What is the oldest fountain in Mexico City

Mexico City is among the other states of the Republic due to the number of buildings, monuments and historical constructions found in its 16 mayors. It is no secret that the capital is home to priceless buildings such as the National Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Chapultepec Castle or the Iturbide Palace, however, these are not the only treasures hidden in the center of the country.

One of the oldest fountains in the Mexican Republic rests to the west of CDMX in the Miguel Hidalgo mayor's office, it is the Belén Fountain, one of the remains of the old Chapultepec Aqueduct that supplied water to the country's capital.

The Government of Mexico details that there left 902 arches “along four kilometers, which distributed water through the city until it reached the Salto del Agua fountain”, at the corner of San Juan de Laterán and Arcos de Belén.

For its part, the National Water Commission explains that there are currently not many construction documents, so it is not known for certain who was the architect who was in charge of the work, however, it is certain that it was built during the times of New Spain, between 1755 and 1760.

It is also detailed that the structure was inaugurated by Viceroy Agustín de Ahumada y Villalón, also known as Marquis de las Amarillas. At first, it was located at the entrance to the Chapultepec Forest because it was from there that the springs that provided water to the capital's territory emerged.

For a long time, it was a great tool that provided citizens not only with the natural resource mentioned, but also a space in which several children gathered to play while their mothers filled their “cochocoles” (large clay pots) and then carried the precious liquid from door to door to the neighbors. of San Miguel Chapultepec”.

It was in 1921 when the Mexican architect Roberto Álvarez Espinosa took it upon himself to change the site after having made some modifications. The same source details that the functionality of this site was lost after the demolition of the Aqueduct. For this reason, the Bethlehem Fountain went from being a basic building to a decorative monument.

Despite the cultural and social relevance of this property, unfortunately it is a little neglected, since during a good season the authorities abandoned it and there was no proper maintenance, in fact, you can see a large crack that is a sign of neglect.

For more than a century this fountain was a symbol for the surrounding colonies, even the image of the Sevilla metro station was inspired by the 20 arches that were part of this important work. Nowadays the structure can be seen from Chapultepec Avenue.

Nowadays the site is surrounded by bars, however, you should not miss the opportunity to visit the place and get to know the colonial dyes that for a long time gave the area its identity. It can be the perfect pretext to learn a little more about the country's mysterious past and observe the viceregal architecture.

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