Palacio Nacional

Rodrigo de Pontocillos and Juan Rodríguez
1530; 1692 destroyed by fire
reconstructed by Diego Valverde with some differences
other changes were made after Independence including the addition of a third story in 1926-1929



The whole of the east side of the Zócalo

This impressive building houses the office of the President of Mexico, the national treasury, and famous murals by Diego Rivera.
 

The central portal

Three grand doorways grace the facade, the right for the president's entrance and the left for the Federal Treasury; the central bay features the "Campana de Dolores."
 

The "Campana de Dolores" and the balcony of the "grito"

This bell was rung in the town of Dolores, near Guanajuato, by Miguel Hidalgo in 1810, calling for the Mexican War of Independence. On the balcony below the bell president gives the grito (shout)--Viva Mexico!--on September 15--a way of remembering the independence.
 

The Renaissance courtyard

On the west side of the courtyard, a grand staircase leads to the second level. Important Diego Rivera murals are painted on the wall of this main staircase (1929-35); other murals showing various pre-Hispanic cultures are located on the walls of the second floor loggia (1945-1951).



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© 2010 Mary Ann Sullivan. I have photographed (on site), scanned, and manipulated all the images on these pages. Please feel free to use them for personal or educational purposes. They are not available for commercial purposes.