Labor Processes and Costs in the Construction of the Mexico City Cathedral (16th Century)

Based on accounting data from the construction of Mexico City's Cathedral in the late 16th century, this article examines the excessive costs and large volume of labor compared to similar projects in Spain. The central hypothesis is that the high wages paid to the Spanish elite overseeing the project, rather than the sheer number of Indigenous workers, were the main factors driving up costs. The methodology involves analyzing accounting records from the cathedral between 1584 and 1586. Comparisons are made with the costs and workforce composition of contemporary Spanish cathedral projects, such as those in Segovia and Salamanca. The results highlight a significant wage disparity, with the Spanish elite receiving much higher pay than the Indigenous workers, despite the latter comprising the majority of the workforce. The study concludes that the differences between colonial and metropolitan architecture primarily stemmed from the work processes —specifically the use of Indigenous social labor organization— rather than from the final form of the buildings.