October 2015

The Aztecs in Montréal - Over 150,000 visitors to Pointe-à-Callière!

For immediate release

Montréal, October 27, 2015 — Pointe-à-Callière, the Montréal Archaeology and History Complex, is proud to have welcomed 151,020 visitors to its international exhibition The Aztecs, People of the Sun, between May 28 and October 25, 2015.

This spectacular exhibition gave visitors a unique opportunity to learn about the people who founded the magnificent city of Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire and the site where Mexico City was built after the Spanish Conquest in 1521. The presentation offered true insights into the dazzling and sometimes disturbing world of a people who reigned over much of Mexico for two centuries.

The exhibition addressed several topics in the rich history of the Aztecs: migration, the founding of Tenochtitlan, agriculture, daily life, the Templo Mayor, and, of course, the question of human sacrifices and the two Aztec calendars. In showcasing some 265 objects from 16 Mexican museums, including the Templo Mayor Museum and the Mexican National Museum of Anthropology, Pointe-à-Callière featured several impressively large pieces, such as the eagle warrior and a statue of Mictlantecuhtli, the god of death.

The high attendance figures for this exhibition come in the wake of those for the winter of 2014-2015, when The Greeks – Agamemnon to Alexander the Great drew 132,156 visitors, a record for a wintertime exhibition at the Museum. The success and positive outcome of these exhibitions demonstrate a real interest in the world’s ancient civilizations and their legacies, which is good news—for, as the largest archaeology museum in Québec and Canada, Pointe-à-Callière notably has a mission to forge bonds with regional, national, and international networks concerned with archaeology, history, and urban issues.

The Museum is subsidized by the City of Montréal.

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Source :
Pascale Dudemaine
Communications Coordinator
514 872-2687
[email protected]