Tenochtitlan and Lima

Q 3: Tenochtitlan-How was the city laid out? (map, boundaries, design, land uses)

Tenochtitlan was at first constructed like many other city-state capitals with an organized central area that was surrounded by unorganized districts. However, since Tenochtitlan had become the capital of the Aztec civilization, it was decided that it was time to renovate.  They wanted the city’s renewed layout to be radiant as well as be prestigious and intelligent in its appearance. Grid lines became an eminent feature to this renewed layout. The central region was not only renovated to match this grid; the outskirts were as well to make the entire city more organized.  The people of Tenochtitlan borrowed a lot of stylistic designs from Teotihuacan and Tula to rebuild their city, including certain architectural styles, sculpture as well as this grid pattern. The city was divided into four zones or campan, each campan was divided on 20 districts, calpullis, and each calpulli was crossed by streets or tlaxilcalli. There were three main streets that crossed the city, each leading to one of the three causeways to the mainland; they were reported to be wide enough for ten horses. The calpullis were divided by channels used for transportation, with wood bridges that were removed at night. These canals divided the city into the four cardinal directions.  The center of the city was used to house public buildings, temples and schools. In the center of each of the four surrounding quadrants there was also a central plaza. This city center was also home to a walled square, 90000 feet in area,that served as the main ceremonial center for Tenochtitlan’s people. Outside of the city centers, were the houses of its people.  The houses of the lords and nobles normally surrounded the market places and civic centers. On the outskirts of the city, there were gardens in the swamps.  By using their superior farming skills, these people made chinampas, rectangular patches of earth in the swamp, to cultivate plants for food and to build houses on.  They were able to have very productive planting areas because of this technology. Most importantly, the city had a great symmetry that contributed to its prestigious look. All constructions had to be approved by the calmimilocatl, a functionary in charge of the city planning, so that the desired style of the renewed city could be achieved. Water, Lake Texcoco, served as a for the boundary of the city



Q 3: Lima- How was the city laid out? (map, boundaries, design, land uses)

Lima contains a series of layouts and townscapes that are pertinent to its long history. The center of old Lima, defined by Spanish colonists in the 16th century and partly enclosed by defensive walls in the 17th, retains a checkerboard street pattern. Bounded on the north by the Rímac River and on the east, south, and west by broad avenues, old Lima contains a few restored colonial buildings interspersed among buildings of more modern centuries, many of which were built upon the sites of former colonial residences that had collapsed during the major earthquakes that have struck the city. The old walls, however, were demolished in the mid-19th century. Two principal squares, the Plaza de Armas and the Plaza Bolívar, are still the focal point of architectural interest within central Lima. The Presidential Palace and many other buildings reflect the past popularity of the French Empire Style on the. On the north side of the Rímac, the old colonial suburb of the same name conserves relics of its past in its curved, narrow streets, tightly packed with single-story houses, and its Alameda de los Descalzos (“Boulevard of the Barefoot Monks”).The former residential zone of central Lima has undergone several radical modifications. Most of the old spacious mansions have been subdivided so that they now accommodate as many as 50 families. These have been occupied by immigrants from the countryside striving to gain a foothold in the urban economy and society. Other parts of old Lima have experienced demolition and reconstruction. Housing has given way to banks, insurance offices, law firms, and government offices. There have been repeated attempts to stimulate pride in El Cercado (the formerly walled enclosure). Central Lima contains relatively few outstanding architectural features. Lima did not expand much beyond the walls of the old city until railways and tramlines were constructed in the mid-19th century. For the next 75 years, the axes of urban development from old Lima assuming distinctive characters: the area west to Callao became the 

industrial corridor; the sweeping bay frontage to the south from Barranco to Magdalena was transformed into the choice residential zone; and eastward, toward Vitarte, a mix of industrial and lower-class suburbs emerged. As the pace of urban expansion increased in the 1930s, small communities formed in the open country between Lima and the coast. These gradually coalesced into such urban districts. The numerous farms and small tracts of cultivated land between suburbs and barren, dry land also became urbanized as immigrants from the interior occupied these areas. In the 1950s Lima became noted for these squatter camps of shanties, which as they became more permanently established. These communities have come to contain one-third of the population of metropolitan Lima. Lima’s contemporary townscapes provide such contrasts that it is easy to forget that the rich and the poor belong to the same society. Within a few blocks one can move from luxury to abject poverty. With downtown Lima often heavily congested with traffic, suburban locations were chosen for many new businesses, factories, and shopping centres. In some areas, classic corner stores run by Chinese and Japanese immigrants and their descendants are fighting a losing battle against the competition of large, hygienic supermarkets. Elsewhere, however, open-air markets and crowds of vendors are numerous.

Q 4: How did culture influence the city and how did the city influence the culture- Tenochtitlan

The Aztec cultures were based education, cultivation, and worshiping their Gods. Educating the Aztec children was very important for this population because this was the way the elders were able to make their empire flourish. The boys would learn how to farm and fish by their fathers, while the girls would learn how to cool and weave from their mothers. Yet both genders would attend school to learn about religion, history, dance and music. But the older boys would learn how to fight in battle. Learning how to cultivate was very vital to the Aztec, their diet was mostly based on vegetation before they were concurred the Spaniards. One of the main vegetable that they used was maize. But the Aztecs also ate tomatoes, avocados, beans and peppers, pumpkins, squashes, and chocolate. The houses of the Aztec people were generally made of wood and loam while the rooftops were made from reeds. Only the temples, pyramids and the palaces of the nobles and the royalty were made with stone. Therefore, in the middle of the city there would be huge building in which of those buildings were there because of religious purposes. Aztec temples dedicated to different gods and goddesses .The main temple of worship for example, the temple of the sun, places of sacrifice and other small temples dedicated to other minor events. Since Tenochtitlan was intersected with canals for moving goods, the streets of were regularly cleaned. Also the Aztecs went to markets and bought products like cloth, food and other necessities, which attracted about than 50,000 people a day.

Q4: How culture influence the city and how did the city influence the culture-Lima

Peruvian culture may seem divided between indigenous and modern society, for example some people live in the mountains and others in the city. Rural communities are based on family-owned fields with the assistance of draft animals. Since the economy failed this led Lima to be based on traditional market street trade which have become an huge part of daily life. Street vendors can be found on every corner selling a huge variety of goods. Most of the transportation is done by foot. The culture of Peru is very diverse; for example they are also people from African, Chinese, and both Inca and Spanish influences. Since the city has a lot of different kind of people, this influences the art in the city. Peruvian art is known for its connection in their history which dates back thousands of years, preserved by the local community. Moreover, in Lima they are a lot of Plazas in which almost 3,000 festivals are celebrated throughout the year. The modern culture of Peru combines all of festivals and ancient heritage, but also with Spanish and modern influences.

Q1: Why was Tenochtitlan founded?

The city was originally built in the Valley of Mexico on an island in a large lake during the 14th century, approximately around the year 1325 and was formally called Tenochtitlan. Tenochtitlan was home to the rapidly growing Aztec Empire and civilization. The Aztec tribes were said to be outcasts wandering around central Mexico who believed in an ancient prophecy saying their tribe 

would discover the destined location of a great city when they came across an eagle eating a snake atop a cactus (this prophecy is reflected on the Mexican flag). The Aztec’s claimed they saw this vision on an island in the Valley of Mexico, an island on Lake Texcoco, and so this is where they built their city. The city was thought to be one of the largest in the world and subsequently, the city was captured and destroyed by Spain in 1519 and eventually rebuilt by 1525. The King of Spain wanted to rebuild the city so his kingdom could more efficiently utilize the city economically. The new city would become the center of Mexico, the Viceroyalty of the New Spain, and would be named Mexico City (Cuidad de México). Essentially, Mexico City is built on, and around the Tenochtitlan ruins.

Q1: Why was the city founded?- Lima

The founding of Lima occurred in January of 1535. The city was said to be founded on the day of Epiphany, the Christian holiday commemorating the reveal of Jesus as Christ and the baptism of Jesus, so Lima’s founder, Francisco Pizarro called it the “City of Kings.”  Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador that came to Peru to create an empire for himself. After seizing many empires, Pizarro decided to consolidate his dominion. This is when he founded Lima; he picked its location because it is near the Pacific coast and major fresh water rivers, the perfect place to develop a Spanish port. Pizarro was murdered in the Palace of Lima in 1541, and a year later the kingdom of Spain designated the city of Lima as the Viceroyalty of Peru in the year 1542. For three centuries, Lima was the headquarters for the Spanish government and culture, and was home to the High Court of Spain, the real audiencia, and the Spanish Inquisition for some point in time. During the 1800’s Lima remained loyal to Spain, unlike surrounding territories. Peru then claimed its independence in 1821, and Lima became the capital. During the mid-1800’s, Lima developed railroads, and roads, and rapidly grew as a capital city. After World War II, a lot of people migrated to Lima, and by the 1980’s it was poverty stricken and basically overrun by guerrilla movements.

Q2: How did geography play a role in the siting of the city Tenochtitlan?:

Tenochtitlan was an island in the middle of the shallow Lake Texcoco in the Valley of Mexico. The island was connected to the mainland by causeways and bridges that they could pull away if under attack. The city had many canals so that people could easily travel by both foot and canoe. There was a levee in the city that allowed for constant fresh water to enter the city and for the saline water to be stored to the east of the city. The city was built on the island for safety and security reasons and also for privacy from other travelers.



Q2:How did geography play a role in the siting of the city Lima:

Lima is located on the Western coast of Peru. The entire western boarder of Lima is the Pacific Ocean while the east coast is Andean zone. Because of the coastline Lima has easy access to ports and natural resources from the ocean- fresh fist etc. Lima was once a territory of many cultures because of the access to the different geographical locations, therefore Lima has taken on many aspects of the prior cultures such as traditions and rituals. Because of Limas location it is now a popular tourist area because of the access to the mountains for adventure sports and the miles of coastline access to the beach.

Q5: What allowed the city to flourish?-Tenochtitlan

Tenochtitlan was a city founded in Mexico around the year 1325. It was the capital city of the Aztecs. The city was located on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco. This closeness to water was a huge factor for allowing the city to flourish, as water is a necessity to survive. Also, the water surrounding the city made it hard for surrounding tribes to attack the city. Inside the city, there was a canal system that allowed for travel through the city by canoe. Another reason for why this city flourished was that it was a hive of activity for both merchants and artisans. All of the business that was going on in the city plus the access to water made this city an attractive place for people to live and allow the city to flourish.

The decline of Tenochtitlan started in 1519 when Hernan Cortés saw the great city for the first time. Cortés entered the city and put the current leader under house arrest. After a few months, the Aztecs revolted against the Spaniard invasion of their city and drove them out. Cortés regrouped and decided to lay siege to the city in 1521. After three months, the leader of Tenochtitlan decided to surrender the city to the Spaniards.

Q5: What allowed the city to flourish?- Lima

The city of Lima is located on the west coast of South America in Peru. Lima is the capital of Peru and the largest city. The city was founded in 1535 and was the capital and most important city in the Spanish territory of Peru. Lima then became the capital of the Republic of Peru after Peruvian War of Independence in the early 1800’s. The city was chosen as the capital for many reasons. Location is a big reason for why Lima is has been the capital for so many years. It is located around the middle of the country of Peru and right on the shore of the Pacific Ocean. This gives the inhabitants easy access to water. This access to water makes the city attractive for business people and traders. Since Lima’s founding, it has been able to grow substantially and is still growing. Lima is the fifth largest city in Latin America and it is home to one of the largest financial hubs in South America.