A note on the position and extent of the great temple enclosure of Tenochtitlan, and the position, structure and orientation of the Teocolli of Huitzilopochtli.

This concise study turns the listener’s attention to the heart of the Aztec capital, exploring the exact position, size and layout of its famed great temple enclosure. Drawing on the earliest eyewitness accounts, the author pieces together a clear picture of how the sacred precinct fit into the surrounding cityscape, while also examining the towering Teocalli of Huitzilopochtli and its orientation.

The work weaves together fragments from a variety of seventeenth‑century sources—an anonymous conquistador’s notes, the missionary observations of Fray Toribio (Motolinia) and Fray Sahagún, as well as later chroniclers such as Torquemada, Duran, Tezozomoc and Ixtlilxochitl. Brief excerpts from each are presented with commentary, helping listeners gauge the reliability and perspective of each witness.

By the end of the first act, listeners will have a solid grasp of the temple’s dimensions and its architectural relationship to the broader urban plan, as well as an appreciation for the blend of Spanish and indigenous scholarship that first recorded these marvels.