The Sun Stone and its discovery
On December 17, 1790, the Sun Stone was discovered by chance. However, months earlier that same year, on August 13, the Coatlicue was found (also with its plaque in situ). Originally, the discovery site plaques were placed in the year 1992; the Aztec Calendar plaque disappeared in the year 2000. In October 2024, it was replaced, and additionally, the plaque for the discovery site of the monolith known as the Stone of Tizoc was placed; that monolith was found in the year 1791, likewise on December 17.
First Relocation / Metropolitan Cathedral
After its discovery, the Sun Stone was placed in the west tower of the Cathedral, where it remained until it was moved to the National Museum by order of Porfirio Díaz. The first image is a photograph from the late 19th century. Next, we can observe a detail from the painting El Paseo de las Cadenas; this everyday scene was painted by the Swiss artist Johann Salomon Hegi in 1854.
Second Relocation / National Museum
The Museum located at 13 Moneda Street was the first great National Museum. That museum safeguarded all the collections of our past until it became possible to have a museum for each category. The National Museum, in addition to exhibiting archaeological pieces in its courtyard, also featured a large and famous room known as the "Hall of Monoliths". That is where the Sun Stone was relocated in the year 1885.
Third Relocation / National Museum of Anthropology
The most important museum in Mexico was inaugurated in 1964. The architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez was the director of the project. The Chapultepec Forest is home to the museum and the Mexica hall, where the monolith that has brought pride and identity to Mexicans is centrally located.