As I emerged from Ciudad de México’s Zócalo Metro Station, my eyes were instantly drawn to the monolithic Metropolitan Cathedral or Catedral Metropolitana across Plaza de la Constitución. I panted as I climbed the last steps of the staircase, and occasionally bumped into fellow commuters who rushed past. Luna, whom I was lugging, didn’t seem to mind the chaos. Hubby on the other hand, looked dazed as he puffed his way up the crowded stairs while dragging the stroller.
Finally after three days of locking ourselves in the guesthouse since we landed on Mexican soil, we ditched our respective jobs for a few hours to see the city. Or at least, a miniscule portion of it. Our taxiless trip from the guesthouse to the zócalo (main plaza) required us a twenty-minute walk, and a metro train ride that passed through four stations. Not exactly the most convenient way to go, but only cost us 3 MXN (Mexican peso) each.
I surveyed the familiar vista. The scene exuded a Quiapo Church vibe, sans the hawked mysterious herbal medicines. We weaved our way through bystanders and peddlers selling the randomest merchandise, until we made it to the entrance of the cathedral. I was amazed by the scale of them all: The pillars, altars, paintings and sculptures. What I uttered next was perhaps the most apt phrase for this kind of situation, “Oh my God!”.
It wasn’t as crowded as I imagined, and a fourth of the visitors were foreign tourists snapping shots with their ginormous cameras. The Metropolitan Cathedral is the largest in the Americas and was built for more than two hundred years in sections. This baroque structure houses impressive functional art similar (if not more grandiose) to other magnificent churches’. However, it also withholds a rather dark past.
The cathedral sits on the ancient Aztec city of Tenochtitlán, which Spain conquered and colonized. During ancient times, the Spanish would construct their churches atop the natives’ temples or sacred ground to represent their power over the land (it was also common practice to use the destroyed temple’s stones in building the new church). Death awaited the natives who resisted. Quite a harrowing tale, don’t you think?
But the cathedral’s glitz may not remind you of that. It will instead, mesmerize. And that’s what it did to us as we walked down its aisles and round the corners. We spent a significant time sitting on the pews too, just to take all that awesomeness in.
After an hour of rare solemnity, we exited the cathedral’s main portal and were greeted once again by disquietude. Our feet led us to the next stop, Palacio Nacional.
Love the intricate details on the cathedral’s facade. (Is that the pram that was stolen in Mexico?)
Ang gara @Gaye!
Parang 4 na churches na magkakadikit in all corners may dating ang facade. Ang komplikado pa ng mga carvings ba yan?
Iba talaga ang devotion ng mga Espaniol na sumakop dito.
Yez Claire, that’s the one. Sherv hated lugging that pram whenever we took the metro. So he was quite thankful it was stolen.
Edmar, the cathedral’s got four facades, so perhaps that’s why 🙂 Carvings are insanely intricate!
The first photo took me by surprise..
Its MASSIVE!!!! Judging by the distance which the picture was taken, and on a closer look, the sculptures look very intricate.
If one had to study every detail of it, it could probably take ages to finish! 🙂
Haha,Luna didn’t mind the chaos. So like the mother, I guess. Born to explore. I don’t know if “Oh my God!” would suffice if I were in your situation. That 4 photos you posted already made me say that. Pano pa kaya kung I was looking at the real thing.
Simurgh, yup that distant shot gives you guys an idea of its massive scale 🙂
DG, haha! Sanay sa Quiapo eh. The chaos actually made me feel ‘at home’.
Overwhelming nga yang size ng Cathedral na yan and the details parang antagal ginawa.:) Anyhoo were you able to stop by Zihuatanejo?
Nope, didn’t have time and its location’s quite out of the way too.
amazing! every time I travel, Im always fascinated by old and vintage cathedrals. This one is a tower of beauty! i love the pix!
wow that is one HUGE church! at ang galing ng mga detalye! very complicated at intricate. impressive!
kaso nga lang talagang kailangan dun din sa templo ng mga sinasakupan itayo ang bagong church? hindi masyadong power play noh?
SIMBAHAN ba kamo??? and I thought Taal Church is huge hehe, manliliit sya pag tinabi sa simabahan na ‘to hehe
ang ganda ng altar… tama ba? altar yon di ba? loob at labas ay napakahistorical ng dating nung simbahan
Wow I love the intricate architectural design of the church, it’s one a kind! Love i!! 😉
sa mga lugar na mga ganto, isa lang ang habit ko.. nganga.. ganda ganda naman po…
ang ganda ng church and inggit ako kasi it is in Mexico. I love your photos Gaye kasi it showed us how grand the church is and the columns, perfect then the saints on the wall.
What a majestic church. I admire how Spanish influences are being kept and celebrated for their beauty like in the Philippines.
Wow! The cathedral is really huge. 🙂 It’s like a combination of different churches. I shiver at the thought of its dark past. I wonder if the practice was also done here in our country.
This is a definite must see! I should act fast and secure a visa ASAP to see this grandiose church! Since the Cathedral was constructed atop Aztec ruins, and due to the sheer weight of marble, stone and brick, the Cathedral is sinking at a slow, but very noticeable rate.
these are beautiful shots. Thanks for “bringing” us here through your photos.:)
ang ganda! 🙂 Btw, nakahanap nako ng church for my wedding. St. Peter and Paul in Burgos. hihi!
ganda ng facade ng church! 🙂 i’m so happy for you Gay, an dame na nangyari s buhay mu w/n the last 2 yrs since i met you in the blogosphere, and i;m envious kase ako and2 pa din,same same, i need to move on! lol by the way, when you get back in Aug, i will really abang for you and Luna, i haven’t seen Luna ever! and that’s sad kase date, buntis ka pa, inaabangan ko na ang paglabas nya! haha
ang daming tao… was watching the video and naguguluhan ako sa dami ng tao. true, very quiapo. hahaha! but the church really looks magnificent. luna is so cute sleeping on her stroller 🙂
Joan, yup. Power play. And it’s sad, not so Catholic 🙁
Romel, the Altar of Forgiveness. The cathedral’s got many altars.
Ardee, LOL @ “nganga”.
Christine, hiyesss! Now time to look for a groom ;p
Gael, OMG yesss! So much stuff happened ever since. I just gave birth when we met, and now Luna’s running around already! We’ll see you promise, hopefully we get to travel as well.
huwaw naman…ganda ng mga photos…
nice nice
I am speechless. The architecture of the cathedral is amazing. Intricate details. Awesome!
It’s monolithic and OMG-worthy indeed. The facade and the interior are ornately designed, like majorly. KKLK. I’d easily spend an entire day here! Oh, and Luna is such a seasoned traveler na, oblivious sa chaos. Sana ako din, di maarte like her. 🙂
Wow.. I absolutely love the architecture..it is old and modern entwined, yet there is so much class and intricacy.
Old cathedrals are really heavenly and this photos are just standing proof to that plus the interior is profoundly breathtaking.
Thanks for sharing.
Wow! So much detail was captured by your wonderful photos. Thanks for taking us there. I’ve not read a blog about Mexico before. Luna is so lucky to be able to travel to beautiful & exciting places =)
awesome church! sana mag ganyan din dito sa Pinas! thanks for sharing Gay! 🙂
Grabeh! Super ganda ng church. Bucket list na to!
Beautiful. Reminds me of Intramuros churches. How come it seems like 2 different churches placed side-by-side?
The other one is the tabernacle. But they’re linked together 🙂
That gold church altar in there reminds me of Baclayon Church in Bohol. Amazing architectural designs. Viva Mexico!
very intricate and historic cathedral.. how many years kaya ang construction niyan?
Comparing our structures to theirs is not competition…
Interesting! I don’t know why I am so interested with churches. Nice photographs and well detailed artice. Cheers! Keep travelling and sharing your experience with us.
The Cathedral is architecturally amazing! If I was also there, I couldn’t hold myself from appreciating the picturesque artifacts!
they have some of the nicest and grand churches Gay. so nice if ill be able to reach this part of the world.
Four facades? To describe this church as MASSIVE would be an understatement. Great photos Gay!
nainggit ako naexplore ma na ata ang magagandang places sa mexico ako mexico pampanga pa lang hahaha
Enzo, yeaahh! Baclayon Church!
Blair, it took 200 years to build that cathedral.
Chino, dami kong tawa sa Mexico, Pampanga. Di bale dyan din ako nagsimula 🙂
ang bongga ng unang photo grabe! it is H-U-G-E…
actually, mas happy talaga pag commute kasi you get to feel and be one of the locals there 🙂
That’s true! You get to feel how it’s like to be a local commuter.
WOW! The cathedral is huge! And here I was thinking the only best thing to get in Mexico were totopos 😀
Great trivia about the place. When you think about it, the Christians were the largest conquerors and squanderers of the old world. All in the name of faith.
This blog is great 🙂 We’ve always dreamed of travelling to different places and here you are living it 😀 How do you do it?
Heaps and heaps of hard work. And a bit of luck ;D
My goodness. That Cathedral is MASSIVE! Great pics Gaymie. Thanks for sharing!
grabe ang simbahan ng Mexico—GRAND kung GRAND!!!! yan actually ang naiimagine ko lagi at gusto ko makita sa SOUTH?LATIN America just in case dream come true in the future na makagala dyan–ang mga simbahan.Na mapa-malaki ma o maliit eh kagaganda!
OMG! Sobrang ganda. Parang isang dambuhalang treasure. 🙂
Wow. Now that church is BIG. From the photo it looks two already huge churches meshed into one mega church. haha.
And the details too OO,
That was a beautiful tourist spot ..the church its looks like expensive .
Confession – we never made it inside the cathedral just as you mentioned not setting foot at the Templo Mayor. Does this call for another visit?
Wow! sobrang ganda!! I love the intricate design of the church. 😀 Thanks for sharing this
It’s a beautiful church but I still wish the colonizers didn’t have to wreak the older structure. Sayang ang history! =(
Sort of reminds me of what the Manila government is doing nowadays, wreaking old structures to make way for mnewer ones. Don’t they realize that they’re destroying our capital’s heritage? =(
Hi, I’m Mexican and I live in Manila.
You just take my heart and remind me my city. The strange thing is, sometimes I feel Manila very familiar. And no wonder why, in the past we were the same colony. Thru galleon we was connected closely.
Check this video in YouTube, it’s call “de muertos en Manila”
Definitely there is a lot to see in Mexico, also is a big country. Even in Mexico city you can take 1 or 2 weeks to visit every nice place.
If you are thinking to visit again, contact me. I can help a little with the food variety and places to go.
It’s really nice blog. Blessings.
Would really love to see Mexico again! Thanks for your help. Will give you a buzz when we revisit 🙂