PALACIO DE GOBIERNO

Just a block east and half a block south of the cathedral front, let the Palacio de Gobierno, on Armas’s east side, be the first stop of your south-side walking tour. Open daily 9:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m. At the city tourism information booth (módulo de información) just inside the entrance, ask for a copy of the superb all-color Points of Interest bilingual foldout map and guide. Open Mon.–Fri. 9 a.m.–3 p.m. and 4–7 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (Moreover, the sidewalk out front of the Palacio de Gobierno is a good spot to find a highly recommended local guide, Mr. Xiao Lin, tel. 33/3607-6786, who explains the murals inside and accepts only donations.)

The Palacio de Gobierno’s main attraction is the epic 1937 Orozco mural in the stairwell, right side of the inner patio. Father Miguel Hidalgo, with torch in hand, like an avenging angel, leads Mexico’s struggle against the evil stooges of Communism, Capitalism, Fascism, and Catholicism. Don’t miss the villains, such as General Porfirio Díaz and the idiotic Benito Mussolini (middle right panel), or the heroes, such as mustachioed Emiliano Zapata (in campesino white cotton).