Santo Domingo Square

You are now standing on a square once occupied for a long time by public writers and printers, offering their services to illiterate clients—a common need after colonization. To this day, you can still find some scribes here, keeping alive this tradition so deeply rooted in the city’s history. Behind you stands the small Baroque church of Santo Domingo, built in 1736, as well as the Museum of Mexican Medicine, housed in the former Palace of the Inquisition—a place forever marked by the religious persecutions after the Spanish conquest. Originally, this square was home to the palace of Emperor Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec ruler executed by the Spanish. The exact circumstances of his death remain unclear, but what is certain is that Cuauhtémoc is deeply respected by Mexicans today for having bravely fought against the conquerors, right up until the day he was captured and killed—an event that marked the end of Aztec rule. A square steeped in history, it continues to captivate visitors with its unique atmosphere.