world’s largest cities. Mexico City is the
center of Mexico’s economy and a major
center of culture and education.
Mountains surround Mexico City. It lies
about 7,350 feet (2,240 meters) above
sea level.
Places of Interest
The plaza called the Zocalo is the traditional
city center. Many historic build-
Many hotels and tourist sites are located
along the Gulf of Mexico.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Mexico City 113
ings, such as the National Palace,
surround the plaza. Several buildings in
the area have murals, or wall paintings,
by the artist Diego Rivera. In another
neighborhood is the former house of the
artist Frida Kahlo. It is now a museum
about her life.
Many tourists visit an area called
Xochimilco to see its “floating gardens.”
They are man-made islands on which
plants are grown.
Economy
Much of Mexico’s banking and industry
takes place in Mexico City. Tourism,
insurance, and other businesses that
provide services also bring money to the
city. Construction is one of Mexico
City’s leading industries. Factories in the
city make chemicals, plastics, cement,
cloth, and many other products.
History
Mexico City has been a large and important
capital for hundreds of years. It
began in the 1300s, when the Aztec
Indians founded a city on the site. They
named their city Tenochtitlan. They
ruled a huge empire from there.
The Spanish soldier Hernan Cortes and
his troops destroyed Tenochtitlan in
1521. They built a new Spanish city
there. Mexico City was the center of
Spanish rule in Mexico.
In 1821 Mexico became an independent
country. Mexico City became the country’s
capital a few years later. In the early
1900s the city was the site of fighting
during the Mexican Revolution. A powerful
earthquake damaged the city in
1985.
Mexico City grew greatly during the
20th century. In the early 21st century it
was among the fastest-growing cities in
the world.
#More to explore
Aztec • Cortes, Hernan • Kahlo, Frida
• Mexico • Rivera, Diego
Michelangelo
The Italian sculptor, painter, and
architect Michelangelo is considered
one of the greatest artists of all time.
His work stood out even during the
Italian Renaissance, a period known for
its many outstanding achievements in
art.
Early Life andWorks
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti
Simoni was born on March 6, 1475, in
Caprese, a town near Florence, Italy.
When Michelangelo was 13 he studied
The Antigua Basilica of Guadalupe stands
in Mexico City. A basilica is a type of church.
114 Michelangelo BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
art with Domenico Ghirlandajo, a leading
painter in Florence.
Michelangelo later moved to Rome.
There in 1498 he was asked to carve a
pieta—an artwork that shows the
Virgin Mary supporting the body of
Jesus after his death. Michelangelo’s
Pieta is a large sculpture carved from
one block of marble. It made
Michelangelo famous.
In 1501 Michelangelo returned to Florence
to create David, a huge marble
statue of a young man holding a slingshot.
David was a king of ancient Israel
who is said to have used only a slingshot
to kill the giant Goliath. One of the
world’s greatest statues, David represents
the Renaissance idea of a perfect human
form.
Sistine and Medici Chapels
In 1505 Pope Julius II called Michelangelo
to Rome to work on statues for a
tomb. In 1508 the pope asked Michelangelo
to paint the ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel. Over the next few years
Michelangelo covered the ceiling with
majestic frescoes, or paintings created on
wet plaster.
Michelangelo worked perched on a platform
about 60 feet (18 meters) above
the floor. Most of the time he painted
while lying on his back. His paintings
covered 10,000 square feet (930 square
meters) of the ceiling. The main scenes
show biblical stories, such as God creating
Adam, and Hebrew prophets.
Michelangelo later returned to Florence,
where he designed a marble chapel for
the powerful Medici family. The marble
statues he carved for the chapel are some
of his greatest sculptures.
Later Years
In 1534 Michelangelo started another
fresco, the Last Judgment, for the Sistine
Chapel. He spent most of the rest of his
life working on this large painting and
writing poetry. He also designed the
impressive dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica
and the Capitoline Square in Rome.
However, he did not live to see them
completed. Michelangelo died in Rome
on February 18, 1564. He was buried in
the church of Santa Croce in Florence.
#More to explore
Architecture • Painting • Renaissance
• Sculpture
Michelangelo’s Pieta can be seen in Saint
Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Michelangelo
sculpted David
out of a nearly
ruined block
of marble.
Another
sculptor had
already
started to
carve the
marble.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Michelangelo 115
Michigan
The U.S. state of Michigan is
believed to have gotten its name
from a Native American word meaning
“large lake.” Michigan is the only state
to border on four of the five Great
Lakes. Sometimes called the Great Lakes
State, Michigan has more coastline than
any state other than Alaska. The capital
is Lansing.
Geography
Michigan is located in the north-central
United States. It consists of two large
pieces of land: the Upper Peninsula and
