Part Two

When the Spaniard Cortes and his men marched on the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, they hoped they would find Moctezuma's gold and untold riches. But they had no idea what was in store for them. Following the meeting of Emperor Moctezuma and Cortes, they were housed in a splendid palace and lavished with gifts. Cortes came to realise that the Aztecs lived in a strangely innocent world, a magical realm that was to be their undoing. He put his knowledge to good use and in a bold move, imprisoned the emperor in his own palace. The monarch fell, surrendering his power and wealth to become a puppet of the Spaniards. On May 13, 1521, it is thought that Moctezuma died from a blow to the head from a rock thrown by one of his subjects. Overnight, his body, magical entourage and most spectacularly of all, his vast well-documented gold-laden treasure-disappeared. No trace of Moctezuma was ever found. Presenter and best-selling author DBC Pierre visited a location believed to hold the key to this mystery, but came away none the wiser.