Located in the historic center of Mexico City, this famous square is one of the most visited places by the inhabitants of the city, as well as by tourists who want to know what happened in this area.

Reach it by metro line 3 or take a walk to it to see the different commemorative monuments such as the plaque that refers to what happened in 1521, the monument for the victims of 1968, the archaeological ruins and learn about the history that surrounds them.

History plaza of the three cultures

It is one of the places chosen to visit in the different tours of Mexico City. It is so well known, among others, for linking the different historical stages in which the monuments were built around it. This plaza was inaugurated in November 1964 by President Adolfo Lopez Mateos. You may be wondering which cultures were the originators of its name, and they were the following: the Mesoamerican, Spanish and modern Mexican cultures.

The Mesoamerican or Tenochtitlan culture is represented by the pyramids and pre-Hispanic ruins that you can visit in the Mexica town of Tlatelolco; the temples that you can see were dedicated to the gods Ehecatl-Quetezalcoatl. In the 16th century, Aztec Indians were killed in a brutal and bloody battle under the orders of Hernán Cortés.

We also find the Spanish culture, during the conquest until the independence of Mexico, in the convent and the temple of Santiago, both built in the colonial period. They are buildings made of volcanic stone in the early seventeenth century and also evidence of the evangelizing work carried out by the Spaniards in the territory.

Contemporary Mexican culture is reflected in the Tlatelolco Tower and the buildings of the Nonoalco Tlatelolco Urban Complex. The Tower was the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the University Cultural Center and the 68 Memorial. The Nonoalco complex of buildings was built and designed by architect Mario Pani.

The importance of Tlatelolco in the plaza of the 3 cultures

The square is known for having hosted several important events throughout history. These have been so impactful that they will be remembered for generations by the inhabitants of Mexico City, as well as by citizens of the entire country and even the rest of the world.

It was the place where in 1968 the Tlatelolco massacre took place, originated by a movement in which demonstrators (mostly students) were killed by the army under the orders of the president. by the inhabitants of Mexico City, as well as by the citizens of the entire country and even the rest of the world.

This demonstration called for sweeping changes in the police and the repeal of the harsh law that imprisoned people for political dissent. In memory of the deceased, a memorial was created in 1993, the 25th anniversary of the event.

The famous Treaty of Tlatelolco was also signed here, announcing that Latin America was a nuclear-weapon-free zone. It was mainly thanks to Alfonso García Robles, a diplomat who would win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1982.