Angel of Independence, Victory column in Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City, Mexico
The Angel of Independence is a victory column in Mexico City standing on a circular platform above Paseo de la Reforma. The column supports a gilded winged figure at its top and rests on a pedestal with bronze sculptures positioned at the corners.
President Porfirio Díaz inaugurated the monument on September 16, 1910, to celebrate one century since the start of Mexican independence. An earthquake in 1957 damaged the structure and led to major restoration work on the upper statue and its internal framework.
At the mausoleum entrance stands a statue of William Lamport, an Irishman executed by the Inquisition in 1659 for plotting the independence of New Spain. The remains of insurgents such as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla were interred here in 1925 under President Plutarco Elías Calles. A votive lamp ordered by President Emilio Portes Gil in 1929 burns at the base.
The interior of the column opens to visitors on weekends with a permit, requiring a climb of around 200 steps to reach a viewing platform. The platform offers wide views over the surrounding streets and buildings of the city.
A mausoleum beneath the monument holds the remains of several heroes of Mexican independence. This underground chamber remains a place of memory, though it is rarely open to the public.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,384 contributors worldwide.
