Identifier: municipalorganiz01inte (find matches)
Title: Municipal organizations in Latin America. Mexico City
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: International Bureau of the American Republics
Subjects:
Publisher: Washington, D.C., Govt. print. off.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
enturies. Many historic and picturesque places borderits banlcs and make it one of the most interesting spots in the valley of Mexico. The great cathedral of Mexico, the most pretentious church on thecontinent, stands first in architectural interest among the many finebuildings which have given to the capital the name of City ofPalaces. The corner stone was laid in 1573 upon the site occupied by thegreat Aztec temple which was destroyed by Cortez in 1521. A smallchurch was two years later erected upon the site, which in turn gaveplace fifty years later to the foundations of the present cathedral.The walls were completed in 1615, the roof in 1623, when the first mass 226 INTEENATIOlSrAL BUREAU OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLICS. was said. In 1667 the church was dedicated, and in 1791 the towerswere finished, and the building was finally completed about twentyyears later. The cathedral occupies an extent of 374 feet by 187 feet. Thearchitecture is composite. The facade on the side from which the
Text Appearing After Image:
(Photo by Waite, Mexico City.) MOUNTED POLICE, MEXICO CITY. The mounted police force, which patrols the outlying districts and suburbs of the capital, consistsof highly disciplined and well-trained horsemen. towers rise is divided by massive buttresses into three divisions rep-resenting the three Greek orders. The lower is Doric, next above,a somewhat exaggerated Ionic, and the upper part Corinthian. Thematerial is a gray stone relieved by statues, friezes, bases, and capi-tals of white marble, which gives an agreeable color effect. The MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION IN LATIN-AMERICAN CAPITALS. 227 towers are 204 feet in height. Two massive buttresses joined to-gether but hidden by a wall form the first body of each tower, whichrises to the height of the side entrances. From thence the secondbody springs, ornamented with columns and semicircular openings.The third body, lighter in effect and angular, is encircled by a bal-lustrade. The two lower bodies are Doric and the upper Ionic, Eachtower

Note About Images