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Mexico City is one of the oldest cities in the Western Hemisphere, a center of culture and politics for centuries. The city was founded by the Aztecs in 1325, and it served as the capital of the Aztec Empire. The city is known for its Templo Mayor (a 13th-century Aztec temple), the baroque Catedral Metropolitana de México of the Spanish conquistadors and the Palacio Nacional, which houses historic murals by Diego Rivera. All of these are situated in and around the Plaza de la Constitución, the massive main square also known as the Zócalo. Today, Mexico City is a bustling metropolis with over 21 million people, But even with all of the modern city activity, this ancient city has been able to preserve many districts almost unchanged. Ven con nosotros a una deliciosa noche en la Ciudad de México!
William H. Fredlund, the Director of the Institute, obtained his B.A. and M.A. from UCLA, where he specialized in European history and art history. He studied in Italy on a Fulbright Fellowship and completed a double Ph.D. in history and humanities at Stanford, specializing in Renaissance Italy. Dr. Fredlund has taught for UCLA, the University of Florence, Stanford, and UCSC Extension.
