Inside the History of Mexico City's Vecindades

These grandiose buildings featuring a central courtyard were originally built to house European aristocracy in the Spanish colony beginning in the 16th century. In the generations since, these residential designs unique to Mexico City tell a story about the city's development into a megalopolis and the country's economic and political shifts. Today, the old buildings that remain continue to form a nostalgic, but essential part of what it means to be Mexican.