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 Despite the brutality of the Conquest, the Spaniards were unable to completely eradicate Aztec culture. Instead, two separate cultures—one Indigenous and one European—blended together to create a new society.
Christianity replaced many elements of the Aztec religion, but it was given a strong indigenous imprint incorporating certain prehispanic beliefs. And traditional Aztec crafts—such as the manufacture of ceramic vessels and figurines—continued, often mixing Spanish and Aztec forms and designs. The result of this cultural melding was the birth of modern Mexico.
Merging Religions
Though Spanish missionaries converted most Aztecs to Catholicism, Mexican Christianity often retained strong influences from the prior religion. Churches were built over Aztec sacred sites using stones from demolished temples, and the "ghosts" of Aztec deities survived in the guises of Catholic saints. Christian ritual items were sometimes even crafted from Aztec sacred objects.
 Blending Artistic Styles
The Tlatelolco Fountain or caja de agua is a recently discovered example of blended artistic styles. Soon after the Conquest, the new Spanish rulers ordered the destruction of Tlatelolco's sacred precinct. On top of the ruins they built a church and a convent dedicated to Santiago (St. James), as well as the Colegio de Santa Cruz, a school for the male nobility.
Recently, archaeologists uncovered a public fountain under the convent walls. Murals surrounding the fountain—dating from the 1530s—were painted in a Spanish colonial style, but incorporated Aztec subject matter.
Today, the center of Tlatelolco is known as the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, or the “Plaza of the Three Cultures.” Here, visitors can see Aztec, Spanish colonial, and modern Mexican architecture all in one place.
Continue through the Conclusion: Aztec Legacy. >>
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