Alameda Central Park, Mexico City

Alameda Central is the largest oasis of greenery in downtown Mexico City. Although flanked by bustling avenues on all sides, this tree-filled garden offers a quiet respite from the clamoring Centro Histórico. The name Alameda comes from the Spanish word "álamo", which means a poplar tree (which are planted here in abundance).

This is the oldest public park in the Americas. It was created in 1592 by the Spanish Viceroy Luis de Velasco II as part of a gentrification plan for what was then the western edge of the city. Centuries ago, in the pre-Colombian era, the area was a busy marketplace.

Originally, the park was less than half of its present size. What is now the western section of the park was a plain plaza built during the Inquisition period and was known as The Burning Place (El Quemadero), where witches and heretics were burned at the stake. By the 1760s, the Inquisition tyranny largely came to an end, and in 1770 the plaza was cleared to make space for the expanding park.

Another round of expansion, in 1791, saw a wooden fence installed to create an exclusive leisure spot for the nobles. After the Mexican Independence, the Alameda became the center of public celebrations. In 1846, President Santa Anna rode triumphantly into the city and ordered that all the park fountains be filled with alcohol.

On the south side of the park is a large white, semi-circular monument with eight marble columns – it is dedicated to Benito Juárez, one of Mexico's most loved presidents. There are also five classical fountains, of French design, inspired by Greco-Roman mythology.

Much of the park's current features, such as the starburst pattern of paths around the fountains and the central kiosk, were laid out in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Among the statues here is a monument to Beethoven donated by the German community in commemoration of the centenary of his 9th Symphony.

The popular spirit of Alameda has been celebrated by Diego Rivera in his famous mural "Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park", displayed at the Diego Rivera Mural Museum (Museo Mural Diego Rivera) on the western edge of the park.