I only thought of taking pictures when it was night.. we were too busy... sorry ૮ ´◞ ˕ ◟`ა but it's still pretty..
Anyways,, for the story!
this cathedral is such an incredible place,, it’s been there for centuries, and it’s got layers of history baked right into its walls, as I showed in the previous post :>
So, back in the 1500s, the Spanish showed up in Mexico and decided to build their biggest, most important church right where the Aztecs used to worship their gods. They literally built it on top of the Aztec’s main temple, the Templo Mayor. It's both disrespectful and pretentious, but we know what european colonizers did.. so let's say it's at their image. The sad part is that despite the controversy around this move from the Spanish, this cathedral became one of the most visited one by locals, they praise it and say it's part of the city's DNA.. ૮ ´◞ ˕ ◟`ა Mexico is so much more than just colonization history.. so it's really sad.
the construction started in 1573, and it took over 240 years to finish. They kept adding bits and pieces, changing styles, and making it fancier as time went on. It’s not just one thing; it’s a mix of Gothic, Baroque, Neoclassical, and Churrigueresque all smooshed together.
What makes it so intriguing for me is how some locals say the Aztecs “cursed” this place,, because it’s built on top of a super soft, muddy lakebed (Mexico City used to be a lake, where the Aztecs lived before the Spanish ruined everything.)
So it’s been slowly sinking since day one. It’s meant to fall over at some point, so it’s got this slight tilt that just makes it feel even more alive, and a bit eerie. People like to interpret that, as the Aztec’s revenge over the Spanish. And i like this idea too, even if in my opinion it's just the arrogance of the Spanish that is going to lead to the loss of one of their biggest art piece.
