Palacio del Marqués del Apartado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Palace of the Marqués del Apartado
Rep. de Argentina façade of the building
General information
Architectural style	Neoclassical
Location	Mexico City, Mexico
Construction started	1795
Completed	1805
Design and construction
Architect	Manuel Tolsá

The Palace of the Marquis del Apartado is an old and important building in Mexico City. It's located right next to the city's main square, called the Zocalo, in the historic part of town.

This amazing palace was built a long time ago, between 1795 and 1805. What's really cool is that it stands on top of an ancient Aztec pyramid! This pyramid was part of a special sacred area in the old Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. The palace was first made for the person in charge of making coins for the Spanish rulers in Mexico, known as the Viceroyalty of New Spain. There was even a special floor ready for the Spanish king, King Ferdinand VII, but he never actually visited Mexico. Today, the palace is home to the main offices of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), which is a group that protects Mexico's history and culture.

The Palace's Story

Ancient Aztec Roots

Long, long ago, when the Aztec Empire was powerful, the land where the palace now stands was a very important place. It was part of the teocalli, which was the sacred area of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan. The palace was built right over the remains of a pyramid dedicated to the goddess Cihuacóatl. She was known as the sister of the important Aztec god, Huitzilopochtli.

In 1910, people found the base of this ancient pyramid. Later, in 1985, a huge stone sculpture of an eagle from the Aztec period was discovered. This eagle weighed about 1.5 tons!

Building a Grand Home

After the Spanish conquered the Aztecs, this land was given to the Acevedo family. Over time, parts of this land were sold off. The spot where the palace is now was bought by Francisco de Fagoaga y Arósqueta. He was a very important person who managed the making of coins and collected precious metals for the Spanish king in Mexico.

Fagoaga hired a famous architect named Manuel Tolsá to design and build this grand palace. Tolsá was known for many other buildings in Mexico City. He worked on the palace between 1795 and 1805. Tolsá designed it to be similar to another building he created, the Palacio de Minería. The palace even had special workshops for melting metals and its own chapel.

A King Who Never Came

In the early 1800s, the top floor of the palace was made ready for King Ferdinand VII to live in. However, the king never got to stay there. He gave up his throne in 1808 and became a prisoner of Napoleon.

After Mexican Independence in the early 1800s, the palace was owned by several rich families. They used it as their main home. They often rented out the ground floor to businesses while they lived on the upper floors.

Changes Over Time

The palace has been updated and changed many times throughout its history. In 1901, the main courtyard and hallways were covered with a special roof made of iron and glass. From 1901 to 1908, the palace held a large collection of books and art from France. The art collection later became part of the Academy of San Carlos.

After the Mexican Revolution, the palace became government property. It was used as the office for the Secretary of Justice and Public Education. In 1962, it was updated again with new electrical systems and pipes.

Since becoming government property, the building has been home to many different government offices. It housed various departments dealing with justice, public education, development, trade, and economy.

Protecting the Palace

In 1989, engineers noticed cracks and damage in the building. This was because the palace was tilting towards a nearby Metro station. Work began in the early 1990s to fix the damage.

Starting in 1995, a special system was put in place. It uses water to help keep the building from sinking. Mexico City is built on soft ground, and the city's water supply is pumped from underground. This causes the ground to sink. The hydraulic system helps keep the ground stable under the palace.

Since 2005, the palace has been the main headquarters for the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH). This organization has worked hard to restore many of the palace's beautiful decorations.

What the Palace Looks Like

The palace is very large, covering an area of 3,000 square meters. It has about 60 rooms, including big halls, dining rooms, and kitchens. There are two courtyards inside. The main courtyard has a fountain, while the other one was used as a stable for horses in the 1800s.

This building is similar to another one designed by Tolsá, the Palacio de la Minería, because both have two main sides. The main side of the Palace of the Marquis del Apartado faces Argentina Street and wraps around to Donceles Street.

The main side is divided into three parts. The middle part, where the main entrance is, sticks out a little. The ground floor doesn't have much decoration, except for the main entrance. This entrance is decorated with a pediment (a triangular shape) above four Doric columns. The upper floors are decorated with stone columns and pilasters (flat columns) around the windows and balconies.

Hidden Aztec Treasure

Under the stairs that lead to the main courtyard, you can see ancient Aztec ruins! Archeologists have been working here since 1985. During restoration work, they found a large stone sculpture of an eagle from the Aztec era in the building's foundation. This is where the remains of the ancient temple are.

An archeologist named Elsa Hernández Pons from INAH carefully dug up and saved the eagle. It's very special because it's the only one found still in its original place. The eagle is sitting down and is about 1.39 meters long, 0.82 meters wide, and 0.72 meters tall. It weighs about 1.5 tons! The eagle is carved very realistically, with details like feathers of different sizes. It was once painted in colors like yellow, orange, and red. Some parts of the sculpture, like the right side of its face, are missing.

See also

In Spanish: Palacio del Marqués del Apartado para niños