|
Tacubaya is an area located approximately 7 kms
southwest of Mexico City's Historical Centre; its
northern limits are San Miguel Chapultepec and the
Condesa neighbourhood, to the east there's the
Escandón neighbourhood, to the south San Pedro de
los Pinos and to the west the Periférico Beltway.
This area in the Mexican Valley has been a
traditional population centre since prehispanic
times. The name Tacubaya derives from the nahuatl
'Atlacuihuani' which has two possible meanings:
“vase for getting the water” or “the place where the
'atlatl' was taken” (the atlatl was a weapon used by
the villagers of central Mexico during the
precolonial period). During the time of the
viceroyalty the area had a significant development
because of the abundance of water provided by the
streams that passed through the region, which
allowed the cultivation of orange, plum and olive
trees, among others. After the 1607 floods in Mexico
City, Felipe III proposed that the capital of the
New Spain should relocate to this village, which was
located at a higher altitude and would be less
susceptible to floods; nevertheless, facing the very
high cost this move represented and the important
investments that had been destined for the
construction of several buildings in the city's
centre, the project was not approved. Meanwhile,
more houses and country properties started to spread
all around Tacubaya. The properties achieved great
prosperity; one of the most famous is the Casa de la
Bola, which still exists today.
During the 19th Century, the village of
Tacubaya was one of the most important centres of
population inside the Federal District and a
compulsory visit for anyone who travelled from
Mexico City's centre to other villages to the west
like Mixcoac or San Ángel. Because of this, in the
late 19th Century, several housing blocks
were developed in the area surrounding Tacubaya;
some still exist today, like the neighbourhoods San
Miguel Chapultepec, San Pedro de los Pinos and
Escandón, areas which have very unclear limits due
to the fact that they originally were a mere
extension of Tacubaya. Simple houses with brick
friezes, alleyways and eclectic constructions made
up this urban landscape.
Unfortunately, the 20th Century arrived
and, coupled with the excesive use of cars, ruined
the beauty and the urban landscape of Tacubaya, with
the creation of the Miguel Alemán Viaduct and the
Periférico, as well as the extension of Revolución
and Patriotismo Avenue, which literally cut the area
by crossing its centre and separating all urban
landmarks of the place, as a result of one of the
worst urban planning decisions made in the history
of modern Mexico City.
And thus our visit to Tacubaya will be marked by
disintegration and rupture, but also by the
adventure that is to explore it; to find beautiful
buildings among its alleyways and avenues which
exist to remind us of a rich past full of history,
inserts in the middle of the urban chaos that
conserve their own spirit like the Lira Park, Casa
Luis Barragán or the stately Casa de la Bola, which
represent an oasis in the middle of the city; while
a visit to Revolución Avenue will reveal the
architectural force and expressivity of the works by
Juan Segura, two of the best 20th Century
buildings in Mexico City.
Tacubaya invites us to revalue it, to rescue it, to
put it back together, to connect what is broken, to
turn it back into a city. We can start by getting to
know it.
Places to visit in the area:
|
|
