Hidden behind the walls of the Church of Jesus Nazareno in Mexico City lies the tomb of Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conquistador who led the fall of the Aztec Empire. Yet, despite his monumental role in history, the final resting place of Cortés is shrouded in secrecy, controversy, and myth.
After his death in 1547, Cortés wished to be buried in Coyoacán, but his remains were instead placed in the Hospital de Jesús, which he had founded. Over the centuries, his bones were moved multiple times due to political unrest and rising anti-Spanish sentiment. During Mexico’s War of Independence, fears of desecration prompted Lucas Alamán, a government minister, to secretly hide Cortés’s remains beneath a wooden beam inside the hospital. He later relocated them to a discreet corner of the church and filed a classified burial act to preserve the location.
For 123 years, the whereabouts of Cortés’s remains were unknown. When the burial act was finally revealed in 1946, the discovery sparked public outrage. Many called for the bones to be destroyed, and the church responded by sealing them behind the wall and installing a modest plaque. Today, the tomb is rarely acknowledged, and photography is prohibited. The church prefers to highlight its ceiling mural by José Clemente Orozco rather than the grave of the controversial figure.
Legends persist that Cortés’s remains were smuggled to Italy or scattered to prevent veneration. Others believe the tomb is cursed, reflecting the unresolved trauma of conquest. The neglect and secrecy surrounding the tomb symbolize Mexico’s complex relationship with its colonial past—a mix of shame, resistance, and reluctant remembrance.
In a city filled with grand monuments, the hidden tomb of Hernán Cortés remains a quiet, uneasy echo of history.
Sources: Atlas Oscura / NY Times
