Monument to Enrico Martínez, Stone monument next to Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City, Mexico.
Monument to Enrico Martínez is a stone column topped with a sculpted figure, positioned near the Metropolitan Cathedral to honor a cartographer. The base features elevation markers and reference points that were once used for surveying the city and monitoring water levels.
Construction began in 1877 and finished in 1881, created to honor the work of an important surveyor during Mexico City's modern development. Vicente Riva Palacio championed the project as part of efforts to recognize those who helped map and understand the city.
The monument honors a surveyor whose work shaped the city's development and understanding of its geography. Today it stands as a reminder of how mapping and measurement became central to managing urban life in this place.
The monument sits in the historic center right beside the cathedral and is easily reached on foot. The plaza around it is accessible and well connected to public transportation and other attractions in the area.
The base includes official calibration marks for both metric and imperial measurement systems carved into stone. This made the site a reference point where two different measurement standards could be compared and verified.
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