Zócalo

The Zócalo in Mexico City

A zócalo is a central town square or plaza, usually located in Mexican cities. Zócalos were often the original central squares of Mesoamerican cities that were coopted by the Spanish conquerors. The term zócalo is related to the Italian zoccolo meaning pedestal or plinth. Both zócalo and zoccolo ultimately derive from the Latin soccŭlus which is a dimunitive of another noun soccus meaning a type of clog. The modern English word sock shares a reflex with zócalo,zoccolo and soccus.

The Mexico City central town square's official name is "Plaza de la Constitución" (Constitution Square). It was at that location that Mexico pledged allegiance to the Spanish Constitution of 1812, called "The Cadiz´Constitution". The square received the name of "Zocalo" because Antonio López de Santa Anna, president of Mexico, ordered a sculpture to commemorate Mexico´s independence and put it in the middle of the town square. The statue was never finished and the only remnants of the work was the plinth which was to support it.

In the TV series Babylon 5, the eponymous station's primary market concourse is called "the Zocalo."

Notable zócalos

Plaza de la Constitución in Mexico City
Zócalo in Oaxaca City

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