Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral

"A mammoth church and an impressive example of colonial architecture, the Catedral Metropolitana is the result of 240 years of construction that started in the middle of the 16th century. There are tours that let you visit the bell towers from where you’ll get an impressive view of Centro Histórico." - MATADOR_NETWORK

"Mexico City’s mammoth cathedral was built across three centuries (1573–1813)—starting soon after Cortés and his allies vanquished the Aztec Empire—using stones taken from a destroyed indigenous temple. Today’s sanctuary serves up contrasts between unadorned neoclassical walls alongside exuberant gilt chapels and altarpieces as well as a massive pipe organ, with some baroque elements, that’s still dusted off and played from time to time. Be sure not to miss the high altar, and consider shelling out for a visit to the sacristy, with its glistening dome, grand canvases, and massive cabinets, fit to hold an archbishop’s entire stock of holy utensils. And for a queasy view of how much the ground beneath the city is sinking, note how chandeliers appear to list in comparison to the chapel’s vertical lines."

"This cathedral was built over two centuries (from 1573 to 1813) and is the largest in Latin America. The Spanish built it over the ruins of the Aztec Templo Mayor and used some of the stones of the fallen edifice to construct the church. Since it was built over such a long time, it features a mix of Renaissance, Baroque, and Neo-classical styles in its design." - Scarlett Lindeman