Gustavo A. Madero Esplanade

The Gustavo A. Madero Esplanade is the civic center of the Gustavo A. Madero alcaldía. It’s a giant plaza complex just east of the Basílica de Guadalupe. The plaza faces the Mercado Villa Zona 34 to the west. All of these account for the Colonia Villa de Gustavo A. Madero. This helps to explain the long history of the two institutions, one eventually evolving from the other.

The esplanade is frequent host to events of all kinds. These can be in the civic auditorium, on the northwest corner of the plaza. But they also often take up some large part of the area. Fairs, concerts, speaking events, and dances of all kinds can be found here.

A 2013 renovation gave the plaza it’s current look. It also brought back the monument to Gustavo A. Madero himself. The brother of Revolutionary president, Francisco A. Madero, for whom the famous street is named, Gustavo’s murder marked one of the darkest points of the Mexican Revolution.

The overall alcaldía of La GAM, was founded as the City of Villa de Guadalupe in 1563. It remained an important pilgramage site throughout the colonial period, as Tepeyac had been during the ancient period. The name of the Independence Movement hero was added to the name of the independent city, Villa de Guadalupe Hidalgo, and remained until that city became part of Mexico City in 1931.

Today it’s still the second most populous part of Mexico City after only Iztapalapa. The Gustavo A. Madero Esplanade is roughly in the crook of the alcaldía’s L-shape. It shares that central space with Lindavista and the Indios Verdes area.  To the north is Cuautepec and the mountains of the Sierra de Guadalupe. To the west are the forest and zoo at the center of the Aragón area.