Very few places offer such peculiar quality as it is offered by this Plaza.
Its buildings house the three stages of Mexico’s history.
The Tlatelolco archaeological site takes us back to the Pre-Hispanic period: the ruins of the temples and palaces witnessed the importance of that place before the XVI century.
After the Spanish conquest, the life in Tlatelolco and Tenochtitlan had an unexpected turnaround and remained as such for 300 years.
The Imperial School Santa Cruz Tlatelolco was created by the bishop Friar Juan de Zumárraga, and was one of the first educational centers from the New Spain that were dedicated to young indians from noble origin. Antonio Valeriano, an indian from Azcapotzalco become Dean of that school. This school has reached it peak development in the first half of the 16th century. In the second third of the 18th century it became a simple school that was opened until 1811.
The Santiago Tlatelolco church and the San Buenaventura Cloister is an example of the strong influence of the western culture brought by the Spanish and promoted during the long Colonial period, that mixed with the indigenous culture has resulted in a new nation.
Plaza de las tres culturas was declared historic monument on February 9th 1931.