Religious Building · Mexico City, Mexico
Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City
The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven (Spanish: Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción de la Bienaventurada Virgen María a los cielos), also commonly called the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral, is the cathedral church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico. Built 1570.
Photo: Ulisesmorales via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Mexico City, Mexico |
|---|---|
| Type | Religious Building |
| Built | 1570 |
| Architect | Claudio de Arciniega, Juan Gómez de Trasmonte |
| Height | Height: 67 m |
| Coordinates | 19.4344° N, 99.1331° W |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City is known for
The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven (Spanish: Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción de la Bienaventurada Virgen María a los cielos), also commonly called the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral, is the cathedral church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico.
About Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City
The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven (Spanish: Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción de la Bienaventurada Virgen María a los cielos), also commonly called the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral, is the cathedral church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico. It is situated on top of the former Aztec sacred precinct near the Templo Mayor on the northern side of the Plaza de la Constitución (Zócalo) in the historic center of Mexico City. The cathedral was built in sections from 1573 to 1813 around the original church that was constructed soon after the Spanish conquest of Tenochtitlan, eventual
History
After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, and after Hernán Cortés returned from exploring what is today Honduras, the conquistadors decided to build a church on the site of the Templo Mayor (or specifically, just southwest of the former temple) of the Aztec City of Tenochtitlan in order to consolidate Spanish power over the newly conquered territory. There is evidence of the existence of a great major temple dedicated to the god Quetzalcoatl, a temple dedicated to the god Huītzilōpōchtli, a temple dedicated to Tōnatiuh and other minor buildings. The architect Martín de Sepúlveda was the first director of the project between 1524 and 1532, while Juan de Zumárraga was the first bishop of the episcopal see in the New World.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Mexico City |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Licenciado Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX) |
| Distance from the airport | 3.9 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Mexico City Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX) · Mexico City, Mexico · 4.1 miles away
- Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU) · Mexico City, Mexico · 22.7 miles away
- Adolfo López Mateos International Airport (TLC) · Toluca, Mexico · 29.0 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Mexico
More religious buildings
Frequently asked questions
What is Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City?
The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven (Spanish: Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción de la Bienaventurada Virgen María a los cielos), also commonly called the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral, is the cathedral church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico.
Where is Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City located?
Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City is in Mexico City, Mexico. Its coordinates are 19.4344° N, 99.1331° W.
How do I get to Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City?
The nearest town is Mexico City, and the nearest airport is Licenciado Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX), about 3.9 miles away (straight line).
When was Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City built?
Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City was built 1570.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico_City_Metropolitan_Cathedral — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q610961 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://catedralmetropolitana.mx — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.