What to see in the Catedral Metropolitana of Mexico City

As the second largest Catholic country in the world, the Church plays a major role in modern Mexican life. Mexico City’s Catedral Metropolitana is the biggest cathedral in Latin America. Its fitting considering Mexico City is also the world’s largest Catholic diocese. The massive eye-catching church sits mere steps away from the Zocalo square in the Centro Historico. You can’t miss it, and I found myself dazzled by its spectacular facade every time I passed through the city’s historical centre. Even though I’m not religious, I knew that I couldn’t leave Mexico City without stepping inside the Catedral Metropolitana. As one of my first stops during my stay, it was a memorable introduction to the Mexico that came about from its days as a Spanish colony.

With so many altars and paintings, its easy to become overwhelmed by the cathedral’s brilliance. In this post I’ll list some specific things that you should see inside the Catedral Metropolitana.

• If you’re planning a first time trip to Mexico City, check out my recommended itinerary for a 3 day stay HERE.

Catedral Metropolitana – The Basics

• Where? Plaza de la Constitucion, Centro Historico de la Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
• When? The Cathedral is open daily from 8.00am to 8.00pm (but note mass service times when visiting).
• How much? Entrance to the Cathedral is free.
• How to get there: Being right by Mexico City’s Zocalo, the Catedral Metropolitana is an easy walk from anywhere in the Centro Historico. Just follow the streets to the main square and its right there.
• Website: https://catedralmetropolitana.mx/

The History of the Catedral Metropolitana

The construction of the first church by Mexico City’s Zocalo began in 1524, following the arrival of the Spanish. Hernan Cortez himself, is often credited with laying its foundation stone. Cortez declared the ruins of the Templo Mayor to be a barbaric reminder of the Aztec Empire, and decided to build a Catholic Church over its foundations. The rather modest church was designed by Martin de Sepulveda and was constructed using the same stones that were part of the desecrated Aztec temple. Ten years later, the church was named the Cathedral of Zumarraga, however its small size was considered a disappointment. The governors of New Spain felt their City of Palaces deserved a grander church and commissioned an expansion of the building into the Catedral Metropolitana that we see today.

While further work began on Catedral Metropolitana in the latter half of the 16th century, the cathedral was not completed until almost 3 centuries later! Not only did the marshy grounds atop of Lake Texcoco pose construction challenges for the Spaniards, but the works were also interrupted by various political and historic events. By the time of its 1813 completion, the cathedral’s design blended a range of architectural styles. Despite this mishmash of styles (ranging from Neo-Classical to Baroque to Churrigueresque, just to name a few), the sum of the parts create an impressive whole.

The Sinking Cathedral

While the Spaniards were initially warned that the Cathedral would sink into the ground due to the swampy terrain, this didn’t falter their resolve. The claims would prove to be based in truth however and the cathedral is gradually sinking into the soft clay of the lake remnants below Mexico City. This became a major problem in the wake of the 1985 earthquake, resulting in major restorative and stabilising work being carried out on the cathedral. Those works were completed in the year 2000, ensuring that the cathedral won’t collapse, despite this phenomena.

Things to Consider when Visiting Catedral Metropolitana

Before diving into what you can see at the Catedral Metropolitana, there’s a few things to know before your visit. You can generally enter the Cathedral at any time during opening hours. The one exception to this is during mass service. The archbishop of Mexico City conducts mass every Sunday at noon in Catedral Metropolitana. You can still enter the Cathedral if you want to take part in the service, but you understandably can’t wander around like a tourist during that time.

While there is no fee to enter Catedral Metropolitana, a small donation is requested if you wish to access the Church’s Sacristy (the hidden oldest section of the Church) or the Choir. Neither was open on my visit, but I did arrive during the late afternoon so suspect this might have had something to do with it. For a very small fee, you can also ascend the towers of the cathedral. Climbing a series of stairs, you’ll emerge underneath the bells with spectacular views over the Zocalo. Sadly, access to the towers was also closed on the day I visited Catedral Metropolitana.

There’s no real signage around the Cathedral describing what you’re looking at. The only signs I saw in the church were around some of the chapel displays, and these were all in Spanish. If you want to learn more about the Cathedral, free tours depart daily from inside the church hourly between 10.30am to 6.00pm. You may be approached by “guides” outside the church, offering their services, but they’ll expect a fee and aren’t official guides. My suggestion would be to decline and head on inside.

I visited the Cathedral on my own. While I didn’t fully understand the significance of what I was looking at until reading about it later, I still found the Cathedral to be fascinating. I only spent about half an hour inside, which was enough time for me, though you might spend longer if you’re particularly interested in Christian sites.

The Catedral Metropolitana Exterior

When visiting Catedral Metropolitana, you should spend a few minutes taking it in its exterior facade. It consists of a myriad of elements and designs. While the Cathedral stands 65 metres tall, it actually looks bigger than that when you get up close. Thats at least partly due to the work of architect Juan de Herrera, who balanced the different shapes and structures in such a way whereby the more distinct parts are broken up by plain vertical columns. That intentional choice has the effect of drawing your eyes upwards, making the grand cathedral appear to reach up to the heavens.

As you stand in front of the main entrance, you’ll notice a central bas-relief above the door. This relief depicts the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, to whom the Cathedral is dedicated. She is guarded by statues of Saints Matthew and Andrew on each side, while the Mexican Coat of Arms can be seen further above her. The associated image of the eagle clutching at a snake on a cactus leaf is in many ways a fitting link to the old Aztec culture who viewed this symbol as a message from their own gods to build the city of Tenochtitlan at the same site many centuries prior.

While outside the cathedral, you might also notice a large cross on a column towards the south east corner of the cathedral grounds. This cross used to be part of the cemetery (which was eventually moved off the premises). Its obviously a Christian symbol, but if you look at its base, you’ll notice a Crown of Thorns surrounded by human skull carvings. This may be an homage to Mexico’s Aztec heritage. In more recent times, a tower of human skulls was discovered below the cathedral’s foundations, with archeologists thinking these skulls may have came about from Aztec sacrifices in Tenochtitlan. Some even believe that tower was created by the Aztecs in a fruitless attempt to scare off the Spanish conquistadors following their arrival!

A more traditionally Catholic image can be seen towards the west entrance to the Cathedral in the form of a sculpture of Pope John Paul II. While it will look like any statue from a distance, up close you’ll see his cloak is superimposed with an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. As you’ll learn below, this important figure first revealed herself on the inside of a cloak, explaining the choice of imagery here. Fun fact: the sculpture of the late Pope was actually created from melted down keys donated by the Mexican public, the implication being that Pope John Paul II was the key to the hearts of the Mexican people.

The Interior of Catedral Metropolitana

Once you step inside the Catedral Metropolitana, you’ll see it in all its glory. The cathedral contains 5 naves, through which there are 40 columns and 71 arches. One thing I noticed right away is that unlike many classic European churches, there’s no stain glass in the windows here. Instead, the cathedral’s windows are quite plain but let plenty of light into the cathedral. By contrast, the 16 chapels along the outer naves are not very well lit at all, making for an interesting contrast from the main area when you go to have a look at their contents, some of which I’ll cover further below.

The Central Nave contains two of the cathedral’s gold covered altars. Its also interrupted by the Choir, a gated off area used to provide seating for the clergy and musical choir. Inside the Choir are an assortment of precisely carved chairs, adorned with reliefs depicting various saints. Behind the Choir are the Cathedral’s Organs. The original church organ used here came from Spain in 1530, but when the church was expanded, it was quickly realised that a larger organ would be needed to fill the cavernous cathedral with its tunes. The two organs used in the cathedral today are the most significant 18th century organs in North America. Known as Evangelio and Epistola, they were sourced from Madrid and Mexico City in 1680 and 1736 respectively.

Moving deeper into the Church, the main nave contains a series of pews before the Major Altar. This altar is out in the open and sits atop a marble slab. Historically, this was where the Priest would prepare the Eucharist. The Central Nave also contains a large pendulum in this area. Between the pews, it marks the movement of the cathedral as it continues to sink.

The Altar of Forgiveness

One of the first things you’ll see when you enter the Catedral Metropolitana is the Altar of Forgiveness (Altar de Perdon). As the first major altar of the cathedral, it draws tons of worshippers in front of its golden carved display. Designed by Spanish architect Jeronimo de Balbas, the golden altar contains the first use of the epistite column, which can be seen on either side of its focal painting.

During the Spanish Inquisition, condemned people were sent to the Altar of Forgiveness to plead for forgiveness from their sins prior to being executed. One such condemned was the artist Simon Pereyns. Accused of blasphemy, Pereyns painted the depiction of the Virgin Mary now displayed in the centre of the Altar. In doing so, he was granted forgiveness from his crimes, due to the fact that the painting was regarded by his prosecutors as one of the most beautiful images of the Virgin Mary ever created.

A black depiction of Christ hangs on a crucifix to the side of the Altar. If you take a closer look, you’ll notice that the legs are bent to the side, rather than in their usual position. This is the subject of a rather interesting legend. It is claimed that one night a thief confessed to murdering a man during a robbery, but after doing so felt that the priest may report his crimes. Noticing the priest would kiss the feet of the statue each night, the criminal supposedly smeared poison on them. When the priest went to kiss the statue that night, it supposedly came alive and kicked its feet out of reach, saving the priest’s life. While it may be a legend, the Poisoned Lord icon serves as a mystical warning to criminals to this day.

The Chapels and the Side Naves

Passing the Altar of Forgiveness, you’ll move deeper into the Cathedral along one of the side naves. Each of these naves is lined by seven chapels, each dedicated to a specific saint. Some of the most prominent chapels can be seen along the right side of the cathedral, but its worth stopping to see them all. They’re often behind closed gates, so you may have to look through the bars, particularly if you’re visiting later in the day. While taking in some of the more notable chapels, be sure to also check out the large paintings and sculptures of various saints lining the walls of the vestibule. The largest paintings in particular are notable for being the work of Miguel Cabrera, a Mexican artist from Oaxaca.

Chapel of the Immaculate Conception

The third chapel along the right side of the Catedral Metropolitana is possibly the most significant of all. The actual chapel dates back to 1642, although its current altar came into being during the 18th century. Its a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary and contains numerous paintings (by Guadalajara artist Jose de Ibarra no less) depicting various Passions of Christ. The centrepiece is a sculpture of the Virgin Mary, with stars in a halo around her head. This characterisation of the mother of Christ is symbolic of her freedom of original sin from the moment of her conception. While this is the main focus of this chapel, it also holds the remains of the Franciscan Friar Antonio Margil de Jesus.

Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Right next to the Chapel of Immaculate Conception is one dedicated to an extremely venerated image of Latin American Catholicism, the Virgin of Guadalupe. While the chapel is less elaborate than many of those surrounding it, it remains incredibly popular among local worshippers and is deserving of a stop on your exploration of Catedral Metropolitana. I touched on the Virgin of Guadalupe earlier. The story comes from the supposed appearance of the Virgin Mary to one Juan Diego, delivering a message to him to erect a church in her honour at the Villa de Guadalupe. Diego appealed to the local archbishop, however his pleas were unheard as nobody believed he had witnessed such an apparition.

Legend says the Virgin Mary then appeared to Diego again, telling him to pluck flowers from Tepeyac Hill, despite Diego knowing it was not blooming season. Nonetheless, Diego headed to the hill and found unseasonal Castilian roses there, despite them not even being native to the region. When Diego reported back to the Archbishop, the flowers fell from his cloak revealing the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe on it in the process. The awestruck clergy instantly begun construction of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe as originally requested in response.

Inside the 19th century chapel, you’ll see a neo-classical altar dedicated to the sacred depiction of the Virgin. Above the altar is a reproduction of the same image of the Virgin as found in the Church of Guadalupe.

Chapel of Our Lady of Antigua

The Chapel of Our Lady of Antigua can be found in the very next alcove of the right nave. It was built between 1653 and 1660 and contains a copy of a painting of the Virgin Mary found in the Cathedral of Seville in Spain. This copy is the centrepiece of the chapel and was brought to New Spain by merchant ship during the colonial era.

The Chapel of Our Lady of Antigua is also known for the Nino Cautivo (Captive Child) icon, which has an interesting story behind it. This figure depicting Jesus as a child was also brought out from Spain in the 16th century, though on the way, the ship carrying it was attacked by pirates. To avoid losing the sacred image, the Church paid a massive ransom for the return of the figure. While the Cult of the Nino Cautivo is considered to be inactive by the National Institute of Anthropology and History, it has seen a resurgence in venerators in recent years, often being petitioned by those seeking release from restrictions such as financial struggles and addictions. Interestingly, it is also said to bear significance to those who pray if a family member has been abducted and held for ransom.

Altar of the Kings

Past all the chapels, you simply can’t miss the Altar of the Kings (Altar de los Reyes) on a visit to Catedral Metropolitana. The undisputed centrepiece of the entire cathedral sits at the far end of the central nave and is adorned in gold from floor to ceiling. The priceless gilding actually extends up the wall onto the dome ceiling, creating a golden cave, known as la Cueva Dorado. The creation of this immensely impressive altar took 19 years, with work starting in 1718.

You’ll want to get up close to take in the various details depicted within the altar once you’ve gotten past the abundance of gold on display. The very bottom of the altar contains a collection of statues of various female royal saints ranging from St Margaret of Scotland to Elizabeth of Aragon. Above them, in the middle of the altar, are the six canonised kings. These Royal Saints surround an oil painting by Juan Rodriguez Juarez entitled the Adoration of the Magi, which depicts the Virgin Mary holding Baby Jesus. Above this work is another notable painting, this one displaying the Assumption of Mary into the heavens to become Queen of the Skies. Further yet towards the dome are three medallions amongst carved figures of angels, depicting the Holy Trinity – the father, son and Holy Spirit.

The Golden Cave of the Altar of the Kings extends onto the surrounding walls to the left and right. In addition to the ever present gold walls, these sides of the altar contain various paintings showing numerous scenes of saints and martyrs.

The Sagrario Metropolitana

After exiting Catedral Metropolitana, you should head over to the eastern side of the cathedral. Connecting to the elaborate church you’ve just explored, you’ll see a shift in architectural styles over what appears to be another entrance to it. This is actually a separate church known as the Sagrario Metropolitana. Built in the mid-18th century, it was originally built to house the archives and vestments of Mexico City’s archbishop, but nowadays its actually the main working church of the city’s parish (with Catedral Metropolitana full of tourists!).

The interior is nothing spectacular compared to that of Catedral Metropolitana, but the facade is arguably even more striking. A fine example of Churrigueresque style with its elaborate and detailed carvings, Sagrario Metropolitana is covered in sculptures of saints and martyrs all the way up its entrance. In many ways, the facade is similar in style to the Altar of the Kings (minus the gold and paintings of course!).

With all there is to see inside Catedral Metropolitana, its no wonder that the Cathedral is frequently visited by tourists in Mexico City. While acting respectfully towards those coming to worship, make sure you see the above and everything else that you’ll find inside to get the most of a visit to Mexico’s heart of Catholicism. There’s so many churches and cathedrals in Mexico City, but this is the one to see if you’re only interested in going inside one. If you’ve been to any others, what other churches, cathedrals or basilicas do you recommend including on a visit to Mexico City?