Where Does The President Of Mexico Live?

The Mexican president lives in the National Palace, which is situated on the main square of Mexico City. The site, where the National Palace is located, has been a palace for the Mexican ruling class since the Triple Alliance was formed. A considerable percentage of the National Palace's building materials were obtained from the original palace which was owned by Moctezuma II. After Mexico gained their independence, the National Palace was occupied by two emperors (Maximilian-I of Mexico and Agustin Iturbide) who ruled the country for a short time. The first Mexican president to live in the National Palace was Guadalupe Victoria. The palace houses some of the offices of the National Archives and the Federal Treasury.

The History Of The National Palace

A considerable percentage of the building material of the current structure and the site were known as Moctezuma II's New Houses. The palace served as the residence of the Aztec tlatoani where he performed numerous official functions. The palace was split into two sections and decorated with marbles. The main façade of the castle had the monarchy's shield and an eagle holding a snake in its claws. After the Spanish conquest, the palace was not wholly destroyed. Hernan Cortes claimed the palace after the region became a Spanish colony. The building was rebuilt into a massive fortress by Juan Rodriguez and Rodrigo de Pontocillos. The Spanish crown purchased the fortress in 1562 and converted it into a Viceregal Palace.

Due to the tension between the archbishop and the viceroy, the archbishop's supporters destroyed the palace in 1624. The fortress was almost completely destroyed in 1692. Friar Diego Valverde reconstructed the palace. Friar replaced its fortress-like design with Baroque architecture. After Mexico gained its independence, the Viceregal Palace was renamed the National Palace and converted into the Mexican president's residence. The southwestern balustrade was destroyed during the uprising led by Gomez Valentin against President Bustamante. All the Spanish governors lived in the palace except Juan O'Donoju and Antonia Mendoza. The last president to occupy the National Palace during the nineteenth century was Manuel Gonzalez. After President Gonzalez term ended, a presidential house was constructed in Los Pinos. The National Palace became the president's home again in 2018 after President Andres Obrador took over. Some of the most famous individuals to stay in the palace include Simon Bolivar, Mateo Aleman, and Alexander Humboldt.

The Significance Of The National Palace

On president Zedillo's webpage, the National Palace is referred to as a traveling-and-an-immobile structure. The structure is referred to as immobile because it has served as the seat of Mexico's political power since the Aztec era. It started as Aztec tlatoani's palace then the viceroy's home and finally the Mexican president's residence. Travelling refers to the fact that a considerable percentage of the palace's architecture is of Spanish origin representing the transplanting of the Spanish civilization to the New-World. The National Palace represents the Mexicans as a blend of both the Aztec and Spanish. Even though the palace was initially destroyed, it was rebuilt using the same stones. The building is the star of the show during the Mexican Independence Day's eve with the president giving the Grito-de-Dolores from the balcony.