Alameda Central
| Alameda Central | |
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| View from the Torre Latinoamericana to the Alameda Central | |
| Basic data | |
| place | Mexico city |
| District | Cuauhtémoc |
| Created | 1592 |
| Surrounding streets | Avenida Hidalgo, Eje Central, Avenida Juárez, Calle Dr. Mora |
| use | |
| User groups | Foot traffic ; Leisure , events |
| Park design | Luis de Velasco |
| Technical specifications | |
| Parking area | ~ 900,000 m² |
Alameda Central is a public garden in downtown Mexico City , opposite the Palacio de Bellas Artes , between Avenida Juárez and Avenida Hidalgo.
description
Alameda Central Park is a leafy garden with cobbled paths and decorative fountains and statues, and is often a place for public events. The site was originally an Aztec marketplace. The park was created in 1592 when Viceroy Luis de Velasco decided to create a green space here as a public park. The name comes from Spanish álamo , poplar , after the trees planted here. This park was part of the Viceroy's plan to develop what was then the west side of the city. It became a model for a traditional Mexican park, and many other parks in the country adopted the name "Alameda".
history
The original park was less than half the size of the current one and only extended from the Palacio de Bellas Arts to the Hemiciclo de Juárez . What is now the western part of the park was a level square that was laid out in Mexico at the time of the Inquisition and was known as "El Quemadero" or "The Cremation Place". Here witches and others condemned by the inquisitors were publicly burned on the stake. In the 1760s, the Inquisition was almost over, and in 1770 the Viceroy Marqués de Croix had the square torn open to expand the park. The park was enlarged again in 1791 when Count von Revillagigedo had a wooden fence built around the park to allow access only to the nobility. When Mexican independence was achieved in 1821, Alameda was the center of public celebrations. In 1846, when President Santa Anna triumphantly entered Mexico City, he ordered the park's fountains to be filled with alcohol.
The five classic fountains have a French design and are inspired by Greco-Roman mythology. More statues were added to the park in the 19th century. Gas lamps were installed in 1868, which were replaced by electric lighting in 1892. At the end of the 19th century, the park was popular with all social classes in Mexico. Much of the current design of the park, with its star-shaped path patterns around the fountains and the central kiosk, dates from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
In the late 19th century, the park included a bandstand and gas lanterns (now electric). On the south side of the park towards the street is the Hemiciclo a Juárez , a large white semicircular monument to Benito Juárez , one of the most popular presidents of Mexico.
Statues in the park include Despoire and Malgre Tout by Jesús Fructuoso Contreras and a memorial donated by the German minority in Mexico , dedicated to Beethoven in commemoration of the centenary of his 9th symphony .
From May to December 2012 the park went through a renovation. The renovation included replacing damaged pavement with marble, improving vegetation (including planting new trees), new light poles and upgrading existing park facilities (such as benches and fountains). As part of the redevelopment, the once ubiquitous street vendors are no longer allowed to work in the park.
getting there
Alameda Central can be reached via the Metro Bellas Artes underground station .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ A b John Noble: Lonely Planet Mexico City . Lonely Planet, Oakland CA 2000, ISBN 1-86450-087-5 .
- ↑ a b c Chris Humphrey: Moon Handbooks Mexico City . Avalon Travel Publishing, Emeryville, CA 2005, ISBN 1-56691-612-7 , pp. 46-47.
- ^ Rehabilitación de la Alameda Central y su Entorno . www.obrasenmiciudad.df.gob.mx. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
Coordinates: 19 ° 26 '8 " N , 99 ° 8' 38" W.