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Mexico City (Mexico)

Ciudad de México

Last modified: 2022-09-10 by juan manuel gabino villascán
Keywords: mexico (city) | capital | tenochtitlan | coat of arms | lion | castle | lake | prickly pear | bridge |
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• Status of the Mexico City
• Alternative flags
• Coat of arms
• Government emblems and flags

• Viceroyalty of New Spain
• State of México
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• Mexico

Status of Mexico City

Until 29 January 2016

The status of the Distrito Federal is defined in the articles 43 and 44 of the Mexican Constitution:

Art. 43: The integrant parts of the Federation are the States of Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, (...), Zacatecas and Distrito Federal.

Art. 44: Mexico City is the Distrito Federal, headquarters of the Powers of the Union and Capital of the United Mexican States. It is made up by the territory it currently has, and in the case the Powers of the Union move to another place, the State of the Valley of Mexico will be created, with borders and area appointed by the Congress.

Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 8 May 2001

Since 30 January 2016

The status of Mexico City is defined in the articles 43 and 44 of the Mexican constitution:

Art. 43: The integrant parts of the Federation are the States of Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, (...), Zacatecas and Mexico City.

Art. 44: Mexico City is the federative entitity, headquarters of the federal government branches and capital city of the United Mexican States, it is built up of the territory it currently has, in case the federal offices move to any other place, a federal state will be formed called Mexico City.

Translated by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 20 April 2016

Alternative flags

Mexico City has no an official flag for its own. Basically, until 2020, there has been three alternative de-facto flags of Mexico City. All of them white with a rendition of the traditional coat of arms in the center.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 10 August 2022

White flag with a colored version of the coat of arms

by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 10 August 2022
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

This flag bears a colored version of the 1523 coat of arms. Until September 2020, it appeared in many Mexico City official places and in federal acts.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 10 August 2020.

White flag with the 2002 version of the coat of arms

by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 10 August 2022
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Though not adopted by law, it was the most used flag in official events; it is white with the 2002 version of the coat of arms in the center. As you can see in the photos provided, the flag was first used during the government of Marcelo Ebrard (2006 – 2012); however, it was Miguel Ángel Mancera governmnet (2012-2018) who spread its usage carrying it in every official act; so did his successor José Ramón Amieva (2018), Claudia Sheinbaum (2018 – 2024) still used the flag until her government replaced it for a new corporate image in 2020.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 10 August 2022

White flag with white-bordered black shield

This variant of the flag was sometimes seen during Gabriel Mancera’s official acts (2012 – 2018). The shield of the coat of arms is black and border is white.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 10 August 2022

Coat of arms

Arms adopted: December 17, 1523, by Royal Document (Cédula Real) signed in Valladolid, Spain, on 4 July 1523.
Arms revisions:1929. Decree of 13 March 1995. 1999, 2002, and 2018

Background

Mexico City has yet to ratified an official coat of arms. Those granted by Charles V in 1523 are traditionally considered to represent Mexico City. Lots of variations of the coat of arms have existed, reaching certain uniformity in 1995.

The coat of arms of Mexico City was granted in the following terms: "...Charles V, Emperor of Spain, issued a Royal Document signed in Valladolid on 4 July 1523, and come into effect on 17 December, to replay the petition of Representatives of New Spain Francisco de Montejo and Alonso Fernández Portocarrero, who asked the Emperor granted the City a coat of arms to be used on pennants, seals, and other places, like those used in Spain..." consisting of "...a blue shield, like the water, standing for the great lake, on which such a city was founded, and a golden castle in middle, and three stone bridges going toward the castle, on each bridge on both sides of the castle a lion rampant (...) Ten green prickly pear pads with their thorns on gold border the shield (...) Such arms granted to you are able to be use on pennants, seals and flags (...)"

Originally, the coat of arms had neither mantling, crest, nor other elements in addition to those established by the Royal Document. Subsequently, the arms were added a crown as crest and a mantling, to be soon replaced with an eagle (usually eating a snake) standing on a prickly pear three.

Bishop of Puebla and Viceroy of New Spain Juan Palafox y Mendoza ordered by Decree of August 12, 1642, that all representations of the indigenous achievement [e. g. the eagle and prickly pear] were removed from the City's arms and "... replaced by either an image of Our Lady, an angel with a Cross, or images resemble the Catholic faith such as the Water and Cup...". Despite the decree the usage of the indigenous emblem extended over all the New Spain.

Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 9-10 August 2022

1929 - present

by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán 9 August 2022

It is said that in 1929, after having used the national coat of arms for a while, the original Mexico City coat of arms is readopted for the Municipality of Mexico. This version is still usually employed in flags.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán 9 August 2022

1995 - 1999

by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán 9 August 2022

By Decree of 13 March 1995, a stylized emblem comes into force consisting of an outlined simplified version of the original coat of arms, nevertheless one prickly pear pad (the one in the point) was removed.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán 9 August 2022

1999 - 2002

by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán 9 August 2022

In 1999 (other sources say 1997), the Mexico City coat of arms is revisited again, for the first time, black and white are institutionalized, being the field of the shield black and the border white. Lions, castle and bridges are outlined in white. The colors would be reversed in the 2002 version. The original ten prickly pear pads (nine in the 1995 version) outlined in black returned to the border. The tongued rampant lions are standing on one paw, as balancing over the bridges, and do not touch the tower. The name "Ciudad de México" was added bellow the coat of arms.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán 9 August 2022

2002 - 2020

by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán 10 August 2022

This version of the coat of arms was adopted in 2002 appearing in the corporate image of the city government (2002 - 2006). The tongueless rampant lions are standing on both rear paws while the front ones touch the tower (they are separated from the tower in the 1999 version); colors are reversed from the previous version: field becomes white and border black. Even Claudia Sheinbaum's government (2018 - 2024) adopted a new corporate image, this rendition of the coat of arms remained the one used on flags until 2020.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán 10 August 2022

Government emblems and flags

Mexico City has no official flag for its own. Until 2020 three alternative flags were used. Jointly with those alternative flags, government flags were used. Those flags consisted basically in a white field with the corporate identity emblem in the center. There is one exception to this rule. I have not verified if identity emblems of governments prior 2008 were used on flags.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán 10 August 2022

2008 - 2012

by Juan Mauel Gabino Villascán 10 August 2020
1

Though Marcelo Ebrard took office in 2006, it was not until 16 January 2008 that appeared the new identity emblem of Ebrard's government (2006 – 2012) consisting of a depiction of the “Angel of Independence� (a monument in central Mexico City), the motto “Capital en movimento� (Capital in movement), and a seal-like depiction of a seesaw with the text “Ciudad con equidad� (Equality City). Some flags did not feature the latter element.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán 10 August 2022

2008 - 2012 variant

by Juan Mauel Gabino Villascán 6 July 2020
1

2012 - 2015

by Juan Mauel Gabino Villascán 10 August 2022
1

Miguel Ángel Mancera government lasted from 2012 to 2016, the government identity emblem preserved the angel of independence silhouette from the previous government surrounded by two stylized hands and the motto “Decidiendo juntosâ€� (Deciding together). This emblem was adopted in 2012. On flags was used over a white field.
Juan Mauel Gabino Villascán 10 August 2022

2015 - 2018

by Juan Mauel Gabino Villascán 6 July 2020
1

The government identity emblem was revisited in 2015; however, the new emblem was not used on flags, instead, the government flag consisted of a magenta field with the initials CDMX and the name CIUDAD DE MEXICO bellow, all in white.
Juan Mauel Gabino Villascán 10 August 2022

2020 - 2021

by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 11 August 2022
1 |
2 (located by Daniel Rénteria)

On 5 December 2018, government headed by Claudia Sheinbaum inaugurated a new identity brand preserving the 2002 version coat of arms. Three months later, on 26 March 2019, according the Identity Manual, the brand was revised being the coat of arms modified, simplifying the border making it thinner and wiping the prickly pear pads out, in the following terms:

“The coat of arms of Mexico City is an element fundamental part of our institutional identity. With the pass of time has had changes derived from the context of each time. The version used in past administrations was defined in 1995 and is a simplification of the original coat of arms. In the iconographic analysis carried out during the creation of our new brand identity, we detected that adjustments could be made in order to improve the design of the shield, mainly in terms legibility, reproducibility and adaptability to new technologies. The content was provided with contrast and the border was simplified to that its elements inside have a greater margin of visibility; the sum of the coat of arms and the institutional symbol coexist harmoniously in our new logo.�

The new “coat of arms� appeared on flags on 16 September 2020 during the festivities for the Mexican independence. The flag is white with the coat of arms in grey.

Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 11 August 2022

2021 -

by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 11 August 2022
1 (located by Daniel Rénteria)

On 11 August 2021, the coat of arms of the identity brand turned from grey to gold; however, it appears on flags since 25 November.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 11 August 2022

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