Used and classified as a government building, the National Palace, with its red
tezontle facade, fills the entire east side of the Zócalo,{{cite book The facade is bordered on the north and south by two towers and includes three main doorways, each of which lead to a different part of the building. The southern door leads to the Patio of Honor and presidential offices (no public access). The northern door is known as the Mariana Door, named in honor of
Mariano Arista who had it constructed in 1850. The area next to this door used to be the old Court Prison, with courtrooms and torture chambers. It is now occupied by the Finance Ministry. It contains the Treasury Room, constructed by architects Manuel Ortiz Monasterio and Vicente Mendiola. The iron and bronze door is the work of Augusto Petriccioli. Above the central doorway, facing the Zócalo, is the main balcony where just before 11pm on September 15, the president of Mexico gives the
Grito de Dolores, in a ceremony to commemorate
Mexican Independence. Part of this ceremony includes ringing the bell that hangs above the balcony. This bell is the original one that
Father Miguel Hidalgo rang to call for rebellion against Spain. It originally hung in the church of
Dolores Hidalgo,
Guanajuato, but was relocated here. In the niche containing the bell, there is the Mexican
coat of arms. On each side there is an
Aztec eagle knight and his Spanish counterpart. These were sculpted by Manuel Centurion and symbolize the synthesis of Mexican culture and Spanish culture. The central door leads to the main patio which is surrounded by
Baroque arches. Only the
balustrade of this area has been remodeled, conserving the
murals by
Diego Rivera that adorn the main stairwell and the walls of the second floor. In the stairwell is a
mural depicting the history of Mexico from 1521 to 1930, and covers an area of 450 m2 (4800 ft2). These murals were painted between 1929 and 1935, jointly titled "The Epic of the Mexican People". The work is divided like a
triptych with each being somewhat autonomous. The right-hand wall contains murals depicting pre-Hispanic Mexico and centers around the life of the Aztec god
Quetzalcóatl. Quetzalcóatl appears in the mural as a star, a god, and a human being. Created by serpents, he sails through space as a star that accompanies the sun at night. Quetzalcóatl then assumes a human body to teach the Aztec people as their king and patriarch. Last, when he sacrifices his blood to give life to men, he returns to the sky having completed his earthly cycle. Once he leaves the earth, Quetzalcóatl assumes the shape the
morning star, called
Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli. The cycle that he undergoes signifies the continuous cycle of life. Rivera's creation of a Mexican identity helps to continue the reform that began with the
Mexican Revolution of 1910. Before this time, any individualism from the Indians was discouraged as well as any allusion toward Aztec origins. The mural aims to dismiss any idea of inferiority.{{cite web In the middle and largest panel, the
Conquest is depicted with its ugliness, such as rape and torture, as well as priests defending the rights of the indigenous people. The battle for independence occupies the uppermost part of this panel in the arch. The
American and
French invasions are represented below this, as well as the
Reform period and the Revolution. The left-hand panel is dedicated to early and mid-20th century, criticizing the status quo and depicting a
Marxist kind of utopia, featuring the persons of
Plutarco Elías Calles,
John D. Rockefeller,
Harry Sinclair,
William Durant,
J.P. Morgan,
Cornelius Vanderbilt and
Andrew Mellon as well as
Karl Marx. This part of the mural also includes
Frida Kahlo, Diego's wife. This mural reflects Diego's own personal views about Mexico's history and the indigenous people of the country in particular. from 1829 to 1872 Diego also painted 11 panels on the middle floor, such as the "Tianguis of Tlatelolco" (tianguis means "market"), and the "Arrival of Hernán Cortés in Veracruz". These are part of a series depicting the pre-Hispanic era. Peoples such as the
Tarascos of
Michoacán, the
Zapotecs and
Mixtecs of
Oaxaca and the
Huastecs of
Hidalgo,
San Luis Potosí and
Veracruz. However, this series was not finished. On the upper floor is what once was the Theatre Room of the
viceroys, which became the
Chamber of Deputies from 1829 to August 22, 1872, when the room was accidentally destroyed by fire. In this parliamentary chamber the
Reform Constitution of 1857 was written. This and the
Constitution of 1917 are on display. The Palace has fourteen courtyards but only a few of these, such as the Grand Courtyard beyond the central portal, are open to the public. The National Palace also houses the main State Archives, with many historical documents, and the Biblioteca
Miguel Lerdo de Tejada, one of the largest and most important libraries in the country. On north annex of the building is the Treasury Room and the Benito Juárez Museum. Between the two is the Empress Stairway, built by brothers Juan and Ramón Agea. When faced with claims that their work was unstable and would collapse, they had a full battalion charge down them while they stood underneath. The Treasury Room is no longer in use. Leading to the Museum part of the complex, which used to be the Finance Ministry, is a statue of
Benito Juárez by
Miguel Noreña. This work was criticized at the time because it was felt that such an honored person should not be depicted sitting on his coattails, as it was contrary to social etiquette at the time. In the Finance Ministry patio is the Benito Juárez Room, where this president lived during the end of his term and where he died on July 18, 1872. The bedroom, living room and study have been preserved complete with a number of objects belonging to the president. ==History of the building==