Abstract
This study focused on the Great Sacred Center of the Aztecs in Mexico, which was completely destroyed, and in its space, a huge colonial city square, Plaza Mayor, was constructed by the Spaniards in the 16th century. Passing time never diminished the spatial importance of Plaza Mayor. The city square hosted religious and political identities for a long time. In recent times, folk used to meet, sell their productions, protest, or celebrate national and religious festivities in the center; thus, it will be concluded that recently Zócalo has value for every person, which charges a public space character to it.
TopColonial Encounters During: From Aztec And To The Spanish Imperialism
Zucker states that whether small in size or not, all plazas serve as a gathering place for people and that all such places are the focal point of city planning (Zucker, 1966, p.1). Similarly, Zócalo an attractive part of the city has a rich spatial tradition that grasps the whole history of the area. It is the center to where all the principal streets lead, a cultural hub that psychologically links the past and present with its architectural reminiscences. The square was itself witness to the violent seizure of the Aztec capital by the ‘new power’, the conjoined realities of war, race and empire being experienced, recorded and instrumentalized in its precincts. The principal seat of Aztec culture, power, religion would however not be inhabited by the King of Spain but serve as an urban power house for the administration of a harsh colonial regime, utilizing the same space for the purpose of managing cultural encounters in an effort to control a vast swathe of lands encompassing multiple cultures.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Colonization: It is the name given to the process of controlling and evaluating the country or territory of other communities or states by taking over.
Cosmic Race: José Vasconcelos in order to define ideology of combination of mixed races in the American continent. The ideology serves to creation of a new civilization in harmony.
Zócalo: An urban square which is located in Mexico City. Its official name is Plaza de la Constitución which was built on the ruins of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan firstly named as Plaza Mayor by the Spanish conquistadors in the 16 th century then its name and form evolved in time.
Mexico: Mexico, which has a coast on the Pacific Ocean, is located on the American continent. Its official name is the United States of Mexico. It consists of 32 federal structures.
Spain: Located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe.
Aztecs: The Aztecs are a people who created a rich mythology and cultural heritage in Mesoamerica between the 14th and 16th centuries. They came from North America, from Aztlan. They established their capital, Tenochtitlan, in the middle of Lake Texcoco.