A Brief History of Mexico City
Quick answerMexico City sits where Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, was founded in 1325 on a lake. Spanish conqueror Hernan Cortes captured it in 1521 and built a colonial city on top. Independence came in 1821, the Revolution in 1910, and today CDMX is the largest Spanish-speaking metropolis in the world.
Aztec origins
The Mexica founded Tenochtitlan in 1325 on an island in Lake Texcoco. By 1500 it was the largest city in the Americas with 200,000 people. Templo Mayor in the Centro Historico is the surviving heart of the original city.
Spanish colonial era
After the conquest, the Spanish drained the lake and built a Renaissance city of churches, palaces and plazas. The Catedral Metropolitana, finished in 1813, sits on the ruins of the Aztec temple.
Modern Mexico City
The Mexican Revolution in 1910 transformed the country. Roma and Condesa neighborhoods were built between 1900 and 1930. Today CDMX is a global capital of art, food and design with 22 million people in the metro area.