In the initial chronicles, Bucareli was described as a charming place surrounded by trees, offering picturesque views of majestic mountains. Discovering its fascinating history demands a willingness to take a journey of more than a thousand steps, stopping along the way to unravel enigmas of the past and experience up close the architectural essence characteristic of the Porfiriato period.
The essence of Bucareli is similar to that of a body adorned with polka dots extending from head to toe. To the naked eye, these spots do not always glow, but when you look closely, from different angles and directions, your eyes will gradually be captivated by them.
Tiny, large, sometimes diffuse… each mole represents a birthmark that tells a story dating back to the 17th century. These places have witnessed the passage of millions of footwear throughout the ages, and despite the passage of time, they are still vibrant with life.
The initial chronicles portrayed this space as a leafy area, especially adorned with ahuehuetes and ash trees, from where the mountains could be seen with majesty. People of all social classes converged here: politicians, military and civilians. Some walked, others rode on horseback, and a few rode in carriages.
Every afternoon, the population enjoyed walks around the three fountains that embellished the serene path. However, Sundays and holidays were the preferred days for people to take this walk, as recounted by the Marquise Madame Calderón de la Barca, an outstanding 19th century chronicler who documented life in Mexico City.
Bucareli holds the title of being the “second most relevant promenade” in the city, right after La Alameda, which dates back to 1590. According to Édgar Tavares López, expert researcher and cataloguer of historical and artistic monuments, the name of this place comes from Viceroy Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa, who inaugurated this emblematic space in 1778. If you are looking to immerse yourself in the history of Mexico City, exploring Bucareli is a trip you should not miss.
Exploring the History of Bucareli: Walk from the Glorieta de La Acordada to the Garita de Belen.
Delving into the rich history of Bucareli led us to walk along the road that stretches from the old traffic circle of La Acordada, now home to the statue of Enrique Carbajal known as “El Caballito”, to the former location of the Belen checkpoint, marked by the intersection of Avenida Chapultepec and Cuauhtémoc. This trip implies being willing to take more than a thousand steps and dedicate a few minutes to stop, allowing you to unveil the historical enigmas that make up the anatomy of this place and feel the characteristic architecture of the Porfiriato on your skin.
According to the words of renowned chronicler Tavares López, Mexico City experienced modest growth during the three centuries of Spanish rule, which makes the emergence of this promenade stand out with a singular splendor in urban history. “For me, it represents an urbanistic milestone of utmost importance, unparalleled from a historical perspective,” highlights our guide on this journey.
This tour witnessed crucial moments: the entrance of the Trigante Army in 1821, marking the consummation of the country’s Independence; it witnessed the Tragic Decade, the thunder of the cannon shots at the Chinese Clock, and witnessed the passing of iconic figures such as Fidel Castro and Ernesto Che Guevara. Here resounded the steps of renowned poets such as Octavio Paz, Renato Leduc and Ramón López Velarde. It was the stage where thousands of copies of the newspaper Excelsior circulated under the direction of the influential journalist Julio Scherer. It was also the crucible in which literary movements were born, including infrarrealism with its outstanding exponents Mario Santiago Papasquiaro and Roberto Bolaño. Thus, over the centuries, this stretch of the city has established itself as a kaleidoscopic spectacle of its multifaceted history. If you long to immerse yourself in the evocative fabric of Bucareli, this walk is a journey you can’t miss.
The Last Witnesses of Bucareli: A Glimpse of La Gaona’s Cultural and Historical Heritage
In the heart of Bucareli, a worn, reddish-toned wooden door becomes the entrance to the second multi-family residential complex to come to life in Mexico City: La Gaona (1922). Tavares guides us by describing its neocolonial style adorned with cornices of mixtilinear design and a door of imposing dimensions. The local name for these walnut doors is the same with which Maria del Carmen Hernandez, a resident since childhood, welcomes us. This home was bequeathed to her and her mother by her godfather, gangster filmmaker Juan Orol.
Within the walls of this condominium, Maricarmen (as her neighbors affectionately call her) nostalgically recalls the posadas frequented by artists such as Silvia Pinal and Pita Amor. We enter her “privado”, an apartment that pays tribute to the old Bucareli through its walls upholstered with evocative photographs. Maricarmen tells us the story of bullfighter Rodolfo Jiménez Gaona, who acquired the property in the 1920s and 1930s with the intention of providing housing for families linked to bullfighting. In the following decades, Orol and Jiménez would cross paths.
Today, this building holds the title of cultural and historical heritage, honored by the National Institute of Fine Arts (INBA) and the National Institute of Arts and History (INAH). “La Gaona is one of Bucareli’s most valuable treasures,” emphasizes Maricarmen. “This is the home of the last witnesses of this street, bearers of countless anecdotes,” she adds, backed by her training as an architect at the Autonomous University of Mexico (UAM).
From her spacious home, Maricarmen enjoys a balcony overlooking the current headquarters of the Secretaría de Gobernación, known as the Palacio Cobián. This residence was once occupied by Don Feliciano Cobián and Rosalía Fernández, Spanish merchants and cotton growers who, according to chronicler Salvador Novo (1904-1974), transformed a property formerly used by the narrow-gauge tramway of Mexico, Tacubaya and Mixcoac into this splendid palace. With an Italian Renaissance style and a very European air, as Tavares observes.
In the middle, there was the Bucareli traffic circle adorned with the La Libertad fountain by architect Joaquín Heredia. A notable episode in the history of this area was the gift of the last Chinese emperor, Puyi, of the Qing dynasty: a clock symbolizing the friendship between the Chinese and Mexican governments, on the occasion of the centennial of the Independence in 1910. However, in 1913, during the overthrow of Francisco I. Madero, this clock was shot down by cannon fire. On the bicentennial of the Independence, China Today magazine contributed to its reconstruction through donations, thus rescuing a significant piece of Bucareli’s history.
Discover the Charms of La Ciudadela and La Gaona in Bucareli
Just nearby is La Ciudadela, an emblematic site that houses a collection of historic cannons. Currently transformed into a park, this space attracts visitors to walk their pets, enjoy reading, take relaxing walks or play with their children.
On the corner near La Gaona, a modest plaque is lined up next to electrical cables, displaying the name of the author of the work: Ángel Torres-Torija. From here, a panoramic view of the representative shields of each entity of the Republic is obtained. María del Carmen Hernández, a prominent figure in the neighborhood’s defense against the real estate dispossession of this building, proudly points out the figures of the seven viceroys, among them Viceroy Bucareli, sculpted on the tezontle façade. Each of these portraits is framed by a mosaic composed of forty pieces of tesserae in shades of cobalt blue and yellow, techniques that were common at the time.
With a smile, Hernandez points out a curious detail: “Notice how it doesn’t have an ‘hache’, it’s an ‘efe’. It looks like it says ‘Fernán’ instead of ‘Hernán Cortés,'” commenting on some pieces that are worn and others with defects, a reminder of the lasting influence of time. On the same wall, there are the well-known “portholes”: small circular windows that let in the sun’s rays. The expert explains that some of these windows have pyramid-shaped skylights, designed this way because of the need to conserve heat in ancient buildings.
Discover the charm of La Ciudadela and La Gaona in Bucareli, and immerse yourself in the fascinating history that lies within these walls.
A Fascinating Walk Through Bucareli: History and Charm in Every Corner
The beginning of this historic promenade is marked by the iconic building of the Excélsior newspaper, a design by Silvio Contri, located at number 18. The original elements such as the entrances, windows and balconies, all generously wide, preserve a touch of the Frenchified architecture characteristic of the Porfiriato, according to Tavares.
The surrounding atmosphere offers a balance between the old and the contemporary: the aroma of the taco stands mingles with the sound of car horns. In the area, several auto parts stores, established since the middle of the last century, evoke a sense of nostalgia. Maricarmen points out: “Most of the businesses in this area are of this nature, with roots going back many years.
In times past, the roads of this promenade resounded with the gallop of horses and the turning of wooden wheels, surrounded by “more than two thousand ash trees planted in this place”, as related by the essayist and historian Salvador Novo, whose chronicles about the city were compiled in the book “Los Seis Siglos de la Ciudad de México”, published by the Fondo de Cultura Económica.
The book “Life in Mexico”, by the Scottish Madame Calderón de la Barca (1804-1882), vividly describes the scene of yesteryear: “a long and wide avenue lined with trees… there is a large stone fountain, whose sparkling waters seem fresh and delicious, topped by a golden statue of Victory. Here, every afternoon, but preferably on Sundays and holidays, the latter never ending, you can see two long lines of carriages full of ladies, a multitude of gentlemen riding horses between the space left by the cars, soldiers, from stretch to stretch, who take care of order and a crowd of townspeople and lay people, mixed with some gentlemen who stroll on foot …”.
Tavares, the expert, emphasizes the role played by the avenue’s orientation: “The historian Manuel Orozco y Berra (1816-1881) used to emphasize the sensation of enjoying the open air and having a panoramic view to the west, while the eastern sun bathed the right side of the face”.
As you approach the end of this journey, just before Bucareli intersects, the La Mascota building (1912) appears. Recognized as the first condominium in Mexico City, this building designed by engineer Miguel Ángel de Quevedo leads to three entrances named in allusion to cigar brands, since it was commissioned by Ernesto Pugibet, owner of a tobacco factory, for his administrators. This building, modern from its foundations, used to house a café where it is rumored that the poet Ramón López Velarde wrote his poem “La Suave Patria”.
Across the street is the Vizcaya building, designed by Roberto Servín. Despite the passage of time, this building still represents the architecture of the Porfirio Díaz era, with very French touches. With spacious apartments and a rooftop converted into a rest area, the building embodies the continuity of a style. On the first floor, a cantina, with its name intact since 1939, attracts with its folding doors. Access is limited to adults and military uniformed personnel, as a sign warns. Outside, empty beer bottles guard the entrance, including the first Klosters to arrive in Mexico. Inside, the jazz chords of the Horizonte station fill the space daily. The bright-eyed German who runs it communicates quietly. An auto parts mechanic reveals, “This place used to be the meeting point for many bohemians in the middle of the last century.”
Embark on this exciting walk through Bucareli, where every step reveals the treasures and intertwined history of Mexico City.
Recovering the Essence of Bucareli: Landmarks that Stand the Test of Time
For Tavares, six places are the authentic columns of history that sustain the essence of Bucareli: the iconic building that housed the newspaper Excelsior, the evocative Reloj Chino, the enigmatic La Gaona, the majestic Palacio de Feliciano Cobián, the distinctive La Vizcaya and the nostalgic La Mascota. “These places represent the best of our ride. With towering trees, story-telling fountains and emblematic gazebos… had they been preserved, we would possess two promenades of extraordinary beauty: Bucareli and La Alameda. But today, unfortunately, Bucareli shows signs of neglect,” he says.
In its heyday, the width of Bucareli, according to Salvador Novo, extended along three roads: one for carriages, another for horses and a third for pedestrians. However, the passage of time and increasing urbanization led to a shortening of the promenade. “In the modern city, the act of strolling has been displaced by the automobile invasion, and those moments of feeling the heartbeat of the city have been lost,” laments Tavares.
Viceroy Bucareli had an ambitious purpose: to beautify this promenade to create a connection between the Alameda and the Belén gateway, thus forming an access to the forest similar to the elegant Paseo de Recoletos in Spain or the Champs Elysées in France. The late chronicler Guillermo Tovar y de Teresa explained in 2005 to the newspaper El Universal that this vision sought to emulate the grandiose avenues of Europe. However, with the emergence of Paseo de la Reforma in 1867, Bucareli’s presence was eclipsed. Despite the ravages of time, the architect considers that “compared to other streets, it remains in an admirable state”.
Tavares passionately emphasizes: “This place is a vital epicenter, it underwent a remarkable transformation from the late 18th to the 19th century”. He adds that the buildings present in the area bear witness to the architectural precision that characterized the era and are still functional today, preserving their authenticity and providing a valuable link to the city’s history.
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