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Mexico City (rebuilt Tenochtitlan)

Type Object Region North America Time 1521

Mexico City was the colonial capital the Spanish conquerors rebuilt on the ruins of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, gradually replacing the lake-isla…

Timeline

  1. 1521Tenochtitlan · Valley of MexicoSpanish allied forces led by Hernán Cortés captured the Aztec capital; Tenochtitlan was severely damaged, opening space to rebuild the colonial city on the old site.
  2. 1525Site of Mexico City · Valley of MexicoThe conquerors laid out European-style blocks on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, filled in some canals, and built a cathedral and civic buildings; the city began to be called "Mexico City," replacing the former Aztec capital.
  3. 1535Mexico City · New SpainBy the 1530s Mexico City had consolidated as the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, gathering administrative, ecclesiastical, and trade functions, and became Spain's most important colonial center in northern America.

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