Know Before You Go
The best thing to do is to appreciate the mural from the balconies and staircases of the subway station in order to avoid being pushed by crowds of commuters.
Mexico City, Mexico
Tacubaya's Subway Mural
Inside a busy metro station, an impressive mural depicts the prehispanic city of Tenochtitlán.
In May 1987, a mural by Guillermo Ceniceros was inaugurated inside the Tacubaya metro station and is entitled “From the Codex to the Mural”.
Inspired by the codex Boturini and the codex Ramírez, Ceniceros made the mural on 600 square meters of the wall. Each part of the mural was made to facilitate removal and restoration. In addition, this work allowed him to be the only Mexican nominated to the contest of world art.
Despite being seen by thousands of people on a daily basis, the murals are all too often ignored and underappreciated. The mural shows the migration of the Mexica from the mythical town of Aztlán. Look at the mural, and you’ll see several prehispanic deities such as the moon goddess Coyolxauhqui, the serpent-skirted mother goddess Coatlicue, the feathered serpent creator god Quetzalcoatl, and the lord of death and the underworld Mictlantecuhtli.
On the second floor, the mural depicts the city of Tenochtitlan surrounded by Lake Texcoco and painted in such a way that it seems to be seen in the distance from a balcony, just as Cortés saw it from the Popocatepetl volcano.
Contributed by
Mario Yair TS
Monsieur Mictlan
