Monument to Cuauhtémoc

Monument to Cuauhtémoc (Monumento a Cuauhtémoc) stands at the intersection of Paseo de la Reforma and Av. Insurgentes (M: Insurgentes, line 1). Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec emperor, was tortured by Hernan Cortés in an unsuccessful attempt to force him to reveal the hiding place of the vast treasure of Moctezuma. The statue, created by 19th-century sculptor Miguel Norena, shows the proud ruler garbed in a plumed robe and standing imperiously with his spear, surrounded by warriors. Pedestal engravings depict Cuauhtémoc's torture and the burning of his feet.