Federal District buildings

The Federal District buildings are two buildings on the south side of the Zócalo in Mexico City divided by the avenue Avenida 20 de Noviembre. They house offices of the governing authority of Mexico City. The building to the west of 20 de Noviembre is the older one and has been the site of city administration since the Conquest. The one to the east is newer, built in the 20th century.

Similar to other capital cities, like Washington, D.C., Mexico City is considered as belonging to the nation, rather than being part of a particular state. What is now the federal district used to be principally part of the State of Mexico until 1824, when the Mexican Congress decided to put the capital in Mexico City. At the time, the State of Mexico had its headquarters in the old Palace of the Inquisition (Now the Museum of Medicine) but then had to move to Texcoco. The government of Mexico City and the Federal District are one and the same, causing Mexicans to use the terms interchangeably. While it is still considered under federal jurisdiction, recently, changes have been made, such as the allowing of direct elections of the Chief or "mayor" of the District.

The first local authority in New Spain was the ayuntamiento (district council) of Villa Rica in Veracruz, established where Hernán Cortés came ashore in the early 16th century. This governing council was moved to Coyoacán, near Mexico City after the fall of the Aztec city Tenochtitlan. The ayuntamiento was moved here after the first town hall was built between 1526 and 1532, with the first recorded council meeting here in 1526. It was built as a fortress against the Indians, who were forbidden to settle in the area. It had a large meeting room, a scrivener's room to keep records, another for accounting, and audience hall, a chapel and a sacristy. This building also housed a government-controlled butchers and granary Since then, the governing body and building have gone by several names including the "Casas Consistoriales", the "Casas de Cabildos", the "Palacio de Diputación", the "Sala de Cabildos" and the "Consejo Consultivo de la Ciudad." The building was expanded in 1582.

...
Wikipedia