Tenochtitlan (Sacred Precinct) - Mexico

Commemorating 500 years of fall of Tenochtitlan, 13 August 1521-2021

The Ancient Ruins Collection--Mesoamerica **presents Mexico-Tenochtitlan (Sacred Precinct).**

This model contains 15 different .stl files, each labeled in order for easy assembly.

Mexico-Tenochtitlan was the capital of the Mexica (Aztec) Empire, a magnificent city built on islets on Lake Texcoco, in the Anahuac basin, the present-day location of Mexico City. At the time of the arrival of the Spanish in 1519, it had a larger population than London, and boasted aqueducts supplying fresh water and a canal system.

It was built in the exact location where Mexica legend says an eagle perched on a nopal cactus, marking the location mandated by Huitzilopochtil to found their city (this is represented in the Flag of Mexico). The Nahuatl name "Tenochtitlan" is thought to mean "place where the prickly pear grows on rocks".

The Sacred Precinct was a walled citadel within Tenochtitlan, reserved for temples and other buildings of religious, military and educational importance. The recounts of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, a Spanish monk, describe braziers with sacred fires burning continuously in front of each shrine, and tall staircases with balustrades ending in snake heads. Buildings were covered in white stucco and decorated with red, ochre and teal paint.

The entire city was razed to the ground by the Spanish after it succumbed to a 93-day siege and smallpox outbreak in August 13, 1521. The new European-style Mexico City, capital of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, was built in the same location, with the ruins' materials and by enslaved survivors.

The forgotten ancient ruins resurfaced throughout the following centuries when numerous construction projects dug them out, including the construction of the subway system. In 1987, the Museo del Templo Mayor opened to house all the findings (from Wikipedia).

This model is a hypothetical reconstruction based on several accounts by Spanish witnesses and chronicles. No models of ruins are provided.

MiniWorld3D is excited to bring this historical model to life as a homage to all the people of Mexico. Some models were designed by MiniWorld3D collaborator MintyFries and others by founder Dany Sánchez. They were put together and optimized for 3D printing in Tinkercad. Please give credit, it's all about spreading culture and education!

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MiniWorld3D is a collective of 35+ artists creating the best library of 3D printable models of landmarks of the world!

Print photos by Dany Sánchez in Reflow recycled PLA Eggshell, 0.2mm layers.

*Other image credits: Scale model in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. *

No supports required.

Use slow speeds, 20 mm/s outer perimeter.

Brim or raft could ensure no warping.

Assemble following the provided images and the numbers in the file names and below some of the models. 

Some files must be printed in several identical copies.