave and the first building outside the central core, the "conciliar seminary", were completed, which would be completed ten years later. At the end of this century the ornamentation process of most of the side chapels was completed; Furthermore, in 1696, the choir of canons was built in the middle of the central nave, which, following the style of Spanish cathedrals, had to be located in this sector of the temple, which would block the long hallway from the entrance to the main altar, reducing the capacity of occupants for the most important religious ceremonies.[34]​[35]​.

18th century

During the century little was done to advance the completion of the construction of the cathedral; largely because, already completed inside and useful for all the ceremonies that were offered, there was no urgent need to continue working on what was missing, only at the beginning of the century stood out the beginning of the construction of the second and third buildings outside the central core, first the "Chapel of the Souls", completed in 1720 and located on one side of the north façade, at the back of the cathedral; and second, between the aforementioned chapel and at the rear end of the west façade, the "Curia Building", which although it operated in the neighboring Palacio del Arzobispado "Antiguo Palacio del Arzobispado (Mexico)"), when this acquired more residential characteristics, the new building received offices and halls of the chapter.[30]​.

Although the exterior work had been effectively suspended, some interior work continued. In 1725 Jerónimo de Balbás completed the Altar of the Kings, located in the apse of the cathedral, becoming the main altar of the building and the one with the greatest ornamentation; In 1735, the "Altar of Forgiveness" was built in front of the choir, located right in front of the main entrance or "Holy Door"; In 1736, the installation of the monumental organs was completed, on the arches of the central nave that flanked the canons' choir, while the upper tribunes of the same were built; In 1737, Balbás himself replaced the old main altar of the century with one in the Baroque style, which incorporated a new design called "Cypress", different from the baldachin because the rite was not celebrated under it, but in front, and different from the altarpiece because it was not attached to the wall. Around 1737, Domingo de Arrieta" was the senior master; he made, in the company of José Eduardo de Herrera, master of architecture, the tribunes that surround the choir. In 1742 Manuel de Álvarez"), master of architecture, ruled with Herrera himself on the presbytery project presented by Jerónimo de Balbás.

In 1749, the construction of the most distinctive annex to the central body of the cathedral began, the "Sagrario Metropolitano", the work of Lorenzo Rodríguez, completed in 1768. When it was finished, an access was made to connect it with the cathedral, opening a carpanel arch in the western wing of the tabernacle; This displaces the «Chapel of San Isidro», which remains only as a passage between the buildings.[30]​.

On September 17, 1752, an iron cross, more than three yards long, with its weathervane, engraved on both sides with the Sanctus Deus prayer, was placed on the crown of the dome of this church, and in the middle of it a quarter oval, in which on one side was placed a wax of Agnus with its stained glass window, and on the other a sheet in which Saint was sculpted. Prisca, lawyer of lightning. The spike of said cross is two rods and its entire weight is fourteen arrobas; It was stuck in a stone base.[36]​.

19th century

Once Mexico's independence was concluded, the cathedral soon became the scene of important chapters in the history of the new country. Being the main religious center and seat of ecclesiastical power, it was part of different events involving the public life of independent Mexico.

On July 21, 1822, the coronation ceremony of Agustín de Iturbide as emperor of Mexico took place. From early on, the salute of twenty-four cannons sounded, balconies were decorated and the facades of public buildings were decorated, as well as atriums and church portals. Two thrones were placed in the cathedral, the main one next to the priest and the minor one near the choir.[40] Shortly before nine in the morning, the members of Congress and the City Council took their assigned places. Troops of cavalry and infantry surrounded the future emperor and his entourage. Three bishops officiated at the mass. The president of the Congress, Rafael Mangino, was in charge of placing the crown on Augustine I, immediately afterwards the emperor himself placed the crown on the empress. Other insignia were imposed on the newly crowned by the generals and ladies-in-waiting, Bishop Juan Cruz Ruiz de Cabañas y Crespo exclaimed * Vivat Imperator in aeternum!

In 1825 the heads of Miguel Hidalgo, Ignacio Allende, Juan Aldama and Mariano Jiménez, rescued and protected after having remained hanging in front of the Alhóndiga de Granaditas in Guanajuato, were transferred from the parish of Santo Domingo to the Metropolitan Cathedral in a solemn procession. The march of the skulls protected in an urn covered with black velvet was accompanied by the ringing of the bells, the voices of the Cabildo Choir and the brotherhoods that at that time were responsible for the cathedral chapels. Months before, those same skulls hung in front of the Alhóndiga and now Archbishop Pedro José de Fonte y Hernández Miravete gave authorization for the "Jubilee Door" of the site to be wide open to receive the so-called "heroes of Independence."

The remains of José María Morelos, Francisco Javier Mina, Mariano Matamoros and Hermenegildo Galeana were also received. The remains were placed in the "Crypt of the Archbishops and Viceroys" and at that time it was written: "To the honorable remains of the magnanimous and undaunted leaders, fathers of Mexican freedom, and victims of perfidy and nepotism, the tearful and grateful country erected this public monument." In 1838, in a massive state funeral ceremony, the remains of Agustín Iturbide, parading through the entire square, to the "Chapel of San Felipe de Jesús."

In 1847, after the American occupation took place, the cathedral also suffered from the acts of the invaders, highlighting the damage done to the "Sun Stone" when US soldiers used the monolith as target shooting, affecting the face of the sun. Simultaneously, the authorities of the cathedral, far from the turbulent times of the country, asked the architect Lorenzo de la Hidalga to build a cypress to replace that of Jerónimo de Balbás which, according to the chronicles of the time, the change in artistic taste led to its dismantling, at least before 1838, since the accounts of Iturbide's burial do not record that it still existed. The interior monument of the main altar, in neoclassical style, began its construction in June 1848 and was completed in 1851.[30]​.

20th century

In 1912 the "Mañozca Cross" returned to the cathedral to be located in its current position, behind the metropolitan tabernacle. Since 1913, with the archaeological discoveries on the corner of Seminario and Moneda streets, by the archaeologist Manuel Gamio, the old version that the cathedral was built on the Templo Mayor began to be demystified, since the ruins found correspond to a corner of it, making the location referred to unviable for centuries. In 1914 the trees around the building were removed, as they were high enough to obstruct the view of the enclosure, and replaced with gardens, which remained there until 1924. In the same building, in front of the "Conciliar Seminary", a fountain was built with a sculpture by Bartolomé de las Casas. In 1925, at the direction of President Plutarco Elías Calles, the remains of the heroes of independence left the cathedral to be placed at the base of the Column of the Angel of Independence on Paseo de la Reforma. The Mexican government did not take the body of Agustín de Iturbide, however, it remains in the chapel of San Felipe de Jesús.[30]​.

As part of the series of events that led to the outbreak of the Cristero War, on February 4, 1926, in the newspaper El Universal "El Universal (México)") a protest that Archbishop José Mora y del Río had declared nine years earlier against the new Constitution was published, but the note was presented as new news,[48]​ that is, as if it were a recent statement.[49]​ By orders of the president Calles - who considered the statement as a challenge to the Government - Mora y del Río was brought before the Attorney General's Office "Procuraduría General de la República (Mexico)") and detained; Several temples were closed, including the cathedral itself, and foreign priests were expelled. Constitutional article 130 was regulated as the Law of Cults (known as the Streets Law), religious schools were closed and the number of priests was limited so that only one officiated for every six thousand inhabitants. On June 21, 1929, during the presidency of Emilio Portes Gil, the Church and the Government signed the agreements that put an end to hostilities in Mexican territory, with which the site was reopened.

It was not until 1933 that the first plan for diagnosis and solution to structural problems was implemented, by the architects Manuel Ortiz Monasterio" and Manuel Cortina García"). Starting from this, three alternatives were specified to reduce the impact of the collapse, which were basically limited to reducing weight from the structure and load from the foundation: Demolition of the Seminary buildings; Begin the repair of the structure of the Tabernacle, which was evidently the one that showed the greatest problems in its skeleton; Empty the foundation cells formed in the grid of counter girders and use this space for the implementation of funerary crypts. All these works were carried out between 1933 and 1942.[50] With the space gained in the foundation work, in 1937 the construction of the "Crypts for the Archbishops" under the cathedral was completed, specifically under the "Altar of the Kings." In 1943, to give greater visibility to the aforementioned altar, the Lorenzo de la Hidalga cypress was removed and replaced by a smaller altar made of Tecali marble in 1950.

21st century

The night of September 15, 2010 was one of the main stages of the celebrations of the bicentennial of independence; a multimedia spectacle of images and sound projected on its main façade, accompanied by fireworks, was the closing of the main events in the capital's Zócalo "Plaza de la Constitución (Mexico City)").

It would not be until February 13, 2016 that a new visit by a top Catholic leader would take place, when Pope Francis "Francisco (Pope)") attended a meeting with all the bishops of the dioceses of Mexico.[57]​.

The cathedral foundation monitoring and protection system was tested during the earthquake of September 19, 2017, and indeed responded positively; However, the same did not occur for the interior and exterior of the enclosure, which for the first time suffered damage that, although superficial and aesthetic, showed wear and degradation of the structures not linked to the foundation, but to the heritage value of the temple.

Among the most significant damages was the fall of the sculpture of "Hope" from the sculptural group of the theological virtues at the top of the main façade; the collapse of the cross of the east tower (which at the same time pierced a vault of the Metropolitan Tabernacle); cracks in the vaults, misalignment of voussoirs in the arches and detachment of flattened ones.

In 2019, the most exhaustive intervention project to the cathedral began since the rescue in the 1990s. In a first stage of attention, by the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage Sites and Monuments, with the support of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), and the Engineering Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, maintenance work was carried out on the control pile system, eradication of parasitic flora, caulking of cracks, and rehabilitation of electrical installation and lightning rod system; works that had an investment of 20 million pesos and a duration of two years.[58]​.

The second stage of the restoration, framed in the national reconstruction project of the federal government, began on September 7, 2022. On this occasion, the towers, the dome, the main façade and the central vault of the Tabernacle would be intervened at a cost of 84 million pesos. The two towers were covered with gigantic scaffolding for work to consolidate their structure and support, this through the injection of a semi-liquid substance to anchor the cracks and fissures; At the same time, maintenance work was carried out on the bell towers and the ornamental or sculptural pieces of both supports, including the replacement of the fallen cross in 2017; In the case of the vaults, cracks were sewn with pieces of masonry; while the dome, as well as its lantern, received cleaning work, elimination of harmful flora, shoring and consolidation; Finally, the main façade received cleaning and restoration work on elements lost in the 2017 earthquake. This second stage concluded in January 2023.[59]​[60]​.

The Cathedral is the official headquarters of the Primate Archdiocese of Mexico. Since the second half of the century and until 2019 (when it gave up part of its territory for the formation of three new dioceses), it was the largest in the Catholic world. Synod of bishops.

By virtue of the provisions of the regulatory framework that make up the "Law of Religious Associations and Public Worship", the "General Law of National Assets" and the "Federal Law on Monuments and Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Areas", the Cathedral is a "Property owned by the nation" registered as "Historical Monument", so it is property of the federal Government, however it is deposited on loan to a religious association called "Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City AR", dependent on another, which is the Archdiocese of Mexico.[63]​[64]​[65]​[66]​.

The administration and protection of the building is carried out jointly by various areas of the federal and local governments and ecclesiastical authorities, due to the heritage, historical, religious and cultural implications of the architectural complex. According to the regulatory framework, the above is distributed as follows:

• - Metropolitan Council — Dependency of the Archdiocese of Mexico, which manages the resources, plans, projects and programs linked to the operation, conservation and authorization of the Cathedral. Coordinating the different areas that have influence over each area; that is, the person directly responsible for the building. They are also responsible for regulating and directing the religious activities of the campus. Constituted as a collegiate body, it is made up of 20 clerics called "canons":[67]​

• Dean is the highest position, and therefore rector of the Cathedral.

• Ardeacon, second in command within the structure and immediate replacement of the dean.

• Canon theologian, in charge of the formation and preparation of the chapter, as well as the doctrine taught.

• Penitentiary canon, responsible for absolution.

• Secretary, custodian and person responsible for the archive and documentation of the temple.

• Bursar, responsible for the finances and resources of the temple.

• Librarian, in charge of the general archive (library, newspaper archive, etc.).

• Chaplains, priests assisting religious practice, and those responsible for the lay personnel who operate in the Cathedral.

• - General Directorate of Cultural Heritage Sites and Monuments — Dependency of the Ministry of Culture "Secretaría de Cultura (Mexico)"), which is responsible for the conservation of the artistic, historical and architectural heritage of the property.

Added to these two are the National Institute of Anthropology and History and the "Authority of the Historical Center" (dependency of the Government of Mexico City), which intervene in the preservation and dissemination of the property's heritage in the first case, and in the adaptations to the surroundings of the building for its correct use, in the second case. Although, by law, its security is the responsibility of the federal government, the council is authorized to employ private security personnel and local police.

The architectural complex is made up of a set of semi-independent buildings, these are: the central core that integrates the basilica plan, the cathedral as such; the "Metropolitan Tabernacle"; the “Curia Building”; and the “Chapel of the Souls”.

Covers

The main façade comprises the south front of the building, on the Zócalo road section that connects "5 de Mayo" street with the corner of "Seminario" and "Moneda" streets. It is composed of five bodies delimited by the intercales of the six buttresses that support it, these have a square base topped by enormous scrolls; The two largest bodies correspond to the corners and bases of the bell towers, they are covered with Chiluca quarry and each has an access to the towers, and three windows; The door steps have been constantly modified, as they are the elements of the assembly that most exhibit differential collapse. The other three bodies correspond to the monumental portals, the central one being larger than the lateral ones, since the first, in addition to being higher, has a wider top.[68]​[69]​.

The central doorway presents on its first level, on each side of the door, two pairs of Doric columns separated by niches, in which are the sculptures of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (works by the sculptor Miguel Jiménez in 1687), above them they have a lattice-style decoration "Lattice (architecture)"); The upper part of the columns (beams) is decorated with triglyphs and metopes. On the second level, above the door, there is a white marble high relief of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, inspired by a work by the Flemish painter Pedro Pablo Rubens; It is flanked by pairs of tritostyle columns") with an Ionic capital, in whose niches are the sculptures of Saint Andrew and Saint James the Greater (by the same author of the previous sculptures), above them there is a quarry decoration carved in the shape of a rhombus; below the relief lies a marble plaque with the Latin inscription of the dedication of the temple. At the top, there is the figure carved by Luis Rodríguez Alconedo at the beginning of the century, which represents to the iconographic emblem of the city, the founding myth of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, the eagle with outstretched wings, standing on a cactus, devouring a snake, this image is identical to the later used shield of Mexico, in its version of 1823-1846; the coat of arms is within an oval flanked by garlands, and originally the figures inside the medallion were covered with gold, but most of the gold tone has faded. The complex is completed by the clock cube, on which are the sculptures of the "Theological Virtues", which represent faith "Faith (religion)"), hope "Hope (virtue)") and charity "Charity (virtue)"), works by the sculptor Manuel Tolsá.

The left or west side portal shows a finish with the papal tiara, inside a medallion decorated with garlands, on the sides two ciboriums supported by angels, all these elements made in quarry; The second level has a white marble relief flanked by Solomonic columns, this represents the allegorical scene in which Jesus Christ hands the keys of heaven to Saint Peter, surrounded by the apostles and with a triumphal arch in the background.

The right or eastern side cover has an identical finish to the other side, with the papal tiara; Flanked by Solomonic columns, there is a white marble relief with the allegorical image of "the nave of the church", this symbolism is reminiscent of early Christian art, which represented the church as a boat leading to the eternal port; In the image of the relief, Jesus Christ as captain, the twelve apostles and the four evangelists appear.

The three portals have carved wooden doors, the largest being also the central door, and the only one accompanied by iconography in the carving; As with all Catholic cathedrals, the main door is called "Holy Door", which in the case of this enclosure, can only be opened in four situations: the funeral of an archbishop, the inauguration of a new archbishop, the visit of a supreme pontiff and every 25 years in a so-called "jubilee year"; However, it was opened in special situations, such as the coronation of Agustín de Iturbide in 1822, the reception of the funeral remains of the heroes of independence in 1825, the state funeral for Iturbide himself in 1838, the reception of the emperors Maximilian and Carlota in 1864, and in 1925 when the remains of the insurgent heroes were exhumed, to be taken to the Angel of Independence. The images carved on the holy door are four, one for each quadrant of the gate, framed in rectangles in each center of the sections; in the upper part on the left, Saint Joseph with the baby Jesus; on the right Santa Rosa de Lima; In the lower part, on both sides, the Archangel Michael defeating the devil.[68]​[69]​.

• - Left portal of the main façade.

• - Central façade of the main façade.

• - Right portal of the main façade.

• - Sculptures of the three theological virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity.

• - Clock cube, sculptural group and national coat of arms at the top of the main façade.

The west façade extends along “Monte de Piedad” street, it was built in 1688 and rebuilt in 1804. It presents a façade divided into three sections. The first in the lower part has the sculptures of Saint Thomas and Saint Matthew; Both statues are located in niches flanked by Doric columns; The beams between the levels have a marble plaque with the Latin inscription that refers to the construction and inauguration of the cover. The second level has three windows adorned with stained glass by Mathias Goeritz, made in the century; The side windows are each accompanied by tritostyle columns with Ionic capitals. At the top, lie the sculptures of Simon the apostle "Simon (apostle)") and Saint Jude Thaddeus, and in the center a stained glass window by the same author, flanked by two Solomonic columns with a Corinthian capital. The esplanade of this façade is publicly accessible and its carved wooden door is the secondary or emerging entrance to the cathedral. In its esplanade there are the column bases of the old cathedral and a sculpture of John Paul II made in the 2000s, from cast keys donated by the population.

The east façade covers the section of the old "Seminario" street, and has restricted access. This consists only of a two-level cover and a finial; In the first are the sculptures of Saint Bartholomew and Saint John the Apostle, each flanked by a pair of Doric columns; On the second level there are three windows adorned with stained glass by Mathias Goeritz, made in the century; The side windows are each accompanied by tritostyle columns with Ionic capitals. At the top, in the center there is a stained glass window by the same author, flanked by two Solomonic columns with Corinthian capitals, and next to these, the sculptures of San Felipe and Santiago el Menor. In the beams between the first and second levels, there is a marble plaque with the Latin inscription that refers to the construction and inauguration of the façade. The esplanade on this cover is also restricted access; It contains the fountain with the sculpture by Bartolomé de las Casas, a small garden, stonework material for repairs and the entrance to the archaeological remains beneath the cathedral; as well as the remains of the famous "Mañozca Cross", on the wall that corresponds to the rear façade of the Tabernacle. At the north end of the façade there is a carved wooden door without a cover, which gives access to the sacristy.[68]​[69]​.

The north façade covers the section of "República de Guatemala" street, it was built in the century in Herrerian style, it is the oldest part of the cathedral and the lowest in height. It is covered with tezontle and has in its center a niche with an allegorical relief of the "Lamb of the Apocalypse." This exterior space corresponds to the rear part of the "Altar of the Kings" inside, therefore it is the apse of the cathedral; On its sides it has two carved wooden doors that served as northern access to the cathedral for more than a century, but were closed when two altarpieces from the Jesuit College of San Pedro and San Pablo were placed in the interior as chapels, when it was closed in 1767.[26][70]​.

• - East or east facade.

• - West or west façade.

• - North façade.

Bell Towers

The towers were built between 1787 and 1791, however between 1642 and 1672 the base and first body of the eastern tower were built. The works were carried out by the architect José Damián Ortiz de Castro; These have a height of between 64 and 67 meters whose interior access is via ellipsoidal stairs made of wood.[74]​.

The square towers are made up of three bodies: the first is straight with a small entrance and three square windows above it; In the second there is a central opening and two smaller ones on each side, with a semicircular enclosure; Part of the bells are also found in this section; The third body has two openings in the center, one with a semicircular enclosure and the other square in shape, and on each side a large rectangular opening that covers the height of the two central ones. It ends with a roof in the shape of a large bell with an elliptical plan and a semi-ovoid roof crowned by a stone sphere and an iron cross.[68]​[69]​.

Each tower has eight sculptures representing saints who protect the city, four being doctors of the Western Church and the other four being doctors of the Church in Spain. The sculptures of the western tower are the work of José Zacarías Cora"), and represent Augustine of Hippo, Gregory the Great, Leander of Seville, Saint Braulio, Saint Rose of Lima "Rosa de Lima (saint)"), Saint Francis Xavier, Saint Emigdio and Saint Barbara "Barbara (martyr)"). For their part, those of the eastern tower were sculpted by Santiago Cristóbal de Sandoval") and represent Saint Ambrose, Saint Jerome, Saint Isidro Labrador, Saint Ildefonso, Saint Philip of Jesus, Saint Hippolytus, Saint Cassian and Saint Gregory the Taumaturgus.[12]

The two towers have space to house 56 bells, although today there are 35, with 23 located in the eastern tower, 11 in the western one, and one more outside the two towers that is located under a niche near the choir. The largest bell of all has the name "Santa María de Guadalupe", it was cast by Salvador de la Vega in 1791 and placed in 1793, it weighs around thirteen tons. The oldest bell was cast in 1578, and is known as "Santa María de la Asunción" or "Doña María", it weighs approximately seven tons and was placed in 1653, like "La Ronca", known for its low tone. The most modern is from 2002, it was placed on the occasion of the canonization of Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin and was blessed by Pope John Paul II.

The bells of the cathedral have rung at important moments in the history of Mexico, thus calling the people to the rescue of El Parián in 1682; They rang at the coronation of Emperor Agustín de Iturbide, at his death and burial; They called on the people to defend the city against the American invasion on September 14, 1847; and they marked the beginning of the festivities of the centenary of national Independence on September 15, 1910, and of the Bicentennial of National Independence on September 15, 2010. They ring in full every year on the feast of Corpus Christi, on the night of September 15, on Christmas night, at the "New Year's" mass and at the Easter mass; in the case of the deaths of the archbishop and the pope, they double 75 and 100 times respectively; and they ring before the announcement of the election of the successors of the aforementioned hierarchs.[75]​.

Dome

It was completed with adaptations to Ortiz de Castro's project. The Assumption of the Virgin was also represented inside (Rafael Ximeno y Planes, 1810). The dome that exists today is the work of Manuel Tolsá, and has an octagonal plan, which has Ionic pilasters on its drum and between them vertical windows with straight enclosures, topped by a curved pediment. The dome has a great elevation and is divided into eight sections decorated with geometric moldings made with mosaics, which reach the highest part of the base of a slender lantern, whose dome is crowned by a large flame. The current windows are by Matías Goeritz. In the fire of 1967, caused by a short circuit in the Altar of Forgiveness, the painting of the Assumption was consumed.[77][68][69][30]​.

Altar of the Kings

The Altar of the Kings is the main altarpiece of the Cathedral, it is located in the apse of the temple, behind the "High Altar", built on an oven vault. It is the work of Jerónimo de Balbás, author, among others, of the «Altar of Forgiveness» of this same cathedral, and of the missing «Altar Mayor» of the church of the Sagrario "Iglesia del Sagrario (Sevilla)") of the cathedral of Seville. Its construction began in 1718, it is made in the Churrigueresque style of white cedar wood and golden ayacahuite, with the characteristic decoration element being the columns and pilasters estípites "Estípite (architecture)"), an innovative method introduced to New Spain by the author of the altarpiece; Its construction ended in 1725, but due to the prolonged gilding process carried out by Francisco Martínez, it was dedicated until 1737 when said ornamentation was finished; This makes it the oldest churrigueresque work in Mexico. It has undergone various restorations, especially after the fire of 1967, the most extensive being in 2003.

It measures 25 meters high, 13.75 m wide and 7.5 m deep, due to these dimensions it is known as "the golden cave"; It is divided into three vertical streets, presenting an abundant composition of pilasters, columns, foliage, garlands and cherubs. The space of the altar is limited on both sides by enormous pilasters, which serve as antas "Anta (architecture)") to large stipes that support the projecting cornice, which extends like an impost around the entire perimeter; Two other stipes support the vaulted vault. There are no records of the existence of an altarpiece that preceded it, so said construction space was empty for almost sixty years, until the project by Jerónimo de Balbás. The altarpieces on the side walls outside the vault were made around 1778 by Isidro Vicente de Balbás").[78]​[70]​.

There are two versions regarding its name, the first indicates that, as was the case with different cathedrals in the Spanish colonies in America, the space in the apse was reserved as a "Royal Chapel or Altar", for the exclusive use of the monarchs, contemplating probable visits by them to their possessions outside the peninsula; This version is supported by the existence of several main altarpieces called "Altar of the Kings" and a custom among Spanish cathedrals, which reserved this space in the apse as mausoleums for members of royalty.[79]​.

However, the most widespread version is that it takes its name from the carvings of saints belonging to royalty, which are part of its decoration. At the bottom, from left to right, six canonized queens appear: Margaret of Scotland "Marguerite of Scotland (saint)"), Helen of Constantinople, Elizabeth of Hungary, Isabel of Portugal "Elizabeth of Portugal (saint)"), Cunegonde of Luxembourg and Edith of Wilton "Edith (saint)"). In the center of the altar are six canonized kings: Hermenegild, Henry II of the Holy Roman Empire, Edward the Confessor and Casimir of Poland, located in a lower position, and Louis IX of France and Ferdinand III of Castile, located in a higher position than the previous four.[70]​.

In the center of these kings is an oil painting of the "Adoration of the Kings" by Juan Rodríguez Juárez that shows the baby Jesus held by the virgin Mary, being adored by the Three Wise Men in the middle of the manger. The upper part has a painting of the "Assumption of the Virgin", by the same author, as a celestial queen being elevated to the heavens before the gaze of the apostles. The assumption painting is flanked by two oval bas-reliefs depicting "Saint Joseph with the baby Jesus" and "Saint Teresa of Ávila" with a pen in her hand and the Holy Spirit, who inspires her to write, above her. The altarpiece is completed with carvings of angels carrying attributes of praise to the virgin such as "Sealed Fountain", "House of Gold", "Well of Living Water" and "Tower of David". The complex is crowned by a double golden vault in which the image of God the Father appears holding the world in the center, and on its sides medallions with the images of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.[80]​[68]​[69]​[30]​.

High altar

Throughout its history, the Metropolitan Cathedral has had four main altars, the first three in the shape of a tabernacle free from the walls, so that it could be surrounded and altars placed on its main faces. The first was made in the s. about which not much information is known; This was replaced in the s. by a baroque wooden cypress, in the stipe style made by Jerónimo de Balbás, it had a pinar (pine-shaped pillar), a silver tabernacle of rough workmanship, which has another, smaller one, inside made with gold; The change of taste in artistic fashion, its weak structure and costly repairs led to its dismantling, today only a sculpture of the Assumption of Mary remains.

In 1848 it was replaced by a neoclassical-style cypress, the work of Lorenzo de la Hidalga; It had three bodies with Corinthian style columns, the sculptures of angels and saints, that of Christ the King and that of the "Assumption of Mary" at the top, were made by Francisco Terrazas; Part of its financing was paid for with the casting of a gold sculpture of the "Assumption" from 1610 and a silver lamp nine meters in circumference that hung in front of the "Altar of the Kings"; This cypress tree was demolished in 1943, only some sculptures remain, most of them distributed on the access walls to the cathedral and others in the curia building.

After the removal of the previous cypress, the cathedral authorities proposed the construction of a new "High Altar", but at a lower altitude to prevent the view of the "Altar of the Kings" from being obstructed. The new, and current altar, was installed in 1950 with the sponsorship of the "Commission of order and decorum"; the design is the work of the architect Antonio Muñoz García") and was made by the sculptor Ernesto Tamariz; it is made of tecali jasper, a material already used in the ambos. It is rectangular in plan and only has one level, although with a protruding intermediate in front, like a platform or table; its reliefs represent eight apostles and some liturgical signs: on the left side Simón "Simón (apostle)") and Andrés; in front of the left side Juan, and on the side right Pedro; on the right side Santiago the Lesser and Felipe; on the back left Bartholomew and on the right side Thomas.

Among the liturgical elements of decoration there is a censer in the lower part of the front, a flaming heart on a nimbus that is at the same time on a cross, the pointing hand of God the Father on a cross, the dove of the Holy Spirit also on a cross, and under the altar table, two angels worshiping the name of Jesus with the monogram composed of the letters "J, H and S" with a cross; To his right is the "Lamb of the Apocalypse" and to his left are the "Tables of Moses" and the "Ark of the Covenant." The rear part also has a double lateral staircase of the same material, used to climb the monstrance of the Eucharist; In the center of the staircase is a metal door on which is the shield of the then archbishop Miguel Darío Miranda Gómez. On the upper part of the altar lies a wooden crucifix and four monstrances or monstrances "Custody (liturgy)") that are part of the monumental monstrance set.

Choir

The choir is located in a closed space in the middle of the central nave, between the "Altar of Forgiveness" and the processional hallway towards the "High Altar", this in the style of Spanish cathedrals; It consists of a hemicycle with two rows of seats; The fifty-nine of the upper part are separated by Solomonic columns surrounded by vines that frame relief sculptures of gilded wood, it is for the exclusive use of the canons and the archbishop, while the 45 below are for sixes and sochantres. At the top it presents 59 reliefs that include the twelve apostles, the four evangelists, the four fathers of the Western church, the founders of the religious orders and various saints and martyrs of the church; They are all made of mahogany, walnut, cedar and tepehuaje. Originally the carvings were covered in gold, but the majority, 47 out of 59, were destroyed in the fire of 1967, so the new ones did not contain this element. The choir stalls were made by Juan de Rojas "Juan de Rojas (sculptor)") between 1696 and 1697.

In the center of the choir, between the railing and the stalls, is a lectern made of ebony, tindalum and balsam marquetry, decorated with ivory figures, which include the Assumption of Mary, the four evangelists, the four doctors of the church and a crucifix that crowns the entire work. It is supported by a quadrangular base and an attached shaft with scrolls at each angle. It was gifted by the bishop of Manila Manuel Antonio Rojo del Río in 1762 and is the work of the sculptor José de Núñez, being installed in 1766. It is used to hold the singing books, and is made up of three bodies.

The façade of the choir and the bay "Crujía (architecture)") were made according to the design of the painter Nicolás Rodríguez Juárez") under the supervision of the sangley Quiauló. The choir grille was made in 1722 by Sangley Queaulo"); It was built in Macau, China, (when this port city was a Portuguese colony) using tumbaga, a material made from the alloy of gold and copper. Upon arrival in New Spain it was installed by Jerónimo de Balbás; It was released in 1730, replacing a previous wooden one; The fence is flanked by two columns on which upper tribunes were built attached with golden reliefs of angels. At the top of the façade on the grille there is an oval with the figure of the "Assumption of Mary", crowned with a crucifix, which is complemented by two more on the sides to represent the Calvary scene.[68]​[69]​.

On the opposite side, just behind the "Altar of Forgiveness", an altarpiece as a curtain with a canopy, crowns a group composed of two columns with angels in the capitals, guarding an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe "Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico)"), and below it an allegorical painting in which Jesus Christ blesses a group of musical angels, while two of them offer him a crown, this is the work of Cristóbal de Villalpando, and It replaced one by Juan Correa that burned in the fire of 1967. In the lower part of the wall, already in the carved wooden ensemble, there is a niche in the center with a cross, beginning the order of the ashlar masonry, with the image of Saint Peter being in the first place.[83]​.

Organs

The cathedral has had several organs in its history.[84] The first record of its existence is in a written report to the king of Spain in 1530, although no details of it appear. In 1655, Diego de Sebaldos built an organ. The first large organ, which is the Epistle organ (right side), was built by Jorge de Sesma in Madrid in 1690 and was installed in the cathedral by Tiburcio Sanz in 1695. of the organ by Jorge de Sesma.[85]​ In the fire of 1967 they suffered significant damage, so they were restored in 1978 by the organ company Flentrop and later restored between 2008 and 2014 by Gerhard Grenzing").[88]​.

They are located between the columns that delimit the choir, supported by its side walls, where the secondary entrances are located. They measure 15 meters high, nine meters wide and 2.80 meters deep. Its decoration includes effigies of angels in golden tones, carrying musical instruments, reliefs on the wood with vegetal and floral motifs, and royal crowns on the finials, supported by angels.[68][69]​.

• - Interior view in the choir of the right organ.

• - Interior view in the choir of the left organ.

Altar of Forgiveness

It is located in the backchoir, at the front of the central nave. The altarpiece was made by the Spanish architect Jerónimo de Balbás in 1735, being one of his most important works. It is baroque with a single body, finished in gold leaf, it represents the first use of the stipe "Stipite (architecture)") in America, in which the columns represent the human body; The finish is semicircular and in the first two bodies medallions with relief images are displayed; The design is prominently integrated with the upper rear stands of the choir, attached to the altar tones. In early 1967 there was a fire in the cathedral that damaged the altar. Thanks to the restoration carried out, it can be seen today.[70][79]​.

It is called that because it is located behind the door of the same name. Although there are two other legends about the origin of the name, the first establishes that those condemned by the Inquisition were taken to the altar to ask for forgiveness before their execution. The second refers to the painter Simon Pereyns, author of many works in the cathedral, who was apparently accused of blasphemy and sentenced to prison. While in prison, he painted a beautiful image of the Virgin Mary, for which his crime was forgiven.[80]​.

On this altar is the image of the crucified Jesus Christ made of corn cane paste known as the "Lord of Poison".[89]​ The image dates back to the century and was originally located in the chapel of the Porta Coeli Seminary in Mexico City, but after being closed to public worship in 1935, it was transferred to the Metropolitan Cathedral.[89]​.

Naves and altars of the apse

The basilica-type architectural plan provides for the integration of five naves, one central, two processional and two lateral. The central nave, in which the altars “Del Perdón”, “Major” and “De los Reyes” are located, as well as the choir and organs; It is covered with a lunette vault "Luneta (architecture)") that arises from a barrel vault, which is the one that results from the extension of a semicircular arch; The vaults are decorated with moldings with geometric motifs in green tones. The processional vaults have baída vaults, whose shape appears from the intersection of a dome with a cube, whose base is inscribed at the base of the dome; In this case the vaults were decorated with radial moldings. The side naves where the chapels are located have different types of vault, as described in each case. The vault of the cathedral dome was decorated with radial moldings, after the destruction in 1967 of the painting that adorned it until then.

In 1767, after the expulsion of the Society of Jesus from the Spanish Empire, the Jesuit College of Saint Peter and Saint Paul stopped being used for religious purposes, so to safeguard its two monumental altarpieces, they were moved to the "Metropolitan Tabernacle" and later to the two spaces under the vaults at the northern end of the processional naves of the Cathedral, next to the "Altar of the Kings", where the rear doors of the enclosure were located.

The first altarpiece, in the east wing, is that of the "Virgin of Zapopan" measuring 13 meters high by nine meters wide. The portraits that accompany the Marian devotion belong to founders of religious orders such as Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Dominic, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Saint John Bosco, Saint Philip Neri, among others. On the west side and of similar dimensions, an altarpiece dedicated to Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles, called the "Divine Savior", was placed.[68]​[69]​[30]​[79]​.

• - Left or west processional nave.

• - Altarpiece of the Divine Savior.

• - Pendulum that measures the sinking of the cathedral in the central nave.

• - Altarpiece of the Virgin of Zapopan.

• - Right or eastern processional nave.

Chapels

The 14 chapels located in the side naves of the cathedral are distributed equally on both sides, all have elaborate bronze bars and ornamented at the top, with the inscription of the invocation, saint or dedication of this. The chapels were sponsored and dedicated to brotherhoods and guilds; the first were prohibited by the Reform Laws; The latter belonged to trades and tasks that disappeared with the passage of time, because they were no longer necessary for the chapel's belongings or because they became professional jobs far removed from religious ties.[68][69][30][79]​.

It is located on the base of the western tower, making it the first chapel in the west wing of the complex, starting from the main façade, and was completed between 1653 and 1660; It is covered by a star vault, typical of late Gothic. This first chapel was destroyed by a fire in 1711, so it was immediately replaced by the current one, completed in 1713.

The three altarpieces are in the Solomonic baroque style, with stewed and polychrome sculptures, works by Manuel de Nava"), which represent the seven archangels (Miguel, Gabriel, Rafael, Uriel, Jofiel, Camael and Zadkiel), all of them in the central altarpiece, representing the allegory of the "Choir of the Angels"; this altarpiece is topped with an effigy of God the Father holding an orb with a crucifix, while in the lintel of the window there is a dove as a symbol of the holy spirit, and below this window Jesus Christ, also holding a robe with a crucifix; the vertical alignment of the three figures represents the "Holy Trinity."

The altarpiece on the right contains paintings of other angels representing the "Angelology" or hierarchies of the heavenly choirs (seraphim, cherubs, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers and principalities), as well as a painting of the Virgin Mary "Mary (mother of Jesus)"); while the altarpiece on the left, in addition to the celestial beings (among which the famous "Guardian Angel" stands out), contains a painting of Saint Joseph who, complemented by the Christ of the central altarpiece, symbolize the allegory of "the Holy Family"; The paintings are the work of Juan Correa. Except for the sculpture of Saint Michael and the furniture in the chapel, most of the set is the original reopened in 1713, making it one of the best preserved spaces in the cathedral.[79]​.

It is the second chapel in the west wing, its roof is a groin vault. The altarpieces were made around 1650 in a baroque style reminiscent of mannerism. They contain ten paintings, in addition to the one that serves as the background of the "Lord of Health"; The works are framed by Corinthian columns. Among the altarpieces that decorate the interior of the chapel, the main one is dedicated to honoring the tutelary saints of the chapel; It consists of two bodies, the top and three entrecales.

It is one of the cathedral altarpieces of the century in which it can be said that it has a mannerist accent and as proof of this are the fluted classicist columns. The altarpiece was conceived to house paintings, which exalt the life of the medical saints Cosme and Damián "Cosme and Damián (martyrs)") and are due to the painter Sebastián López Dávalos. Only three of the paintings do not belong to the biographical account of the martyrs, and they are, one about the scene in which Pope Nicholas V contemplates the funeral remains of Saint Francis of Assisi and witnesses a miracle, one of Saint Hippolytus, another of Saint Sebastian and a small one in the medallion at the top with the image of God the Father.

Sacristy

It is the oldest space in the cathedral, it is located at the north end of the east wing of the complex. In 1626, when Viceroy Rodrigo Pacheco y Osorio, Marquis of Cerralvo (1624-1635) ordered the demolition of the old temple, the sacristy functioned (until 1641) as the place where services were held. Logically, the main altar was placed there and according to the inventory of 1632, it had two lecterns, one of gilded iron and the other of silver made by the master Pedro Ceballos.

As established by the ecclesiastical canon, the purpose of this place is to safeguard the objects, instruments and accessories necessary for the celebration of religious worship, such as chalices, ciboriums, monstrances, censers; and also where the clerics, especially the archbishop, dress in the garments necessary for the Eucharistic celebration, such as the miter, pallium, tunic and stole.

The doorway is in the Herrerian style, and above the semicircular arch, there is an inscription that records its completion in 1623. The door was placed between 1684 and 1688, and measures 5.65 meters high by 3.25 meters wide; It is paneled and carved, the reliefs, in addition to the papal tiara and the keys of Saint Peter, contain Marian symbols, such as the rainbow, the moon, the star, the palm and the cypress.

It is built with a rectangular plan and its vault has Gothic style ribs. During the great flood between 1629 and 1634, as an offering, the famous "tilma of Juan Diego" was kept here, with the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe "Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico)").

Inside the sacristy you can admire six enormous paintings by the New Spain painters Cristóbal de Villalpando and Juan Correa "Juan Correa (Mexican painter)"). The titles of the paintings are: "The Church Triumphant and Militant" from 1685 and located on the west wall; «The Prayer of Saint Michael» from 1686, located around the frame and wall of the entrance door; «The Triumph Of The Church» which is on the right side of the previous one; and at the opposite end a painting whose name has two versions "The Woman of the Apocalypse" or "Fight of Saint Michael with the dragon" (Villalpando). "La Asunción" from 1689, located on the south wall; and on the left side of this painting, on the east wall and next to the door that connects the patio of the east façade, is "The Entry of Christ to Jerusalem" (Correa), the door frame has the painting of a medallion with the "Assumption of Mary", in allusion to the coat of arms of the archdiocese. The gilder of the frames was the sculptor Manuel de Nava and he carried out his work between 1685 and 1691. In addition to the six monumental paintings, around the walls there are other paintings, liturgical vestments, chalices, monstrances, reliquaries, sculptures and the silver cross used in processions, which complement the decoration and furniture of the place.

chapter house

Of similar age to the sacristy, it is located at the north end of the west wing of the enclosure. It is the meeting center of the "Metropolitan Chapter", the governing body of the Cathedral, made up of religious and lay canons.

The doorway inside the cathedral is in the Herrerian style with a semicircular arch. The door measures 5.65 meters high by 3.25 meters wide, it is boarded and carved, the reliefs, in addition to the papal tiara and the keys of Saint Peter, contain Marian symbols, such as the rainbow, the moon, the star, the palm and the cypress. It is built with a rectangular plan and its vault has Gothic style ribs. The entrance that led to the outside was integrated into the "Curia Building" since 1720; Above this door there is a painting of "The Holy Face" from the 19th century. As in the sacristy, a wooden fence divides the space in two, with the northern half being exclusively used by the canons.

On the front wall is the bronze archiepiscopal throne, ordered to be made by Archbishop Luis María Martínez y Rodríguez, which was on the main altar during the second third of the century. It is ornamented at the top with the shield of the archdiocese, which consists of an image of the "Immaculate Conception" standing on a cactus, two keys crossed behind her back, with a pair of angels flanking her and two more carrying the papal tiara. When the throne was replaced it was moved here and used as the frame for a painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe, a work by José de la Cruz from 1680. In front of the throne lies the altar table used by John Paul II in his 1979 mass. On the sides of the throne, from left to right, the paintings "The Christ of Saint Teresa" and "The Assumption of Mary", both dating from colonial times.

On the side walls, distributed on three levels, the portraits of 36 of the 43 archbishops of Mexico; Of these, only seven of them are signed and the majority are from the 19th century onwards. The missing portraits correspond to archbishops who resigned and those who died before assuming office. The rest of the decoration presents paintings from the colonial era with Marian invocations and of Jesus Christ, a wardrobe from the century and a painting with the Pentecost scene by Nicolás Rodríguez Juárez; The oil painting is on a bench with a carving of the Immaculate Conception and some saints. The upper frame of the access door to the cathedral is crowned by a painting of the archdiocese's coat of arms.[68]​[69]​[30]​[79]​[93]​.

Crypts

Under the Altar of the Kings is the crypt of the archbishops, there are the remains of most of the archbishops of Mexico, from Fray Juan de Zumárraga to Cardinal Ernesto Corripio y Ahumada, whose remains were deposited in April 2008. The entrance is through a large wooden door, located at the back of the body of the "High Altar", behind which, a spiral staircase descends. gives access to the crypt, made by the architect Ernesto Gómez Gallardo Argüelles; The current conformation and structure of this funerary enclosure was the product of the foundation work, which managed to gain enough space in the old crypts to bring together all the deceased archbishops in a single group. In the center there is a cenotaph with a life-size sculpture of Zumárraga, at the base of which is a skull carved in stone, this was an element of the Templo Mayor, the monument honors this character, since he was considered protector of the Indians against the abuses of the conquerors. Behind this, there is an altar with another pre-Hispanic geometric sculpture located at the bottom. The other archbishops are found in niches in the walls, marked by bronze plaques on which the name and episcopal coat of arms of each one appear. On the floor there are marble slabs that cover the niches of other people buried in the crypt.[94]​.

The cathedral contains other crypts and niches where other religious figures are buried, including in the chapels. In addition, it has crypts for the faithful who wish to be buried in the cathedral; this part has access to a staircase on one side of the west door.[68]​[69]​[30]​[79]​.

• - Crypt of the archbishops of Mexico.

• - Pre-Hispanic stone of the altar.

• - Crypt.

• - Zumárraga sculpture.

• - Niches of the archbishops.

The Metropolitan Tabernacle of Mexico City is located to the east of the cathedral. It was built following the design of Lorenzo Rodríguez between 1749 and 1760,[70]​ during the height of the Baroque. It had the function of housing the archives and vestments of the archbishop, in addition, it is the place for the reservation and communion of the Eucharist.[95]​.

The first church that was built on the site of the current cathedral also had a tabernacle although its exact location is unknown. During the construction of the cathedral, the tabernacle was located in the place currently occupied by the chapels of San Isidro and the Virgen de las Angustias of Granada. However, in the century it was decided to build a separate building but connected to the cathedral. The current tabernacle is built of red tezontle stone and white chiluca stone that forms a Greek cross. It is connected to the cathedral through the chapel of San Isidro.[26][70]​.

The building presents two main entrances from the outside; the main façade opens to the south, to the Plaza de la Constitución "Plaza de la Constitución (Mexico City)"); while the other opens to the east, to the Plaza del Seminario. The two facades are richly decorated with columns in the "Estípite (architecture)" style, a characteristic element of Churrigueresque. The main theme glorifies the Eucharist with images of the apostles, the fathers of the Church, the holy founders of religious orders, martyrs, as well as biblical scenes. There are some zoomorphic and other anthropomorphic reliefs, highlighting a rampant lion and the royal eagle present on the coat of arms of Mexico. The east façade, for its part, presents scenes from the Old Testament, as well as images of Saint John of Nepomuk and Saint Ignatius of Loyola. The dates of the different phases of construction of the tabernacle are inscribed on this façade.[95]​.

The exterior of the tabernacle is in the baroque style, presenting decorations such as niche shelves of various shapes, floating curtains and a large number of cherubs. Fruit elements stand out such as bunches of grapes and pomegranates, which symbolize the blood of Christ and the Church, and floral elements such as roses, daisies and various types of four-petal flowers.[70]​.

The interior is built with chiluca and tezontle stone, the chiluca covers the walls and floors, while the tezontle is found in the door and window frames. The transept is covered with a dome supported by arches. The temple is divided into three naves. The central nave is arranged from the main entrance to the main altar, in which was the missing Churrigueresque altarpiece made by Pedro Patiño Ixtolinque in 1829. In the west nave is the baptistery, while in the east, there are offices, next to the entrance, and a sacristy, next to the main altar; all separated by walls from the inner temple.[26]​.

• - East facade.

• - Interior view of the Tabernacle.

• - Baptismal font.

Located outside the cathedral, next to the apse to the north-west of it, this century chapel clashes with the rest of the building due to its lean construction. Its simple façade, a semicircular arch, flanked by paneled pilasters; its second body-finish, in turn flanked by a pair of oval windows. This chapel is used today for baptisms that take place in the Primate Cathedral of Mexico.[68]​[69]​[30]​[79]​.

Throughout the viceregal period the cathedral had intense and brilliant musical activity organized by its corresponding chapel masters. These had the obligation not only to organize the ecclesiastical musical life of the cathedral for all the major festivities, but also to instruct the corresponding musicians, compose the necessary musical works and organize the musical archives. The result of this constant activity is a very rich musical archive that competes in America with the splendid musical archive of the Cathedral of Puebla, that of the Basilica of Guadalupe or the musical archives preserved in Cuzco or Chuquisaca. None of these musical archives have been studied exhaustively and most of that music remains unreleased. Unfortunately, there is no contemporary attempt to continue the musical tradition of Latin American cathedrals by playing the preserved collection or hiring composers to write new works. The chapel masters of the cathedral of Mexico, most of whose works are preserved in the cathedral archive were:[96]​[97]​.

The musical archive of the cathedral of Mexico is one of the largest in America; It has a collection of more than 5,000 works, spanning from the 19th century to the 19th century, in various formats such as choir books, religious and secular music, and musical treatises.

• - Archdiocese of Mexico.

• - New Spain baroque architecture.

• - Cathedrals of Mexico.

• - Old Palace of the Archbishopric (Mexico) "Old Palace of the Archbishopric (Mexico)").

• - VALLEJO, Cortés, Dalia (2011). The School of Our Lady of the Assumption and Patriarch San José for the infants of the choro of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico: Adabi de México / Alfredo Harp Helú Foundation / Economic Culture Fund. ISBN 978-607-416-258-5.

• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia category on Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City.

• - Official site of the Cathedral - Archdiocese of Mexico.

• - File from the National Catalog of Real Estate Historical Monuments number I-09-00421.

• - UNAM article on the rehabilitation of the Cathedral.

• - Cathedral in 3D on Google 3D Warehuose Archived January 8, 2014 at the Wayback Machine.

• - The Cathedral of Mexico (Documentary from the UNAM Aesthetic Research Institute).

• - Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico, Centuries of Harmony (Documentary made by the Primate Archdiocese of Mexico and the Mario Moreno Reyes Foundation).

16th century

After the Spanish conquest of the Mexica empire was concluded, and after the return of Hernán Cortés from the exploration of modern-day Honduras, the conquerors decided to build a church in the place where the Templo Mayor of the city of Tenochtitlán was located; In this way they would consolidate Spanish power over the newly conquered territory. After considering the urban layout made by the Spanish from a central plaza, the area chosen for the church corresponded to the lots that closed the old Mexica complex to the north.[15]​[16]​[17]​[18]​.

The architect Martín de Sepúlveda") was the first director of the project that began in 1524 and was completed in 1532, this in the time of Juan de Zumárraga, the first bishop of the then newly founded diocese of Mexico (1530). The old cathedral was located in the northwest part of what is the current Plaza de la Constitución or Zócalo "Plaza de la Constitución (Mexico City)"). The complexity of the lake area required enormous works. of engineering to settle the building, which, in addition to the long distances, led to the decision to build with some of the remains of the Mexica constructions, made of light and resistant materials, especially the Templo Mayor.

It had three naves separated by Tuscan columns, the central ceiling featured intricate engravings made by Juan Salcedo Espinosa") and gilded by Francisco de Zumaya") and Andrés de la Concha. The main door was probably in the Renaissance style. The choir had 48 seats made by hand by Adrián Suster and Juan Montaño in ayacahuite wood. For construction, they used stones from the destroyed temple of the god Huitzilopochtli, god of war and main deity of the Mexica. Despite everything, this temple was soon considered insufficient for the growing importance of the capital of the viceroyalty of New Spain. This first church was elevated to a cathedral by King Charles I of Spain and Pope Clement VII "Clement VII (pope)") according to the bull of September 9, 1534 and, later, named metropolitan by Paul III in 1547.[19]​[20]​.

This small, austere church, derided by all the chroniclers of the time, who judged it unworthy of such a large and famous city, provided its services for many years. By virtue of the importance achieved by the city, elevated since 1545 to the rank of archdiocese by Pope Paul III, it was soon ordered that a new temple be built, of proportional sumptuousness to the greatness of the growing viceroyalty, however this new factory encountered so many obstacles to its beginning, with so many difficulties for its continuation, that the old temple saw sumptuous colonial ceremonies pass in its narrow naves; and only when the fact that motivated them was of great importance, another church was used, such as that of San Francisco "Temple and ex-convent of San Francisco (Mexico City)"), to build the mound for the funeral honors of Charles V in its enormous chapel of San José de los Indios.

Given that the completion of the new church would take a long time, in the year 1584 it was decided to completely repair the old cathedral, which would be almost ruined, to celebrate the third New Spain Council there.

The church, with a basilica plan, was little longer than the front of the new cathedral; Its three naves did not reach 30 meters wide, separated by two dances of octagonal pillars of the Tuscan order; They were roofed, the central one with a half-scissor truss, those on the sides with horizontal beams. In addition to the Puerta del Perdón, there was another call of the Canons, and perhaps a third that overlooked the marquis' square.[21]​.

It remained in use until 1625 when it was demolished to speed up work on the new cathedral; The main façade was moved to the church of Santa Teresa la Antigua, where it remained until 1691, the year in which the architect Cristóbal de Medina was commissioned to remodel the façade of said church.[22] However, the authorities decided to preserve the old Renaissance façade that had belonged to the Cathedral, so the architect Juan Durán was hired to dismantle the façade, stone by stone, and assemble it on the west façade of the church of the Jesús Nazareno hospital. "Church of Jesus Nazareno (Mexico City)"); where it is currently located, as one of the few vestiges of the century that remain in the city.[23][24]​.

Since 1544, official documents had been published requesting the replacement of the austere cathedral of Mexico City with a larger one, without this going beyond an intention. Finally, on August 28, 1552, the document was issued that regulated and indicated the steps to follow for the construction project. In that same year, an agreement was reached whereby the cost of the new cathedral would be shared by the Spanish Crown, the commanders, and the indigenous people under the direct authority of the archbishop of New Spain.[26] Initial plans for the founding of the new cathedral began in 1562; Within the project for the construction of the work, the then archbishop Alonso de Montúfar would have proposed a monumental construction composed of seven naves and based on the design of the Seville cathedral; a project that, in Montúfar's own words, would take 10 or 12 years. The weight of a work of such dimensions in a swampy subsoil would require a special foundation. Initially, crossed beams were placed to build a platform, something that required high costs and constant drainage. In the end, this project was abandoned in 1565, not only due to the aforementioned cost, but also due to the flooding suffered by the city center. It is then that, supported by indigenous techniques, in 1570 solid wooden piles were injected at great depth, around twenty thousand of these piles in an area of ​​six thousand square meters. The project is reduced from the original seven naves to only five: one central, two processional and two lateral ones for the 16 chapels. Construction began with designs and models created by Claudio de Arciniega and Juan Miguel de Agüero, inspired by the Spanish cathedrals of Jaén and Valladolid.[27]​[28]​.

In 1571, with some delay, Viceroy Martín Enríquez de Almansa and Archbishop Alonso de Montufar laid the first stone of the current temple. The cathedral began to be built in 1573 (when Pedro Moya was archbishop) around the existing church that would be demolished until 1625, when the works advanced enough to house the basic functions of the temple.[18]​.

The work began with a north-south orientation, contrary to that of most cathedrals, due to the subsoil waters that would affect the building with a traditional east-west orientation. Arciniega's original project was similar to that of the cathedrals of Segovia or Salamanca in Spain and considered that the naves would have to be roofed with wood and the bell tower would be located in the apse, but it was later modified, according to the model proposed by Juan Miguel de Agüero, considering the roof with vaults and the inclusion of a main dome and two towers located in front of the temple.[29]​.

The beginning of the works was encountered with muddy and unstable terrain that complicated the work. Due to this, tezontle and chiluca stone were favored as construction materials in several areas, over the quarry, as they were lighter. The site determined for the work was on one side of the front of the Templo Mayor, so it is very likely that the enclosures on which it was built were the temples of Quetzalcóatl or Xitle. In 1581, when the foundation work was finished, the walls began to be raised; The work inside began around the apse, so the chapter house and the sacristy were built first; and in 1585 work began on the first chapel. At that time the names of the stonemasons who worked on the work were: the chapels were carved by Juan Arteaga and the casings by Hernán García de Villaverde, who also worked on the main pillars whose half samples were sculpted by Martín Casillas.[30]​[31]​.

Anticipating future collapses (as would be the historical constant), the builders of the Cathedral solved the problem of the foundation by driving a grid of stakes 3 meters long approximately every 50 centimeters. After driving the stakes, the ground was leveled by burning the heads of the protruding logs. A stonework template was placed on this palisade that served as the base for a 1.60 meter thick embankment, built with large stones bonded with mortar. On this embankment rests the grid of masonry counter beams 3.50 meters high, which receives the columns. This grid forms a single piece, practically monolithic with the embankment.[30]​.

17th century

In 1615 the walls reached half their total height. In 1623 the sacristy was completed, it was used provisionally for religious services, which led to the definitive closure of the old cathedral and its subsequent demolition two years later. On September 21, 1629, the works were interrupted by the flood that the city suffered, in which the water reached two meters high, causing damage to the surroundings of the Plaza Mayor "Plaza de la Constitución (Mexico City)") and other parts of the city. Because of the damage, a project was started to build the new cathedral in the hills of Tacubaya, west of the city, but the idea was discarded and the project continued in the same location, under the direction of Juan Gómez de Trasmonte (replacement of Arciniega and Agüeros, who died in 1593 and 1610 respectively). Among the innovations implemented by Trasmonte was abandoning the roof plan for the stone vaults, opting for tezontle, which was already used on the walls; this to accelerate the pace of construction and facilitate the decoration work with plasterwork and other materials.[32]​[33]​.

From 1629, and during the five years that the flood lasted, until 1634, as an offering, Archbishop Francisco Manso de Zúñiga ordered the transfer of the famous "tilma of Juan Diego", with the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe "Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico)"), to the sacristy of the cathedral.[30]​.

By 1648 the works on the Cathedral had progressed slowly and in the meantime it was noticeable that the land surrounding the construction was invaded by businesses and some buildings; Those that occupied the primitive church became a cemetery. That same year, Archbishop Juan de Mañozca y Zamora had a stone cross placed on a pedestal in the atrium of the cathedral, to try to delimit it, in the face of the threat of irregular buildings. In 1659, envoys from the viceroy Francisco Fernández de la Cueva and Enríquez de Cabrera accompanied by soldiers, demolished the illegal constructions around the cathedral; and the following year a large perimeter wall was built to prevent this from happening again; The average wall was around 40 centimeters thick and two meters high, it was openwork, with battlements on its upper edge; The delimited area doubled that of the current atrium.[30]​.

Archbishop Marcos Ramírez de Prado y Ovando carried out the second dedication on December 22, 1667, the year in which the last vault was closed; provisionally, in the space of the dome, a dome was placed. In the ceremony its official name was established as "Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the Heavens of Mexico City." At the date of consecration (lacking, at that time, bell towers, main façade and other elements built in the century), the cost of what was built was equivalent to 1,759,000 pesos. This cost was largely covered by the kings of Spain Felipe II, Felipe III, Felipe IV and Carlos II.[20]​.

In 1675, the central part of the main façade was completed, the work of architect Cristóbal de Medina Vargas, which included the figure in stone relief of the Assumption of Mary, the dedication to which the cathedral is dedicated, and the sculptures of Santiago el Mayor and San Andrés guarding it. During the remainder of the century, the first body of the eastern tower was built, the work of architects Juan Lozano and Juan Serrano. The east and west portals were completed in 1688 and 1689 respectively; In that last year, the six buttresses that support the structure on the side of its main façade, the buttresses that support the vaults of the main nave and the first building outside the central core, the "conciliar seminary", were completed, which would be completed ten years later. At the end of this century the ornamentation process of most of the side chapels was completed; Furthermore, in 1696, the choir of canons was built in the middle of the central nave, which, following the style of Spanish cathedrals, had to be located in this sector of the temple, which would block the long hallway from the entrance to the main altar, reducing the capacity of occupants for the most important religious ceremonies.[34]​[35]​.

18th century

During the century little was done to advance the completion of the construction of the cathedral; largely because, already completed inside and useful for all the ceremonies that were offered, there was no urgent need to continue working on what was missing, only at the beginning of the century stood out the beginning of the construction of the second and third buildings outside the central core, first the "Chapel of the Souls", completed in 1720 and located on one side of the north façade, at the back of the cathedral; and second, between the aforementioned chapel and at the rear end of the west façade, the "Curia Building", which although it operated in the neighboring Palacio del Arzobispado "Antiguo Palacio del Arzobispado (Mexico)"), when this acquired more residential characteristics, the new building received offices and halls of the chapter.[30]​.

Although the exterior work had been effectively suspended, some interior work continued. In 1725 Jerónimo de Balbás completed the Altar of the Kings, located in the apse of the cathedral, becoming the main altar of the building and the one with the greatest ornamentation; In 1735, the "Altar of Forgiveness" was built in front of the choir, located right in front of the main entrance or "Holy Door"; In 1736, the installation of the monumental organs was completed, on the arches of the central nave that flanked the canons' choir, while the upper tribunes of the same were built; In 1737, Balbás himself replaced the old main altar of the century with one in the Baroque style, which incorporated a new design called "Cypress", different from the baldachin because the rite was not celebrated under it, but in front, and different from the altarpiece because it was not attached to the wall. Around 1737, Domingo de Arrieta" was the senior master; he made, in the company of José Eduardo de Herrera, master of architecture, the tribunes that surround the choir. In 1742 Manuel de Álvarez"), master of architecture, ruled with Herrera himself on the presbytery project presented by Jerónimo de Balbás.

In 1749, the construction of the most distinctive annex to the central body of the cathedral began, the "Sagrario Metropolitano", the work of Lorenzo Rodríguez, completed in 1768. When it was finished, an access was made to connect it with the cathedral, opening a carpanel arch in the western wing of the tabernacle; This displaces the «Chapel of San Isidro», which remains only as a passage between the buildings.[30]​.

On September 17, 1752, an iron cross, more than three yards long, with its weathervane, engraved on both sides with the Sanctus Deus prayer, was placed on the crown of the dome of this church, and in the middle of it a quarter oval, in which on one side was placed a wax of Agnus with its stained glass window, and on the other a sheet in which Saint was sculpted. Prisca, lawyer of lightning. The spike of said cross is two rods and its entire weight is fourteen arrobas; It was stuck in a stone base.[36]​.

19th century

Once Mexico's independence was concluded, the cathedral soon became the scene of important chapters in the history of the new country. Being the main religious center and seat of ecclesiastical power, it was part of different events involving the public life of independent Mexico.

On July 21, 1822, the coronation ceremony of Agustín de Iturbide as emperor of Mexico took place. From early on, the salute of twenty-four cannons sounded, balconies were decorated and the facades of public buildings were decorated, as well as atriums and church portals. Two thrones were placed in the cathedral, the main one next to the priest and the minor one near the choir.[40] Shortly before nine in the morning, the members of Congress and the City Council took their assigned places. Troops of cavalry and infantry surrounded the future emperor and his entourage. Three bishops officiated at the mass. The president of the Congress, Rafael Mangino, was in charge of placing the crown on Augustine I, immediately afterwards the emperor himself placed the crown on the empress. Other insignia were imposed on the newly crowned by the generals and ladies-in-waiting, Bishop Juan Cruz Ruiz de Cabañas y Crespo exclaimed * Vivat Imperator in aeternum!

In 1825 the heads of Miguel Hidalgo, Ignacio Allende, Juan Aldama and Mariano Jiménez, rescued and protected after having remained hanging in front of the Alhóndiga de Granaditas in Guanajuato, were transferred from the parish of Santo Domingo to the Metropolitan Cathedral in a solemn procession. The march of the skulls protected in an urn covered with black velvet was accompanied by the ringing of the bells, the voices of the Cabildo Choir and the brotherhoods that at that time were responsible for the cathedral chapels. Months before, those same skulls hung in front of the Alhóndiga and now Archbishop Pedro José de Fonte y Hernández Miravete gave authorization for the "Jubilee Door" of the site to be wide open to receive the so-called "heroes of Independence."

The remains of José María Morelos, Francisco Javier Mina, Mariano Matamoros and Hermenegildo Galeana were also received. The remains were placed in the "Crypt of the Archbishops and Viceroys" and at that time it was written: "To the honorable remains of the magnanimous and undaunted leaders, fathers of Mexican freedom, and victims of perfidy and nepotism, the tearful and grateful country erected this public monument." In 1838, in a massive state funeral ceremony, the remains of Agustín Iturbide, parading through the entire square, to the "Chapel of San Felipe de Jesús."

In 1847, after the American occupation took place, the cathedral also suffered from the acts of the invaders, highlighting the damage done to the "Sun Stone" when US soldiers used the monolith as target shooting, affecting the face of the sun. Simultaneously, the authorities of the cathedral, far from the turbulent times of the country, asked the architect Lorenzo de la Hidalga to build a cypress to replace that of Jerónimo de Balbás which, according to the chronicles of the time, the change in artistic taste led to its dismantling, at least before 1838, since the accounts of Iturbide's burial do not record that it still existed. The interior monument of the main altar, in neoclassical style, began its construction in June 1848 and was completed in 1851.[30]​.

20th century

In 1912 the "Mañozca Cross" returned to the cathedral to be located in its current position, behind the metropolitan tabernacle. Since 1913, with the archaeological discoveries on the corner of Seminario and Moneda streets, by the archaeologist Manuel Gamio, the old version that the cathedral was built on the Templo Mayor began to be demystified, since the ruins found correspond to a corner of it, making the location referred to unviable for centuries. In 1914 the trees around the building were removed, as they were high enough to obstruct the view of the enclosure, and replaced with gardens, which remained there until 1924. In the same building, in front of the "Conciliar Seminary", a fountain was built with a sculpture by Bartolomé de las Casas. In 1925, at the direction of President Plutarco Elías Calles, the remains of the heroes of independence left the cathedral to be placed at the base of the Column of the Angel of Independence on Paseo de la Reforma. The Mexican government did not take the body of Agustín de Iturbide, however, it remains in the chapel of San Felipe de Jesús.[30]​.

As part of the series of events that led to the outbreak of the Cristero War, on February 4, 1926, in the newspaper El Universal "El Universal (México)") a protest that Archbishop José Mora y del Río had declared nine years earlier against the new Constitution was published, but the note was presented as new news,[48]​ that is, as if it were a recent statement.[49]​ By orders of the president Calles - who considered the statement as a challenge to the Government - Mora y del Río was brought before the Attorney General's Office "Procuraduría General de la República (Mexico)") and detained; Several temples were closed, including the cathedral itself, and foreign priests were expelled. Constitutional article 130 was regulated as the Law of Cults (known as the Streets Law), religious schools were closed and the number of priests was limited so that only one officiated for every six thousand inhabitants. On June 21, 1929, during the presidency of Emilio Portes Gil, the Church and the Government signed the agreements that put an end to hostilities in Mexican territory, with which the site was reopened.

It was not until 1933 that the first plan for diagnosis and solution to structural problems was implemented, by the architects Manuel Ortiz Monasterio" and Manuel Cortina García"). Starting from this, three alternatives were specified to reduce the impact of the collapse, which were basically limited to reducing weight from the structure and load from the foundation: Demolition of the Seminary buildings; Begin the repair of the structure of the Tabernacle, which was evidently the one that showed the greatest problems in its skeleton; Empty the foundation cells formed in the grid of counter girders and use this space for the implementation of funerary crypts. All these works were carried out between 1933 and 1942.[50] With the space gained in the foundation work, in 1937 the construction of the "Crypts for the Archbishops" under the cathedral was completed, specifically under the "Altar of the Kings." In 1943, to give greater visibility to the aforementioned altar, the Lorenzo de la Hidalga cypress was removed and replaced by a smaller altar made of Tecali marble in 1950.

21st century

The night of September 15, 2010 was one of the main stages of the celebrations of the bicentennial of independence; a multimedia spectacle of images and sound projected on its main façade, accompanied by fireworks, was the closing of the main events in the capital's Zócalo "Plaza de la Constitución (Mexico City)").

It would not be until February 13, 2016 that a new visit by a top Catholic leader would take place, when Pope Francis "Francisco (Pope)") attended a meeting with all the bishops of the dioceses of Mexico.[57]​.

The cathedral foundation monitoring and protection system was tested during the earthquake of September 19, 2017, and indeed responded positively; However, the same did not occur for the interior and exterior of the enclosure, which for the first time suffered damage that, although superficial and aesthetic, showed wear and degradation of the structures not linked to the foundation, but to the heritage value of the temple.

Among the most significant damages was the fall of the sculpture of "Hope" from the sculptural group of the theological virtues at the top of the main façade; the collapse of the cross of the east tower (which at the same time pierced a vault of the Metropolitan Tabernacle); cracks in the vaults, misalignment of voussoirs in the arches and detachment of flattened ones.

In 2019, the most exhaustive intervention project to the cathedral began since the rescue in the 1990s. In a first stage of attention, by the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage Sites and Monuments, with the support of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), and the Engineering Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, maintenance work was carried out on the control pile system, eradication of parasitic flora, caulking of cracks, and rehabilitation of electrical installation and lightning rod system; works that had an investment of 20 million pesos and a duration of two years.[58]​.

The second stage of the restoration, framed in the national reconstruction project of the federal government, began on September 7, 2022. On this occasion, the towers, the dome, the main façade and the central vault of the Tabernacle would be intervened at a cost of 84 million pesos. The two towers were covered with gigantic scaffolding for work to consolidate their structure and support, this through the injection of a semi-liquid substance to anchor the cracks and fissures; At the same time, maintenance work was carried out on the bell towers and the ornamental or sculptural pieces of both supports, including the replacement of the fallen cross in 2017; In the case of the vaults, cracks were sewn with pieces of masonry; while the dome, as well as its lantern, received cleaning work, elimination of harmful flora, shoring and consolidation; Finally, the main façade received cleaning and restoration work on elements lost in the 2017 earthquake. This second stage concluded in January 2023.[59]​[60]​.

The Cathedral is the official headquarters of the Primate Archdiocese of Mexico. Since the second half of the century and until 2019 (when it gave up part of its territory for the formation of three new dioceses), it was the largest in the Catholic world. Synod of bishops.

By virtue of the provisions of the regulatory framework that make up the "Law of Religious Associations and Public Worship", the "General Law of National Assets" and the "Federal Law on Monuments and Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Areas", the Cathedral is a "Property owned by the nation" registered as "Historical Monument", so it is property of the federal Government, however it is deposited on loan to a religious association called "Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City AR", dependent on another, which is the Archdiocese of Mexico.[63]​[64]​[65]​[66]​.

The administration and protection of the building is carried out jointly by various areas of the federal and local governments and ecclesiastical authorities, due to the heritage, historical, religious and cultural implications of the architectural complex. According to the regulatory framework, the above is distributed as follows:

• - Metropolitan Council — Dependency of the Archdiocese of Mexico, which manages the resources, plans, projects and programs linked to the operation, conservation and authorization of the Cathedral. Coordinating the different areas that have influence over each area; that is, the person directly responsible for the building. They are also responsible for regulating and directing the religious activities of the campus. Constituted as a collegiate body, it is made up of 20 clerics called "canons":[67]​

• Dean is the highest position, and therefore rector of the Cathedral.

• Ardeacon, second in command within the structure and immediate replacement of the dean.

• Canon theologian, in charge of the formation and preparation of the chapter, as well as the doctrine taught.

• Penitentiary canon, responsible for absolution.

• Secretary, custodian and person responsible for the archive and documentation of the temple.

• Bursar, responsible for the finances and resources of the temple.

• Librarian, in charge of the general archive (library, newspaper archive, etc.).

• Chaplains, priests assisting religious practice, and those responsible for the lay personnel who operate in the Cathedral.

• - General Directorate of Cultural Heritage Sites and Monuments — Dependency of the Ministry of Culture "Secretaría de Cultura (Mexico)"), which is responsible for the conservation of the artistic, historical and architectural heritage of the property.

Added to these two are the National Institute of Anthropology and History and the "Authority of the Historical Center" (dependency of the Government of Mexico City), which intervene in the preservation and dissemination of the property's heritage in the first case, and in the adaptations to the surroundings of the building for its correct use, in the second case. Although, by law, its security is the responsibility of the federal government, the council is authorized to employ private security personnel and local police.

The architectural complex is made up of a set of semi-independent buildings, these are: the central core that integrates the basilica plan, the cathedral as such; the "Metropolitan Tabernacle"; the “Curia Building”; and the “Chapel of the Souls”.

Covers

The main façade comprises the south front of the building, on the Zócalo road section that connects "5 de Mayo" street with the corner of "Seminario" and "Moneda" streets. It is composed of five bodies delimited by the intercales of the six buttresses that support it, these have a square base topped by enormous scrolls; The two largest bodies correspond to the corners and bases of the bell towers, they are covered with Chiluca quarry and each has an access to the towers, and three windows; The door steps have been constantly modified, as they are the elements of the assembly that most exhibit differential collapse. The other three bodies correspond to the monumental portals, the central one being larger than the lateral ones, since the first, in addition to being higher, has a wider top.[68]​[69]​.

The central doorway presents on its first level, on each side of the door, two pairs of Doric columns separated by niches, in which are the sculptures of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (works by the sculptor Miguel Jiménez in 1687), above them they have a lattice-style decoration "Lattice (architecture)"); The upper part of the columns (beams) is decorated with triglyphs and metopes. On the second level, above the door, there is a white marble high relief of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, inspired by a work by the Flemish painter Pedro Pablo Rubens; It is flanked by pairs of tritostyle columns") with an Ionic capital, in whose niches are the sculptures of Saint Andrew and Saint James the Greater (by the same author of the previous sculptures), above them there is a quarry decoration carved in the shape of a rhombus; below the relief lies a marble plaque with the Latin inscription of the dedication of the temple. At the top, there is the figure carved by Luis Rodríguez Alconedo at the beginning of the century, which represents to the iconographic emblem of the city, the founding myth of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, the eagle with outstretched wings, standing on a cactus, devouring a snake, this image is identical to the later used shield of Mexico, in its version of 1823-1846; the coat of arms is within an oval flanked by garlands, and originally the figures inside the medallion were covered with gold, but most of the gold tone has faded. The complex is completed by the clock cube, on which are the sculptures of the "Theological Virtues", which represent faith "Faith (religion)"), hope "Hope (virtue)") and charity "Charity (virtue)"), works by the sculptor Manuel Tolsá.

The left or west side portal shows a finish with the papal tiara, inside a medallion decorated with garlands, on the sides two ciboriums supported by angels, all these elements made in quarry; The second level has a white marble relief flanked by Solomonic columns, this represents the allegorical scene in which Jesus Christ hands the keys of heaven to Saint Peter, surrounded by the apostles and with a triumphal arch in the background.

The right or eastern side cover has an identical finish to the other side, with the papal tiara; Flanked by Solomonic columns, there is a white marble relief with the allegorical image of "the nave of the church", this symbolism is reminiscent of early Christian art, which represented the church as a boat leading to the eternal port; In the image of the relief, Jesus Christ as captain, the twelve apostles and the four evangelists appear.

The three portals have carved wooden doors, the largest being also the central door, and the only one accompanied by iconography in the carving; As with all Catholic cathedrals, the main door is called "Holy Door", which in the case of this enclosure, can only be opened in four situations: the funeral of an archbishop, the inauguration of a new archbishop, the visit of a supreme pontiff and every 25 years in a so-called "jubilee year"; However, it was opened in special situations, such as the coronation of Agustín de Iturbide in 1822, the reception of the funeral remains of the heroes of independence in 1825, the state funeral for Iturbide himself in 1838, the reception of the emperors Maximilian and Carlota in 1864, and in 1925 when the remains of the insurgent heroes were exhumed, to be taken to the Angel of Independence. The images carved on the holy door are four, one for each quadrant of the gate, framed in rectangles in each center of the sections; in the upper part on the left, Saint Joseph with the baby Jesus; on the right Santa Rosa de Lima; In the lower part, on both sides, the Archangel Michael defeating the devil.[68]​[69]​.

• - Left portal of the main façade.

• - Central façade of the main façade.

• - Right portal of the main façade.

• - Sculptures of the three theological virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity.

• - Clock cube, sculptural group and national coat of arms at the top of the main façade.

The west façade extends along “Monte de Piedad” street, it was built in 1688 and rebuilt in 1804. It presents a façade divided into three sections. The first in the lower part has the sculptures of Saint Thomas and Saint Matthew; Both statues are located in niches flanked by Doric columns; The beams between the levels have a marble plaque with the Latin inscription that refers to the construction and inauguration of the cover. The second level has three windows adorned with stained glass by Mathias Goeritz, made in the century; The side windows are each accompanied by tritostyle columns with Ionic capitals. At the top, lie the sculptures of Simon the apostle "Simon (apostle)") and Saint Jude Thaddeus, and in the center a stained glass window by the same author, flanked by two Solomonic columns with a Corinthian capital. The esplanade of this façade is publicly accessible and its carved wooden door is the secondary or emerging entrance to the cathedral. In its esplanade there are the column bases of the old cathedral and a sculpture of John Paul II made in the 2000s, from cast keys donated by the population.

The east façade covers the section of the old "Seminario" street, and has restricted access. This consists only of a two-level cover and a finial; In the first are the sculptures of Saint Bartholomew and Saint John the Apostle, each flanked by a pair of Doric columns; On the second level there are three windows adorned with stained glass by Mathias Goeritz, made in the century; The side windows are each accompanied by tritostyle columns with Ionic capitals. At the top, in the center there is a stained glass window by the same author, flanked by two Solomonic columns with Corinthian capitals, and next to these, the sculptures of San Felipe and Santiago el Menor. In the beams between the first and second levels, there is a marble plaque with the Latin inscription that refers to the construction and inauguration of the façade. The esplanade on this cover is also restricted access; It contains the fountain with the sculpture by Bartolomé de las Casas, a small garden, stonework material for repairs and the entrance to the archaeological remains beneath the cathedral; as well as the remains of the famous "Mañozca Cross", on the wall that corresponds to the rear façade of the Tabernacle. At the north end of the façade there is a carved wooden door without a cover, which gives access to the sacristy.[68]​[69]​.

The north façade covers the section of "República de Guatemala" street, it was built in the century in Herrerian style, it is the oldest part of the cathedral and the lowest in height. It is covered with tezontle and has in its center a niche with an allegorical relief of the "Lamb of the Apocalypse." This exterior space corresponds to the rear part of the "Altar of the Kings" inside, therefore it is the apse of the cathedral; On its sides it has two carved wooden doors that served as northern access to the cathedral for more than a century, but were closed when two altarpieces from the Jesuit College of San Pedro and San Pablo were placed in the interior as chapels, when it was closed in 1767.[26][70]​.

• - East or east facade.

• - West or west façade.

• - North façade.

Bell Towers

The towers were built between 1787 and 1791, however between 1642 and 1672 the base and first body of the eastern tower were built. The works were carried out by the architect José Damián Ortiz de Castro; These have a height of between 64 and 67 meters whose interior access is via ellipsoidal stairs made of wood.[74]​.

The square towers are made up of three bodies: the first is straight with a small entrance and three square windows above it; In the second there is a central opening and two smaller ones on each side, with a semicircular enclosure; Part of the bells are also found in this section; The third body has two openings in the center, one with a semicircular enclosure and the other square in shape, and on each side a large rectangular opening that covers the height of the two central ones. It ends with a roof in the shape of a large bell with an elliptical plan and a semi-ovoid roof crowned by a stone sphere and an iron cross.[68]​[69]​.

Each tower has eight sculptures representing saints who protect the city, four being doctors of the Western Church and the other four being doctors of the Church in Spain. The sculptures of the western tower are the work of José Zacarías Cora"), and represent Augustine of Hippo, Gregory the Great, Leander of Seville, Saint Braulio, Saint Rose of Lima "Rosa de Lima (saint)"), Saint Francis Xavier, Saint Emigdio and Saint Barbara "Barbara (martyr)"). For their part, those of the eastern tower were sculpted by Santiago Cristóbal de Sandoval") and represent Saint Ambrose, Saint Jerome, Saint Isidro Labrador, Saint Ildefonso, Saint Philip of Jesus, Saint Hippolytus, Saint Cassian and Saint Gregory the Taumaturgus.[12]

The two towers have space to house 56 bells, although today there are 35, with 23 located in the eastern tower, 11 in the western one, and one more outside the two towers that is located under a niche near the choir. The largest bell of all has the name "Santa María de Guadalupe", it was cast by Salvador de la Vega in 1791 and placed in 1793, it weighs around thirteen tons. The oldest bell was cast in 1578, and is known as "Santa María de la Asunción" or "Doña María", it weighs approximately seven tons and was placed in 1653, like "La Ronca", known for its low tone. The most modern is from 2002, it was placed on the occasion of the canonization of Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin and was blessed by Pope John Paul II.

The bells of the cathedral have rung at important moments in the history of Mexico, thus calling the people to the rescue of El Parián in 1682; They rang at the coronation of Emperor Agustín de Iturbide, at his death and burial; They called on the people to defend the city against the American invasion on September 14, 1847; and they marked the beginning of the festivities of the centenary of national Independence on September 15, 1910, and of the Bicentennial of National Independence on September 15, 2010. They ring in full every year on the feast of Corpus Christi, on the night of September 15, on Christmas night, at the "New Year's" mass and at the Easter mass; in the case of the deaths of the archbishop and the pope, they double 75 and 100 times respectively; and they ring before the announcement of the election of the successors of the aforementioned hierarchs.[75]​.

Dome

It was completed with adaptations to Ortiz de Castro's project. The Assumption of the Virgin was also represented inside (Rafael Ximeno y Planes, 1810). The dome that exists today is the work of Manuel Tolsá, and has an octagonal plan, which has Ionic pilasters on its drum and between them vertical windows with straight enclosures, topped by a curved pediment. The dome has a great elevation and is divided into eight sections decorated with geometric moldings made with mosaics, which reach the highest part of the base of a slender lantern, whose dome is crowned by a large flame. The current windows are by Matías Goeritz. In the fire of 1967, caused by a short circuit in the Altar of Forgiveness, the painting of the Assumption was consumed.[77][68][69][30]​.

Altar of the Kings

The Altar of the Kings is the main altarpiece of the Cathedral, it is located in the apse of the temple, behind the "High Altar", built on an oven vault. It is the work of Jerónimo de Balbás, author, among others, of the «Altar of Forgiveness» of this same cathedral, and of the missing «Altar Mayor» of the church of the Sagrario "Iglesia del Sagrario (Sevilla)") of the cathedral of Seville. Its construction began in 1718, it is made in the Churrigueresque style of white cedar wood and golden ayacahuite, with the characteristic decoration element being the columns and pilasters estípites "Estípite (architecture)"), an innovative method introduced to New Spain by the author of the altarpiece; Its construction ended in 1725, but due to the prolonged gilding process carried out by Francisco Martínez, it was dedicated until 1737 when said ornamentation was finished; This makes it the oldest churrigueresque work in Mexico. It has undergone various restorations, especially after the fire of 1967, the most extensive being in 2003.

It measures 25 meters high, 13.75 m wide and 7.5 m deep, due to these dimensions it is known as "the golden cave"; It is divided into three vertical streets, presenting an abundant composition of pilasters, columns, foliage, garlands and cherubs. The space of the altar is limited on both sides by enormous pilasters, which serve as antas "Anta (architecture)") to large stipes that support the projecting cornice, which extends like an impost around the entire perimeter; Two other stipes support the vaulted vault. There are no records of the existence of an altarpiece that preceded it, so said construction space was empty for almost sixty years, until the project by Jerónimo de Balbás. The altarpieces on the side walls outside the vault were made around 1778 by Isidro Vicente de Balbás").[78]​[70]​.

There are two versions regarding its name, the first indicates that, as was the case with different cathedrals in the Spanish colonies in America, the space in the apse was reserved as a "Royal Chapel or Altar", for the exclusive use of the monarchs, contemplating probable visits by them to their possessions outside the peninsula; This version is supported by the existence of several main altarpieces called "Altar of the Kings" and a custom among Spanish cathedrals, which reserved this space in the apse as mausoleums for members of royalty.[79]​.

However, the most widespread version is that it takes its name from the carvings of saints belonging to royalty, which are part of its decoration. At the bottom, from left to right, six canonized queens appear: Margaret of Scotland "Marguerite of Scotland (saint)"), Helen of Constantinople, Elizabeth of Hungary, Isabel of Portugal "Elizabeth of Portugal (saint)"), Cunegonde of Luxembourg and Edith of Wilton "Edith (saint)"). In the center of the altar are six canonized kings: Hermenegild, Henry II of the Holy Roman Empire, Edward the Confessor and Casimir of Poland, located in a lower position, and Louis IX of France and Ferdinand III of Castile, located in a higher position than the previous four.[70]​.

In the center of these kings is an oil painting of the "Adoration of the Kings" by Juan Rodríguez Juárez that shows the baby Jesus held by the virgin Mary, being adored by the Three Wise Men in the middle of the manger. The upper part has a painting of the "Assumption of the Virgin", by the same author, as a celestial queen being elevated to the heavens before the gaze of the apostles. The assumption painting is flanked by two oval bas-reliefs depicting "Saint Joseph with the baby Jesus" and "Saint Teresa of Ávila" with a pen in her hand and the Holy Spirit, who inspires her to write, above her. The altarpiece is completed with carvings of angels carrying attributes of praise to the virgin such as "Sealed Fountain", "House of Gold", "Well of Living Water" and "Tower of David". The complex is crowned by a double golden vault in which the image of God the Father appears holding the world in the center, and on its sides medallions with the images of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.[80]​[68]​[69]​[30]​.

High altar

Throughout its history, the Metropolitan Cathedral has had four main altars, the first three in the shape of a tabernacle free from the walls, so that it could be surrounded and altars placed on its main faces. The first was made in the s. about which not much information is known; This was replaced in the s. by a baroque wooden cypress, in the stipe style made by Jerónimo de Balbás, it had a pinar (pine-shaped pillar), a silver tabernacle of rough workmanship, which has another, smaller one, inside made with gold; The change of taste in artistic fashion, its weak structure and costly repairs led to its dismantling, today only a sculpture of the Assumption of Mary remains.

In 1848 it was replaced by a neoclassical-style cypress, the work of Lorenzo de la Hidalga; It had three bodies with Corinthian style columns, the sculptures of angels and saints, that of Christ the King and that of the "Assumption of Mary" at the top, were made by Francisco Terrazas; Part of its financing was paid for with the casting of a gold sculpture of the "Assumption" from 1610 and a silver lamp nine meters in circumference that hung in front of the "Altar of the Kings"; This cypress tree was demolished in 1943, only some sculptures remain, most of them distributed on the access walls to the cathedral and others in the curia building.

After the removal of the previous cypress, the cathedral authorities proposed the construction of a new "High Altar", but at a lower altitude to prevent the view of the "Altar of the Kings" from being obstructed. The new, and current altar, was installed in 1950 with the sponsorship of the "Commission of order and decorum"; the design is the work of the architect Antonio Muñoz García") and was made by the sculptor Ernesto Tamariz; it is made of tecali jasper, a material already used in the ambos. It is rectangular in plan and only has one level, although with a protruding intermediate in front, like a platform or table; its reliefs represent eight apostles and some liturgical signs: on the left side Simón "Simón (apostle)") and Andrés; in front of the left side Juan, and on the side right Pedro; on the right side Santiago the Lesser and Felipe; on the back left Bartholomew and on the right side Thomas.

Among the liturgical elements of decoration there is a censer in the lower part of the front, a flaming heart on a nimbus that is at the same time on a cross, the pointing hand of God the Father on a cross, the dove of the Holy Spirit also on a cross, and under the altar table, two angels worshiping the name of Jesus with the monogram composed of the letters "J, H and S" with a cross; To his right is the "Lamb of the Apocalypse" and to his left are the "Tables of Moses" and the "Ark of the Covenant." The rear part also has a double lateral staircase of the same material, used to climb the monstrance of the Eucharist; In the center of the staircase is a metal door on which is the shield of the then archbishop Miguel Darío Miranda Gómez. On the upper part of the altar lies a wooden crucifix and four monstrances or monstrances "Custody (liturgy)") that are part of the monumental monstrance set.

Choir

The choir is located in a closed space in the middle of the central nave, between the "Altar of Forgiveness" and the processional hallway towards the "High Altar", this in the style of Spanish cathedrals; It consists of a hemicycle with two rows of seats; The fifty-nine of the upper part are separated by Solomonic columns surrounded by vines that frame relief sculptures of gilded wood, it is for the exclusive use of the canons and the archbishop, while the 45 below are for sixes and sochantres. At the top it presents 59 reliefs that include the twelve apostles, the four evangelists, the four fathers of the Western church, the founders of the religious orders and various saints and martyrs of the church; They are all made of mahogany, walnut, cedar and tepehuaje. Originally the carvings were covered in gold, but the majority, 47 out of 59, were destroyed in the fire of 1967, so the new ones did not contain this element. The choir stalls were made by Juan de Rojas "Juan de Rojas (sculptor)") between 1696 and 1697.

In the center of the choir, between the railing and the stalls, is a lectern made of ebony, tindalum and balsam marquetry, decorated with ivory figures, which include the Assumption of Mary, the four evangelists, the four doctors of the church and a crucifix that crowns the entire work. It is supported by a quadrangular base and an attached shaft with scrolls at each angle. It was gifted by the bishop of Manila Manuel Antonio Rojo del Río in 1762 and is the work of the sculptor José de Núñez, being installed in 1766. It is used to hold the singing books, and is made up of three bodies.

The façade of the choir and the bay "Crujía (architecture)") were made according to the design of the painter Nicolás Rodríguez Juárez") under the supervision of the sangley Quiauló. The choir grille was made in 1722 by Sangley Queaulo"); It was built in Macau, China, (when this port city was a Portuguese colony) using tumbaga, a material made from the alloy of gold and copper. Upon arrival in New Spain it was installed by Jerónimo de Balbás; It was released in 1730, replacing a previous wooden one; The fence is flanked by two columns on which upper tribunes were built attached with golden reliefs of angels. At the top of the façade on the grille there is an oval with the figure of the "Assumption of Mary", crowned with a crucifix, which is complemented by two more on the sides to represent the Calvary scene.[68]​[69]​.

On the opposite side, just behind the "Altar of Forgiveness", an altarpiece as a curtain with a canopy, crowns a group composed of two columns with angels in the capitals, guarding an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe "Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico)"), and below it an allegorical painting in which Jesus Christ blesses a group of musical angels, while two of them offer him a crown, this is the work of Cristóbal de Villalpando, and It replaced one by Juan Correa that burned in the fire of 1967. In the lower part of the wall, already in the carved wooden ensemble, there is a niche in the center with a cross, beginning the order of the ashlar masonry, with the image of Saint Peter being in the first place.[83]​.

Organs

The cathedral has had several organs in its history.[84] The first record of its existence is in a written report to the king of Spain in 1530, although no details of it appear. In 1655, Diego de Sebaldos built an organ. The first large organ, which is the Epistle organ (right side), was built by Jorge de Sesma in Madrid in 1690 and was installed in the cathedral by Tiburcio Sanz in 1695. of the organ by Jorge de Sesma.[85]​ In the fire of 1967 they suffered significant damage, so they were restored in 1978 by the organ company Flentrop and later restored between 2008 and 2014 by Gerhard Grenzing").[88]​.

They are located between the columns that delimit the choir, supported by its side walls, where the secondary entrances are located. They measure 15 meters high, nine meters wide and 2.80 meters deep. Its decoration includes effigies of angels in golden tones, carrying musical instruments, reliefs on the wood with vegetal and floral motifs, and royal crowns on the finials, supported by angels.[68][69]​.

• - Interior view in the choir of the right organ.

• - Interior view in the choir of the left organ.

Altar of Forgiveness

It is located in the backchoir, at the front of the central nave. The altarpiece was made by the Spanish architect Jerónimo de Balbás in 1735, being one of his most important works. It is baroque with a single body, finished in gold leaf, it represents the first use of the stipe "Stipite (architecture)") in America, in which the columns represent the human body; The finish is semicircular and in the first two bodies medallions with relief images are displayed; The design is prominently integrated with the upper rear stands of the choir, attached to the altar tones. In early 1967 there was a fire in the cathedral that damaged the altar. Thanks to the restoration carried out, it can be seen today.[70][79]​.

It is called that because it is located behind the door of the same name. Although there are two other legends about the origin of the name, the first establishes that those condemned by the Inquisition were taken to the altar to ask for forgiveness before their execution. The second refers to the painter Simon Pereyns, author of many works in the cathedral, who was apparently accused of blasphemy and sentenced to prison. While in prison, he painted a beautiful image of the Virgin Mary, for which his crime was forgiven.[80]​.

On this altar is the image of the crucified Jesus Christ made of corn cane paste known as the "Lord of Poison".[89]​ The image dates back to the century and was originally located in the chapel of the Porta Coeli Seminary in Mexico City, but after being closed to public worship in 1935, it was transferred to the Metropolitan Cathedral.[89]​.

Naves and altars of the apse

The basilica-type architectural plan provides for the integration of five naves, one central, two processional and two lateral. The central nave, in which the altars “Del Perdón”, “Major” and “De los Reyes” are located, as well as the choir and organs; It is covered with a lunette vault "Luneta (architecture)") that arises from a barrel vault, which is the one that results from the extension of a semicircular arch; The vaults are decorated with moldings with geometric motifs in green tones. The processional vaults have baída vaults, whose shape appears from the intersection of a dome with a cube, whose base is inscribed at the base of the dome; In this case the vaults were decorated with radial moldings. The side naves where the chapels are located have different types of vault, as described in each case. The vault of the cathedral dome was decorated with radial moldings, after the destruction in 1967 of the painting that adorned it until then.

In 1767, after the expulsion of the Society of Jesus from the Spanish Empire, the Jesuit College of Saint Peter and Saint Paul stopped being used for religious purposes, so to safeguard its two monumental altarpieces, they were moved to the "Metropolitan Tabernacle" and later to the two spaces under the vaults at the northern end of the processional naves of the Cathedral, next to the "Altar of the Kings", where the rear doors of the enclosure were located.

The first altarpiece, in the east wing, is that of the "Virgin of Zapopan" measuring 13 meters high by nine meters wide. The portraits that accompany the Marian devotion belong to founders of religious orders such as Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Dominic, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Saint John Bosco, Saint Philip Neri, among others. On the west side and of similar dimensions, an altarpiece dedicated to Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles, called the "Divine Savior", was placed.[68]​[69]​[30]​[79]​.

• - Left or west processional nave.

• - Altarpiece of the Divine Savior.

• - Pendulum that measures the sinking of the cathedral in the central nave.

• - Altarpiece of the Virgin of Zapopan.

• - Right or eastern processional nave.

Chapels

The 14 chapels located in the side naves of the cathedral are distributed equally on both sides, all have elaborate bronze bars and ornamented at the top, with the inscription of the invocation, saint or dedication of this. The chapels were sponsored and dedicated to brotherhoods and guilds; the first were prohibited by the Reform Laws; The latter belonged to trades and tasks that disappeared with the passage of time, because they were no longer necessary for the chapel's belongings or because they became professional jobs far removed from religious ties.[68][69][30][79]​.

It is located on the base of the western tower, making it the first chapel in the west wing of the complex, starting from the main façade, and was completed between 1653 and 1660; It is covered by a star vault, typical of late Gothic. This first chapel was destroyed by a fire in 1711, so it was immediately replaced by the current one, completed in 1713.

The three altarpieces are in the Solomonic baroque style, with stewed and polychrome sculptures, works by Manuel de Nava"), which represent the seven archangels (Miguel, Gabriel, Rafael, Uriel, Jofiel, Camael and Zadkiel), all of them in the central altarpiece, representing the allegory of the "Choir of the Angels"; this altarpiece is topped with an effigy of God the Father holding an orb with a crucifix, while in the lintel of the window there is a dove as a symbol of the holy spirit, and below this window Jesus Christ, also holding a robe with a crucifix; the vertical alignment of the three figures represents the "Holy Trinity."

The altarpiece on the right contains paintings of other angels representing the "Angelology" or hierarchies of the heavenly choirs (seraphim, cherubs, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers and principalities), as well as a painting of the Virgin Mary "Mary (mother of Jesus)"); while the altarpiece on the left, in addition to the celestial beings (among which the famous "Guardian Angel" stands out), contains a painting of Saint Joseph who, complemented by the Christ of the central altarpiece, symbolize the allegory of "the Holy Family"; The paintings are the work of Juan Correa. Except for the sculpture of Saint Michael and the furniture in the chapel, most of the set is the original reopened in 1713, making it one of the best preserved spaces in the cathedral.[79]​.

It is the second chapel in the west wing, its roof is a groin vault. The altarpieces were made around 1650 in a baroque style reminiscent of mannerism. They contain ten paintings, in addition to the one that serves as the background of the "Lord of Health"; The works are framed by Corinthian columns. Among the altarpieces that decorate the interior of the chapel, the main one is dedicated to honoring the tutelary saints of the chapel; It consists of two bodies, the top and three entrecales.

It is one of the cathedral altarpieces of the century in which it can be said that it has a mannerist accent and as proof of this are the fluted classicist columns. The altarpiece was conceived to house paintings, which exalt the life of the medical saints Cosme and Damián "Cosme and Damián (martyrs)") and are due to the painter Sebastián López Dávalos. Only three of the paintings do not belong to the biographical account of the martyrs, and they are, one about the scene in which Pope Nicholas V contemplates the funeral remains of Saint Francis of Assisi and witnesses a miracle, one of Saint Hippolytus, another of Saint Sebastian and a small one in the medallion at the top with the image of God the Father.

Sacristy

It is the oldest space in the cathedral, it is located at the north end of the east wing of the complex. In 1626, when Viceroy Rodrigo Pacheco y Osorio, Marquis of Cerralvo (1624-1635) ordered the demolition of the old temple, the sacristy functioned (until 1641) as the place where services were held. Logically, the main altar was placed there and according to the inventory of 1632, it had two lecterns, one of gilded iron and the other of silver made by the master Pedro Ceballos.

As established by the ecclesiastical canon, the purpose of this place is to safeguard the objects, instruments and accessories necessary for the celebration of religious worship, such as chalices, ciboriums, monstrances, censers; and also where the clerics, especially the archbishop, dress in the garments necessary for the Eucharistic celebration, such as the miter, pallium, tunic and stole.

The doorway is in the Herrerian style, and above the semicircular arch, there is an inscription that records its completion in 1623. The door was placed between 1684 and 1688, and measures 5.65 meters high by 3.25 meters wide; It is paneled and carved, the reliefs, in addition to the papal tiara and the keys of Saint Peter, contain Marian symbols, such as the rainbow, the moon, the star, the palm and the cypress.

It is built with a rectangular plan and its vault has Gothic style ribs. During the great flood between 1629 and 1634, as an offering, the famous "tilma of Juan Diego" was kept here, with the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe "Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico)").

Inside the sacristy you can admire six enormous paintings by the New Spain painters Cristóbal de Villalpando and Juan Correa "Juan Correa (Mexican painter)"). The titles of the paintings are: "The Church Triumphant and Militant" from 1685 and located on the west wall; «The Prayer of Saint Michael» from 1686, located around the frame and wall of the entrance door; «The Triumph Of The Church» which is on the right side of the previous one; and at the opposite end a painting whose name has two versions "The Woman of the Apocalypse" or "Fight of Saint Michael with the dragon" (Villalpando). "La Asunción" from 1689, located on the south wall; and on the left side of this painting, on the east wall and next to the door that connects the patio of the east façade, is "The Entry of Christ to Jerusalem" (Correa), the door frame has the painting of a medallion with the "Assumption of Mary", in allusion to the coat of arms of the archdiocese. The gilder of the frames was the sculptor Manuel de Nava and he carried out his work between 1685 and 1691. In addition to the six monumental paintings, around the walls there are other paintings, liturgical vestments, chalices, monstrances, reliquaries, sculptures and the silver cross used in processions, which complement the decoration and furniture of the place.

chapter house

Of similar age to the sacristy, it is located at the north end of the west wing of the enclosure. It is the meeting center of the "Metropolitan Chapter", the governing body of the Cathedral, made up of religious and lay canons.

The doorway inside the cathedral is in the Herrerian style with a semicircular arch. The door measures 5.65 meters high by 3.25 meters wide, it is boarded and carved, the reliefs, in addition to the papal tiara and the keys of Saint Peter, contain Marian symbols, such as the rainbow, the moon, the star, the palm and the cypress. It is built with a rectangular plan and its vault has Gothic style ribs. The entrance that led to the outside was integrated into the "Curia Building" since 1720; Above this door there is a painting of "The Holy Face" from the 19th century. As in the sacristy, a wooden fence divides the space in two, with the northern half being exclusively used by the canons.

On the front wall is the bronze archiepiscopal throne, ordered to be made by Archbishop Luis María Martínez y Rodríguez, which was on the main altar during the second third of the century. It is ornamented at the top with the shield of the archdiocese, which consists of an image of the "Immaculate Conception" standing on a cactus, two keys crossed behind her back, with a pair of angels flanking her and two more carrying the papal tiara. When the throne was replaced it was moved here and used as the frame for a painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe, a work by José de la Cruz from 1680. In front of the throne lies the altar table used by John Paul II in his 1979 mass. On the sides of the throne, from left to right, the paintings "The Christ of Saint Teresa" and "The Assumption of Mary", both dating from colonial times.

On the side walls, distributed on three levels, the portraits of 36 of the 43 archbishops of Mexico; Of these, only seven of them are signed and the majority are from the 19th century onwards. The missing portraits correspond to archbishops who resigned and those who died before assuming office. The rest of the decoration presents paintings from the colonial era with Marian invocations and of Jesus Christ, a wardrobe from the century and a painting with the Pentecost scene by Nicolás Rodríguez Juárez; The oil painting is on a bench with a carving of the Immaculate Conception and some saints. The upper frame of the access door to the cathedral is crowned by a painting of the archdiocese's coat of arms.[68]​[69]​[30]​[79]​[93]​.

Crypts

Under the Altar of the Kings is the crypt of the archbishops, there are the remains of most of the archbishops of Mexico, from Fray Juan de Zumárraga to Cardinal Ernesto Corripio y Ahumada, whose remains were deposited in April 2008. The entrance is through a large wooden door, located at the back of the body of the "High Altar", behind which, a spiral staircase descends. gives access to the crypt, made by the architect Ernesto Gómez Gallardo Argüelles; The current conformation and structure of this funerary enclosure was the product of the foundation work, which managed to gain enough space in the old crypts to bring together all the deceased archbishops in a single group. In the center there is a cenotaph with a life-size sculpture of Zumárraga, at the base of which is a skull carved in stone, this was an element of the Templo Mayor, the monument honors this character, since he was considered protector of the Indians against the abuses of the conquerors. Behind this, there is an altar with another pre-Hispanic geometric sculpture located at the bottom. The other archbishops are found in niches in the walls, marked by bronze plaques on which the name and episcopal coat of arms of each one appear. On the floor there are marble slabs that cover the niches of other people buried in the crypt.[94]​.

The cathedral contains other crypts and niches where other religious figures are buried, including in the chapels. In addition, it has crypts for the faithful who wish to be buried in the cathedral; this part has access to a staircase on one side of the west door.[68]​[69]​[30]​[79]​.

• - Crypt of the archbishops of Mexico.

• - Pre-Hispanic stone of the altar.

• - Crypt.

• - Zumárraga sculpture.

• - Niches of the archbishops.

The Metropolitan Tabernacle of Mexico City is located to the east of the cathedral. It was built following the design of Lorenzo Rodríguez between 1749 and 1760,[70]​ during the height of the Baroque. It had the function of housing the archives and vestments of the archbishop, in addition, it is the place for the reservation and communion of the Eucharist.[95]​.

The first church that was built on the site of the current cathedral also had a tabernacle although its exact location is unknown. During the construction of the cathedral, the tabernacle was located in the place currently occupied by the chapels of San Isidro and the Virgen de las Angustias of Granada. However, in the century it was decided to build a separate building but connected to the cathedral. The current tabernacle is built of red tezontle stone and white chiluca stone that forms a Greek cross. It is connected to the cathedral through the chapel of San Isidro.[26][70]​.

The building presents two main entrances from the outside; the main façade opens to the south, to the Plaza de la Constitución "Plaza de la Constitución (Mexico City)"); while the other opens to the east, to the Plaza del Seminario. The two facades are richly decorated with columns in the "Estípite (architecture)" style, a characteristic element of Churrigueresque. The main theme glorifies the Eucharist with images of the apostles, the fathers of the Church, the holy founders of religious orders, martyrs, as well as biblical scenes. There are some zoomorphic and other anthropomorphic reliefs, highlighting a rampant lion and the royal eagle present on the coat of arms of Mexico. The east façade, for its part, presents scenes from the Old Testament, as well as images of Saint John of Nepomuk and Saint Ignatius of Loyola. The dates of the different phases of construction of the tabernacle are inscribed on this façade.[95]​.

The exterior of the tabernacle is in the baroque style, presenting decorations such as niche shelves of various shapes, floating curtains and a large number of cherubs. Fruit elements stand out such as bunches of grapes and pomegranates, which symbolize the blood of Christ and the Church, and floral elements such as roses, daisies and various types of four-petal flowers.[70]​.

The interior is built with chiluca and tezontle stone, the chiluca covers the walls and floors, while the tezontle is found in the door and window frames. The transept is covered with a dome supported by arches. The temple is divided into three naves. The central nave is arranged from the main entrance to the main altar, in which was the missing Churrigueresque altarpiece made by Pedro Patiño Ixtolinque in 1829. In the west nave is the baptistery, while in the east, there are offices, next to the entrance, and a sacristy, next to the main altar; all separated by walls from the inner temple.[26]​.

• - East facade.

• - Interior view of the Tabernacle.

• - Baptismal font.

Located outside the cathedral, next to the apse to the north-west of it, this century chapel clashes with the rest of the building due to its lean construction. Its simple façade, a semicircular arch, flanked by paneled pilasters; its second body-finish, in turn flanked by a pair of oval windows. This chapel is used today for baptisms that take place in the Primate Cathedral of Mexico.[68]​[69]​[30]​[79]​.

Throughout the viceregal period the cathedral had intense and brilliant musical activity organized by its corresponding chapel masters. These had the obligation not only to organize the ecclesiastical musical life of the cathedral for all the major festivities, but also to instruct the corresponding musicians, compose the necessary musical works and organize the musical archives. The result of this constant activity is a very rich musical archive that competes in America with the splendid musical archive of the Cathedral of Puebla, that of the Basilica of Guadalupe or the musical archives preserved in Cuzco or Chuquisaca. None of these musical archives have been studied exhaustively and most of that music remains unreleased. Unfortunately, there is no contemporary attempt to continue the musical tradition of Latin American cathedrals by playing the preserved collection or hiring composers to write new works. The chapel masters of the cathedral of Mexico, most of whose works are preserved in the cathedral archive were:[96]​[97]​.

The musical archive of the cathedral of Mexico is one of the largest in America; It has a collection of more than 5,000 works, spanning from the 19th century to the 19th century, in various formats such as choir books, religious and secular music, and musical treatises.

• - Archdiocese of Mexico.

• - New Spain baroque architecture.

• - Cathedrals of Mexico.

• - Old Palace of the Archbishopric (Mexico) "Old Palace of the Archbishopric (Mexico)").

• - VALLEJO, Cortés, Dalia (2011). The School of Our Lady of the Assumption and Patriarch San José for the infants of the choro of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico: Adabi de México / Alfredo Harp Helú Foundation / Economic Culture Fund. ISBN 978-607-416-258-5.

• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia category on Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City.

• - Official site of the Cathedral - Archdiocese of Mexico.

• - File from the National Catalog of Real Estate Historical Monuments number I-09-00421.

• - UNAM article on the rehabilitation of the Cathedral.

• - Cathedral in 3D on Google 3D Warehuose Archived January 8, 2014 at the Wayback Machine.

• - The Cathedral of Mexico (Documentary from the UNAM Aesthetic Research Institute).

• - Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico, Centuries of Harmony (Documentary made by the Primate Archdiocese of Mexico and the Mario Moreno Reyes Foundation).