Enter by the central door, over which hangs the bell rung by Padre Miguel Hidalgo when he proclaimed Mexico's independence from Spain in 1810--the famous grito. Each September 15, Mexican Independence Day, the president of Mexico stands on the balcony above the door to echo Hidalgo's cry to the thousands of spectators that fill the zócalo. Take the stairs to the Rivera murals, which were painted over a 25-year period. The Legend of Quetzalcoatl depicts the famous tale of the feathered serpent bringing a blond-bearded white man to the country. When Cortés arrived, many Aztecs, recalling this legend, believed him to be Quetzalcoatl. Another mural tells of the American Intervention when American invaders marched into Mexico City during the War of 1847. It was on this occasion that the military cadets of Chapultepec Castle (then a military school) fought bravely to the last man. The most notable of Rivera's murals is the Great City of Tenochtitlán, a study of the original settlement in the Valley of Mexico. The city is but a small part of the mural; the remainder is filled with what appear to be four million extras left over from a Hollywood epic. Diego Rivera, one of Mexico's legendary muralists, left an indelible stamp on Mexico City, his painted political themes affecting the way millions view Mexican history. Additional examples of Rivera's stunning and provocative interpretations are found at the Bellas Artes, the National Preparatory School, the Department of Public Education, the National School of Agriculture at Chapingo, the National Institute of Cardiology, and the Museo Mural Diego Rivera (housing the mural formerly located in the now razed Hotel del Prado).