Noticias
Inauguration of the remodeling works in Plaza de la Constitución
August 26, 2017The remodeling works in Plaza de la Constitución, comprising 4,500 cubic meters of concrete blocks, 750 linear meters of storm sewer, 56 anchor points and seven new entrances were opened on Saturday morning by María Cristina García Cepeda, representing President Enrique Peña Nieto; Miguel Angel Mancera, Mayor of Mexico City; Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda, Secretary of National Defense and Vidal Francisco Soberón, Secretary of the Navy.
Secretary of Culture María Cristina García Cepeda, said that Mexican women and men have traveled through the history of this great plaza from pre-Hispanic times to the present day, from the colony to independent life, from the small episodes of the daily life to the great social events of the country.
She said that the government of the Republic headed by President Peña Nieto is committed to our cultural heritage and the main plaza along with the entire Historic Center houses a richness that we value, study and spread.
"The Zócalo is the base of the history of Mexico City, our plaza mayor where our national flag flies, the emblem of the homeland in which history is combined. This square is a rose of the winds that looks towards the great extension of the city pointing out the directions of the Mexican universe, the four corners of the cosmic world, the pre-Hispanic past and the present of our great city”.
With the attendance of archaeologist Eduardo Matos Moctezuma and Norberto Rivera Carrera, Archbishop Primate of Mexico, the secretary of Culture recognized the close collaboration of the professionals of the National Institute of Anthropology and History with the government of Mexico City to renovate with care and respect this emblematic square, cultural heritage of humanity.
"On behalf of President Enrique Peña Nieto, I’m happy to share with everyone our Zócalo with its restored image honoring its heritage and its look towards the future. To maintain our heritage is to honor our memory, to honor the legacy of generations that preceded us, and always the Zócalo, the largest plaza in the hearts of all Mexicans”.
Miguel Ángel Mancera said that the Plaza de la Constitución witnessed the first constructions of our city that once housed kiosks, fountains, trams, until it was converted into an esplanade that is still a meeting point for Mexicans and remind us the pride of this country.
He reminded that the Department of Culture through the INAH coordinated the rehabilitation work with 4,500 cubic meters of concrete that will prevent cave-ins, in addition to including seven access ramps and a storm sewer system that will filter up to 28 liters of water per second .
"We included seven ramps for disabled people and changed the entrances of the Metro Transportation System. All this gives a renewed splendor to our Plaza de la Constitución, the backdrop of our patriotic fervor, our past and our identity”.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony and the unveiling of the commemorative plaque was held by the secretary of Culture and the mayor of Mexico City, with the support of the choirs and music bands of the Departments of National Defense and Navy.
Finally, Eduardo Matos Moctezuma, said that the Zócalo, surrounded by superb buildings of the past and the present, is part of an identity that dates back to 1325, when the old inhabitants of the city decided to found the great Tenochtitlan due to a solar eclipse that lasted four minutes.
He reminded that Alfonso Reyes described part of that past in his book Visión de Anáhuac, along with the legacies of other chroniclers such as Francisco Cervantes de Salazar, who in 1525 told how this Zócalo was full of life and activity.
"Plaza Mayor, Plaza de Armas, Plaza de la Constitución, these are some of the names that this place has had. The Grito that unites Mexicans is given every September 15. The splendor and symbolism of this plaza is still public, the forum par excellence of freedom of expression, the essential center and the heart of the country”, Eduardo Matos Moctezuma concluded.
Mexico,Distrito Federal
