A powerful emblem, depicting an eagle devouring a serpent while perched on a cactus, lies at the very heart of Mexico's national identity. This striking image, central to the Mexican flag, originates from a sacred centuries-old Mexica myth that has astonishingly endured conquest, colonisation, and profound societal change.
The Legend That Built a Capital
According to ancient legend, the god Huitzilopochtli commanded a group known as the Mexica—the founders of what would become the Aztec Empire—to abandon their homeland and seek a new place to settle. Their divine sign was an eagle, perched on a cactus, eating a serpent. This quest lasted nearly 175 years before they finally witnessed the omen on a small island in Lake Texcoco. There, in 1325, they established their magnificent city, Tenochtitlan, the very site where Mexico City stands today.
This foundational story is the focus of a compelling new exhibition, “A coat of arms, an emblem, a symbol of identity,” which runs through 15 December 2025 at the Old City Hall in downtown Mexico City. The exhibit is a key part of government activities commemorating the 700th anniversary of the Mexica capital's founding.
A Living Legacy Beneath the City
President Claudia Sheinbaum emphasised the myth's continuing relevance during an official ceremony in July, stating, “Recognizing Tenochtitlan doesn’t mean recalling a dead past, but rather the living heartbeat that still beats beneath our city.” She described it as the centre of an Indigenous civilisation that lived in harmony with the natural and spiritual world.
The exhibition's location is deeply symbolic. The Old City Hall, the current seat of Mexico City's government, was built in 1522 by order of Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés. Its construction repurposed stones from demolished Mexica sacred sites. Mariana Gómez Godoy, Director of Mexico City’s Cultural Heritage, noted that holding the exhibition in this historic building, a place of memory and decision-making, acknowledges the layers of history embedded in the city's identity.
From Prophecy to National Emblem
The exhibition, curated by researcher Guadalupe Lozada, traces the symbol's fascinating evolution. It was officially established as the city's coat of arms in 1523 under Emperor Charles V and was later adopted as the emblem of an independent Mexico. Rather than erasing the powerful local narrative, European colonisers and religious orders integrated it.
Lozada explains that while the eagle and cactus were adopted by Europeans in the mid-16th century, the serpent was introduced decades later by the Jesuits. “From then on, it would remain a symbol of the city’s identity,” she said. The emblem's prevalence is attested by its appearance in 17th-century monasteries and its enduring presence on the façade and inside a chapel of Mexico City's cathedral.
“Such was the strength of Mexica culture that the evangelizers sought to adopt it rather than exclude it,” Lozada stated. “It was like saying, ‘I acknowledge your history.’” This act of incorporation ensured the foundational myth was never erased, allowing the strength of the buried city to perpetually resurface, as if it had never truly disappeared.
